Who has more sex appeal? you or your diet?

Who has more sex appeal? you or your diet? 

Looking back on what we have been through in the health, fitness and nutrition world, you'd think we would’ve discovered the “ultimate diet” by now (or protocol if you prefer). From low fat diets in the 90's, to the more recently established diets such as the Keto diet, Paleo diet, No Sugar diet, Gluten and Dairy Free diet, Don't Shower diet and so on... It's no wonder people are so flaming stressed out and confused about what's right and what's wrong. Lets be honest, regardless of what diet your following and eating, there is always that little thought in the back of your mind saying 'Is this the right thing? Am I doing this right? Can I eat this? Can i eat that? Is this healthy?'. For some, you may be fortunate enough to have a nutritionist/dietitian who deals with the dirty work for you, but for the majority of us, we are left to filter through the countless articles (majority of which have been written by someone as important as myself - that isn't very important) and try and follow something that we 'think' is right. 

Big Jimmy puts together a protocol of which he has pulled together from either a) sources that don't provide any robust data because he knows mother of 3, Sally, doesn't have the time or passion to actually follow up his research ability; or b) something that he has tried on himself and therefore it must work even though Jimmy is a 24 year old male who trains 6 times a week and works as a full time PT all year round. Now, regardless of whether Sally gets results from Jimmy’s fabulous new diet/protocol, the principle is that these diets don't apply to everyone. Yes, you may have forgotten how to spell bread, rice, potatoes, and carbohydrates for that matter - because you’ve eliminated them from your life for so long - but what happens when you start restricting carbohydrates with an individual who is highly dependent upon glycogen stores, and is therefore unable to perform, or even put a sentence together, because they feel like brown stuff all day? “You’ll be fine, just work through it” Jimmy says. OK, I agree with that fact your body adapts to certain situations, but if it comes at the cost of someone's performance or feeling of well-being, then bin it (with the brown stuff). 

This is where my argument comes in. Diets need to be individualised. We need to be able to sustain them and we need to enjoy them. I was listening to a podcast recently, and they mentioned something awesome: 

'Don't make changes to people diets, no one likes change. Make modifications. Over time the client becomes aware of what they do and don't need'. 

I think this is a fantastic step forward with nutrition. For example, if our girl Sally has an obligatory roast dinner every Sunday evening and all of a sudden she has to sit there and eat [insert 'bro meal' here] whilst her family enjoys the orgasmic crunch of yorkshire puddings and the moistening deliciousness of grandmas gravy. Let's be honest, the odds on Sally maintaining this “diet” are very slim. If we take more of a “modification” approach, Sally can still enjoy her lovely roast dinner on a Sunday, but perhaps she has a lighter breakfast that day, and ensures she makes her 7am PT session that morning. 

You see what I mean here? Things don't have to be massively restrictive, and as I said, this is sustainable, but it seems unless diets are not eliminating, scrutinising or forbidding any food groups or eating patterns, we don't deem them as 'sexy'. Lets be honest, there isn't really anything sexy about eating the required amount of protein, nor is there anything sexy about eating adequate amounts of vegetables and fruits - something that has been proven countless times to work. Unless you can formulate some miraculous powder or eating strategy that is deemed to strip fat within 6 weeks with minimal effort, you will struggle to be successful in giving nutritional advice. 

Body compositional goals take time, as do the habits which are required to reach your end goal, whether that be fat loss or muscle gain. I suggest you look past all these commonly advertised products and dieting protocols, and consider either hiring a coach that you can trust or having a read through a few of my previous posts.

Enjoy 

Watery tips

Water

We all know that water is an extremely important component of everyday life with statements like: if we go 3 days without the stuff we will all perish and die an uncomfortable death. Water helps the body function. It aids cognitive performance and all biological processes within our body. It also ensures waste products are removed efficiently from our systems, as a result creating the most alkaline environment as possible, put simply, water is used to remove all the nastiness from our body, including the constant supply of ethanol you administer on a Saturday night.

The way in which water hydrates us is a bit more complex and this is why the type of water you’re drinking is important. For water to be absorbed and do its job, sodium must be present to ensure the water can be absorbed through our intestinal wall. Glucose is also an efficient aid, but let’s not start smashing Gatorade, Powerade and other commercial isotonic drinks upon waking or throughout the day; they may solve the issue of hydration (yes, that is a positive), but your blood sugars will be doing flips and your fat cells will be at an all you can eat sugar (glucose) buffet – not good.

