8 tips on belly fat- what you need to know part 1.

Hey,
Hows it going in your part of the world?
I hope your week has been full of excitement and you've made steps to some awesome results.
If you are keen to keep yourself looking and feeling your best, you will have at one stage asked the question "how do i get rid of my belly fat?"

Most fit pros will have encountered this question at some stage in their career - it comes as standard. Its an area of the body most people would like to see an improvement in the way it looks. It's part of the human psyche that this area of the body must look good, which typically means firm and flab free!
This post is not about societies psychological pressures we face to look a certain way - my job here is to help give you some facts that you MUST know if you are going to achieve a good looking (that doesn't necessarily mean washboard abs) mid section.

But before I jump into that, I must say a big well done to two of our 40 plus fitness 28 day challengers who started the challenge early and have now completed it. Between them they have lost over 7lbs and lost 11 inches from their waist and hips!

1. Understand that there are 2 types of fat present in the body. Subcutaneous and Visceral. Subcutaneous fat is the stuff you can grab or pinch and visceral is the stuff you can’t. This is important to know because they both respond differently to exercise and your diet. Subcutaneous fat has a decreased blood supply and is less sensitive to the catecholamines. Visceral belly fat has a greater blood flow and is more responsive to catecholamines. In simple terms, catecholamines, which are hormones, cause general physiological changes that prepare the body for physical activity and help burn fat.

2. Due to the female menstrual cycle, women can see increases in their belly fat depending on the stage of their cycle.

3. It has been proven through various studies that adopting a low carb diet will help influence the activity of the alpha adrenergic receptors and may speed up subcutaneous fat loss. Alpha adrenergic receptors halt fat release, visceral fat has more beta adrenergic receptors which enhance or help with fat release.

4. Due to differences in hormone levels and production, women tend to find it harder with 'saddle bag' subcutaneous fat, fat that accumulates around the front of the stomach.  Men have a harder time moving 'love handle' subcutaneous fat, fat that accumulates around the waist.

5. The correct balance of proper nutrition, exercise, rest and stress reduction is the ONLY way to get toned,flat rock hard mid section. Doing one million sit ups and eating healthily alone will not cut it!

6. Following on form the above statement, it is important to make sure you exercise right according to your goals. Simply put, you have to work hard & sweat if you want change your body composition. Check out the Optimum Health pts KFF classes here. These classes have helped dozens of people become fitter and more toned. If your goal is to have a six pack, you need to work intensely to see noticeable results. If you just wish to have a trim & toned look, you may be able to commit to a less intense exercise program.

7. The health and ability of your liver will determine your ability to reduce belly fat. A toxic liver will not work well to reduce body fat.

Touchstone essential whole food supplement range

8. Using whole food supplements will help speed up a reduction in belly fat and improve general health and vitality.



In part 2. I will go into go a little more detail about some of the above facts.You are invited to come find out how you start to feel more energized and slow down the ageing process with proper nutrition at our Nutritional seminar on the 12th of December .starts at 7.15pm

How to drink alcohol (the smart way) part 2.

Hey!
Hope you've been having a great week and keeping up the hard work. I know it can be hard to maintain your exercise routine this time of year, but I have to give you big congratulations for keeping going!

When the night's draw in here in the UK and it gets cold, your natural reaction is to go into hibernation mode. But credit to all of you who have chosen to keep going and move steadily toward your goals (and that includes everyone currently doing our 40plus fitness 28 day transformation challenge) ;-).

Big welcome to all our new readers and followers of Optimum Health. I salute you!

In the first part of this post we talked about how to drink alcohol the smart way.(if you missed it click on the link here) I continue that education by letting you know a little more about alcohol and its effects. Before we start, I want to make it clear to everyone (especially the females) reading this post, that I'm NOT anti drinking. I like a drink now and again. However I believe as your friend and health & fitness professional, its my job to equip you with the facts so YOU can make the best decisions that work for YOU.

OK, here we go.......

4. Drink less as you age.
As we get older our bodies ability to deal with the effects of alcohol decrease. Men typically drink more than women, but women are more likely to be affected by the effects of excessive drinking. This is because men are typically bigger in size, carry more muscle mass thus making them better at metabolising alcohol.
Pre-menopausal women can significantly reduce there fertility rate even by consuming moderate amounts of alcohol over time. This has been shown to have the same affect with men in lowering sperm count.
Post menopausal women can seriously affect bone health and hormonal levels by regular drinking or drinking to excess. Studies have shown that too much alcohol or heavy drinking can upset the hormone balance that is key for good bone health and can lead to osteoporosis. 
Research is going on as to the best levels of alcohol we should drink for both men and women.
The general consensus is that 1 alcoholic drink a day (24hours) is low risk and 2 or more drinks a day is high risk.

5. Alcohol is a miracle cure?

"Alcohol can help prevent heart disease". Here in the UK Heart and circulatory diseases kill over 170,000 adults every year . So it’s not surprising the media pounces on studies that suggest moderate drinking can help keep your heart healthy.
The 'facts' and many research reports clearly state that drinking too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, strokes, some cancers and damage to your heart. Drinking in moderation has benefits and has been proven to offer some protection against heart disease, however there are much better ways to protect your heart health.
Adopting a healthy diet, exercising 2-3 time a week and stopping smoking are all excellent ways to keep yourself at low risk form disease.

"Wine stops women putting on weight" Women who drink wine are less likely to gain weight” (BBC news online) and similar headlines greeted a recent American study that showed women who drank a moderate amount, especially of red wine, were less likely to become overweight than those who didn’t drink at all.
However Dr Emma Williams, a Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, says the results need to be treated with caution. “Because of the limitations of the study, it’s not possible to say whether alcohol itself helps prevent weight gain. The study also worryingly suggested that women, unlike men, can tend to substitute alcoholic drinks for food, so they don’t increase their calorie intake.”
With over 500 calories in a bottle of wine, alcohol certainly isn’t the way to go if you’re planning a diet. But it goes without saying that alcohol should never substitute a meal in order to keep your calorie count for the day down.
“Keeping or maintaining a healthy weight involves consuming a healthy balanced diet as well as keeping physically active,” says Dr Williams. “Base meals on starchy foods, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, cut down on saturated fat and sugar, and engage in regular physical activity.”*

6. Drink Smart and enjoy.
For many people drinking is done without any fore-thought. I have made it a little easier for you by listing some drinks and there calorific values. These are 'averages' as different producers of alcoholic drinks will make there own drink 'brands' with different volumes which will effect the actual calorie total.

1. Beer (lager) Calories = 130 (per 330ml bottle)
2. Beer (ale/stout) Calories = 200 (per pint)
3. Cider Calories = 215 (per pint)
4. Red wine Calories = 195 (250ml large glass)
5. White wine Calories = 178 (250ml large glass)
6. White spirit Calories = 110 (25ml single measure) with mixer
7. Alco-pop Calories = 150 (270ml bottle)
8. Champagne Calories = 95 (125ml small glass)
9. Water Calories = 0

Alcohol does seem to divide opinion when it comes to risks vs benefits, however there is no argument that drinking in excess or on a regular basis does increase your risk of certain conditions and disease. 
Try to remember, as I have always encouraged people to apply - everything in moderation including alcohol (I call it the 80/20 rule).  Take these facts on board and enjoy your drink- if and when you do. 





*Quotes referenced from the 'alcohol awareness' site. 
 

How to drink Alcohol (the smart way) part 1

Hey, How you doing? 