Unfortunately, for those of us who exercise or are deemed healthy individuals, most bottled water (particularly in the Middle East) and drinkable tap water is extremely bland. By bland, I mean extremely deficient in the essential minerals (sodium in particular) that aid in the absorption process. Due to increasing rates of hypertension, CVD and other disorders, governments and water companies have introduced this bland water with the hopes that reducing overall sodium intake will lower the population’s blood pressure.

For heavy sweaters and those of us who train intensely and therefore require a substantial amount of water, this water isn't good enough. We can either fork out and pay for the more expensive mineral-rich waters (Fiji water is my favourite but can be $$), or we can simply go about it ourselves and do the following – by sprinkling some sea salt in your water and adding a slice of lemon or lime (squeeze them) you can make yourself a decent drop. The sodium in the salt will provide the necessary aid in the absorption process and the lemon or lime will not only buffer the taste of salty water but will give the water's mineral content a slight boost.

Coconut water has made a name for itself as the ultimate hydration drink. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the stuff as a) it doesn't taste amazing (waste of calories in my opinion), and b) the balance between sodium and potassium is not ideal for aiding in hydration. They advertise that one 330ml bottle/fancy carton is equivalent to 4 bananas (in terms of potassium content). If you are eating a well-balanced diet, which I assume most of you are, including an array of fruits and vegetables (all of which contain substantial amounts of potassium), you may actually be overdoing it with the frequent coconut waters you are guzzling down just because Miranda Kerr and other celebrities swear by the stuff. You will soon find yourself running to the toilet very fast and very often because coconut water tends to have a gastric emptying effect if you are drinking too much. By all means drink it in moderation – maybe use it to spice up a smoothie or protein shake post-workout. But honestly, if you are drinking coconut water to hydrate, you’re better off opting for the homemade hydration drink that I recommended in the previous paragraph.

Take home pointers:

- If drinking "bland" bottled or tap water, bulk it out with some lemon and a small pinch of sea salt (Himalayan sea salt is supposedly the most mineral-rich)

- Aim to drink at least 30ml x body weight (kg) per day with no consideration of exercise

- If you train or sweat heavily, you will have to include a further 500ml - 1L to ensure you are adequately hydrated

Enjoy

What’s the craze with protein powders?

What’s the craze with protein powders?

Protein shakes are a supplement. By definition, a supplement is “something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole”. In terms of diet, a protein shake should be used as something to complete your protein intake and supply a deficiency, if you are struggling to meet protein demands. Or similarly, reinforce or extend your protein intake as a whole. 

I know there are all sorts of protein shakes on the market these days and they all sell different qualities. You have fat loss proteins, which are usually composed of a standard whey protein with additional thermogenic aids (usually green tea extract), and if you’re lucky, a sprinkle of L-carnitine to make out that this is the most potent fat burning formula known to man. Then, you have MASS GAINERS. These are the ultimate gain shakes, apparently. Most supplement store workers will force these down your throat as their shops are severely overstocked with the stuff, because, fortunately, people are starting to realise how rubbish most of them are. Don’t get me wrong, there are some companies doing some great things with these types of proteins (Genetic Supplements), but unfortunately, the majority of the common formulas are filled with rubbish.

I recommend sticking to a basic whey protein powder. Like everything in the fitness industry, there are all sorts of different ways in which whey protein can be filtered, and therefore, advertised to influence us into buying them. Concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate are the most common. Each provides different amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate. Concentrate is the most basic form, and contains the greatest amounts of carbohydrate (lactose) and fat. Therefore, if you find lactose causes you stomach difficulties, or you’re lactose intolerant, stick to protein powders that are composed of isolate or hydrolysate protein. As far as sweeteners go, we could get into a huge debate on how detrimental sweeteners are to your health. But, if you want to be safe, stick with a stevia sweetened protein (natural sweetener). Honestly though, the amount of sweetener used is unlikely to cause any health problems.

Vegan proteins can also be very effective and solve the issue of lactose sensitivity that so many of us have today. If using a vegan blend, it’s likely that you’ll have to include additional BCAA’s (Leucine, in particular) to ensure you get the desired muscle protein synthesis when taking these protein powders. Personally, I recommend vegan formulas made up of, quinoa, hemp, rice or pea protein – preferably, in combination to ensure a complete amino acid profile. Genetic Supplements have formulated a quality vegan protein.