I hope life is good! After my recent wine testing event, I now fancy my self as a bit of a wine expert (if you ever see me out I'll still ask you for a Jack Daniels & Coke! Thank you). We all like to drink; well at least the majority of us do. Drink is such an integrate part of our lives, both directly and indirectly. Most, if not all social occasions involve a drink. We drink when we are happy, drink when we are sad, drink to pass time. So I think it's fair to say that here in the UK we like to drink. But before I paint a picture of a nation of Alcoholics, Its important to remember Why we drink , the benefits(yes there are a few) and the down side of too much alcohol. Some of you reading this will be following our 28 day transformation challenge. Keep up the good work guys you're doing great! I bet you're not missing that glass of wine at all! ;-/

OK have a quick read of this and let me know if you have any questions.

1.Why we Drink.
Drinking alcohol has become part of our way of life since before the birth of Christ when man gained the knowledge of fermentation of fruit. It is a drug and a poison to the body that alters our state of mind; and I believe its for that reason we drink. We use it to celebrate, commiserate , relax or wind down and even boost our confidence.It helps use 'feel better' when we are feeling low or unhappy due to a break up or death of a friend or family member. Because we know it will alter our "thinking or state' we like to drink.

Socially, most activities are attached to drinking. Meeting of friends, having a meal in or out, celebrating a birthday all involve,  in most cases, having a drink. So for those of us that do like a drink, there are plenty of opportunities to have one. One of the other seasons we drink is due to accessibility. Alcohol has become relatively cheap to buy especially from the supermarkets. Some people blame the recent decline of the British pub down to this very fact. However, a recent survey suggested that here in the UK we are actually drinking less than we did 4 years ago!(The survey was conducted by the BBPA who represent Big brewers and Pubs).Now weather we are drinking less or more i cant say in this post, but i do know that alcohol is easy to get which  gives us more opportunity to drink.

2. The Benefits

It is true but there are some benefits to drinking Alcohol. Many different studies have suggested that moderate intake of red wine can help reduce your risk of CHD (coronary Heart disease). It is believed  that the antioxidant properties can help reduce the risk. Alcohol also helps us to relax. If we have had a bad day at work, sometime the thought of a drink waiting for us at home can keep us going. 
Apparently alcohol is also good for the economy. There are thousands of people in employment due to the alcohol production industry. The government make billions in duty fees from alcohol sales. 
So alcohol consumption does contribute to the economy and help keep people in work.
Have you ever noticed how people suddenly become good dancers once they have had a drink or two? I myself have become victim of this strange phenomenon. It too could be argued then that this is another cool benefit of alcohol because everybody wants to be a good dancer...right?

3.The Dangers of Alcohol.
There are many dangers associated with alcohol. When I say many, there are Many!  Heart diseases, domestic violence, minor injuries & accidents, diabetes, cancer, under age drinking, alcohol dependence, alcohol poisoning, Metal health issues; These are just a few circumstances and conditions that if you are drinking in excess on a regular basis, you are in serious danger of increasing your risk and becoming a victim and I'm sure you don't want that. I read recently that the women in the UK are one of the FATTEST in western Europe, second only to Malta and Turkey!The average BMI (body mass index) of the British female is now 26.9.(your BMI should be between 19.5-25) I'm sure that this is not down to cheap alcohol or lack of exercise alone. 

I know  that there are many other factors linked to these alarming statistics, namely diet or poor diet; If you are looking to get some help with your diet and are looking for some new simple ideas that help you start adding variety to your meal options, check out the Optimum Healthy recipe book here. This book has some great meal options and tips to help you broaden your horizon's when it come's to meal time. 
Also, we'll be sharing our new range of supplement's with you to help you feel and look even better. This new supplement range is the very best. Some of you know that I have been testing it myself recently and it's had a huge impact on my health. I would now like to share the benefits with you. You can check out the info page here but I'll be tell you much more at a later date.

I'm in no way trying to come across as Judgmental in this post (especially as many of you may have seen me P@#sed on a few occasions), but is is very important to remember that the alcohol we love and enjoy, can impact on our health, well-being and the way we feel and look negatively if we don't check our intake levels from time to time.
In part 2 of this post, I'll give you some more info and tips about alcohol and how you can, if required, manage your weekly/ monthly intake of alcohol and still enjoy a drink without feeling guilty.


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Best of Health.