Now you know which type of protein is best suited to you, you need to know if a protein supplement is even necessary for your diet (I probably should have begun with this but I got onto the topic of different blends, so I thought I’d carry on). I recommend at least 1.6g of protein per kg of body weight per day (even if you are not exercising). The maximum you should have is 3.2g per kg of body weight (there would have to be a valid explanation to go this high, but this is the maximum). 

So, let’s think of it like this; you require 200g of protein per day. You’re already getting 200g of protein in your diet from different meat, dairy and vegetable sources (bare in mind that 200g of chicken, beef, fish or eggs is not 200g of protein). You’re also meeting your daily calorie intake as a whole (from other fats and carbohydrates) - see another one of my posts for details on how to calculate this. Then you go and shake up your “essential post-workout shake”, as well as your “pre-bed shake to ensure I don't go catabolic whilst I sleep” (the quotation marks represent my sarcasm), because Jay Cutler and Ronnie Coleman said so. As a result, you’re now eating an excess of 90g of protein, which is essentially 360 calories. Yes, you can argue that protein has a greater thermic effect than carbohydrates and fats, and is, therefore, harder to store as body fat, but if you're going to give your body those extra calories, it will store them. Believe it or not, protein can make you fat.

When prescribing diet plans, unless I’m dealing with athletes or people who require an efficient protein-based breakfast/snack, I avoid the use of protein powders. I would rather see people getting their protein from meat, vegetables, and dairy sources. From this, you’re not just getting the protein fix you require, but you’ll also benefit from the other nutrients and vitamins that whole foods contain. Therefore, there is not necessarily a limit on how many protein shakes you can have a day as such but preferably look to whole foods as your source, if possible. To give you some figures, 100g of cooked chicken, beef or fish is approximately 30g of protein (a little less with fish); one egg is roughly 7g of protein (depending on how large or small); and one pint of milk is roughly 18g of protein.

The reason protein shakes are recognised as the ultimate post-workout replenishment is merely due to the absorbent rate at which filtered proteins are absorbed. Recent studies suggest that the “anabolic window” post-workout, where you must get your protein shake in, is not necessarily as crucial as it was first thought to be. For those of you who train once a day, whether that’s cardio or resistance-based training, the use of protein shakes post-workout is not essential. If you would prefer to eat a large macronutrient mixed meal (my personal preference), by all means do so (factoring it into your calories obviously). If you train intensely, multiple times a day, and you require a relatively high amount of protein to ensure adequate recovery takes place between your workouts, go ahead and use protein shakes to help meet your protein targets (you may also require substantial amounts of carbohydrate to help replenish your glycogen stores). If you find that you’ve eaten all your meals for the day and you still haven't met your protein target, this is when you can use protein powders. Before bedtime have a simple protein shake (if it’s just protein you require), or get creative and see what protein-rich concoctions you can create. Personally, I like making a protein sludge (sludge isn't the most appealing word, but it can be very tasty) with either goat’s or sheep’s milk, or yogurt (cow’s milk doesn't sit too well with me), and get some frozen fruit or puffed rice involved. This brings me on to my next point. 

When it comes to mixing your protein shakes, whether you use a blender or a handheld shaker, you’re pretty much free to roam and mix them with whatever. However, this doesn't mean you should start creating protein rich spiders (ice cream and coca cola), although we all miss those bad girls. Use mammal’s milk (cow, goat, sheep or camel), or if lactose intolerant, almond or coconut milk. Be mindful that coconut milk can be very calorie dense; unsweetened almond milk is usually the safest bet when it comes to calories. Or, just mix it up with some good old water. Include things like berries, nuts, nut butter and other frozen/raw fruits, just watch out for the extra calories these carbohydrates and fats contain.

Hopefully, this has given you a good idea of whether or not you need to go out and spend the money on protein shakes, and what to do with them when you have them.

Milk: which one to choose?

Milk is a very controversial topic when discussed in the health and fitness industry. “Don’t drink milk because it will make you bloated, give you acne and man boobs, and inevitably turn you into a baby” …because milk is for babies, right? You should now be able to recognise from my previous posts that I don't like/condone extremes. I don't like when people make changes to their diet and lifestyle without reason. Why restrict or cutout foods that contain such vital minerals and vitamins (calcium, B vitamins, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc, etc.)? Females take note: these are all essential in maintaining positive bone health during, post and pre-menopause. It seems being a dairy-restrictor goes hand in hand with being a gluten-hater and the majority of those avoiding dairy don’t actually understand what lactose actually is. Enough of the hater chat. Let’s move on to some milky business. 

With so many milk alternatives on the market today, it’s no wonder there is so much confusion around which milk to drink and which to avoid. Almond, rice, oat, coconut, hemp, soy (stay away from that rubbish) are all dairy free milk alternatives. I’m sure there are probably more but they are all pretty much the same stuff anyway. Pre-packaged almond milk (notice I didn't say pressed, which you can buy at places like whole foods and other health food stores – that stuff can be decent) is approximately 4% almonds, 90% water, and the rest is made up of stabilisers and other stuff to make the flavour palatable (usually sugar if you buy the regular stuff). Replace the 4% of almonds with coconut, brown rice, oat or hemp, and you now have a variety of milk alternatives (this is essentially the only difference between the milks). Soy will not feature throughout this post anymore, as I do not like it. I never buy or drink it (I’ll save the rant on that for another post). Generally speaking, if you opt for the unsweetened versions of these milk alternatives you are playing it pretty safe in terms of calories. For some that may be beneficial, for example, if you would rather use your calories on other foods rather than the half litre of milk you put in your daily teas and coffees. For others, why settle for tasteless liquid when you could be fuelling yourself with a nice pint of whole mammal’s milk? This brings me on to my next point. 

If you can tolerate cow’s dairy then you do not need to restrict it from your diet (as I mentioned previously, you would be missing out on vital minerals and vitamins). Another alternative, to get the benefits of milk, is to experiment with different types of mammal’s milk, i.e., milk from goats, sheep and camels. You may find the difficulties you have with cow’s milk is due to the dominance of a1 caseins, which you find in most shelved milks these days (low quality cow’s milk). There are companies producing pure a2 milk and this would also be worth a try if the usual shop stuff doesn't agree with you. Milk from goats, sheep and camels is primarily made up of a2 casein, which is more tolerable than an a1 casein based milk for those who aren’t diagnosed with lactose intolerance but still have a sensitivity to dairy. 

When it comes to skimmed, semi-skimmed and whole milk, the less filtered (less skimmed) the more nutrient dense the milk will stay. If you are able to get hold of non-homogenised milk, then I highly recommend getting yourself some (you may have to read the label to establish if the milk has been homogenised or not – don't be lazy). I know that Duchy milk from Waitrose is non-homogenised and a few companies down-under are on the ball with it. Not only is it richer in nutrients, but also the taste is unreal! Be mindful that full-cream milk is obviously far more calorie dense than skimmed milk, so consider this when monitoring your daily calorie intake. 

From this you should be able to get an idea of which milk to choose next time you go to the shops and hopefully you may consider reintroducing dairy back into your diet, if you can tolerate it. Let’s clarify something: I don't suggest forcing it down if your body doesn't agree with it, but be willing to experiment. Psychological phobias can cause stomach issues regardless of if you are intolerant to certain foods or not. 

Enjoy

Under-eating and eating disorders

Under-eating and eating disorders 

Under-eating is basically a form of severe calorie restriction, generally self-introduced in the hope of losing weight or bettering one’s body composition. Before I carry on, I want to clarify that I’m talking about severe calorie restriction here, not 500 below maintenance or a “cutting phase” (if you want to call it that). I’m talking about people who are running on 300 - 600 kcals per day, and in most cases this is being fuelled by some form of eating disorder (I’m going to get onto this later). By reducing calories so dramatically below maintenance, it’s likely an individual will start to experience symptoms such as, fatigue, headaches, difficulty sleeping and a lowering state of mood. I have left out weight gain here because some people claim that weight gain is a result of the body’s mechanism of “starvation mode” due to metabolic decline. However, this theory (I do agree to some extent) has been proven incorrect, as metabolism is unable to lower so drastically to have any effect on body fat storage. HOWEVER (yes this is my point of agreement), although metabolic decline may not cause fat storage, there are bags of research to suggest severe calorie restriction has a negative impact on the production and secretion of various hormones within the body (particularly hormones that assist in female menstruation); thus causing undesirable fat storage on the body due to an accumulation of oxidative stress and other inflammatory responses. 

Now for my opinion. I believe a lot of this severe under-eating comes from a lack of understanding on the subject (food). How many times have you heard people say, “I won’t eat today because I have to wear a tight dress out tonight and I’ll look 4 months pregnant if I do” or, “I’ve eaten so terribly this weekend, I’m just going to eat celery today because that has no calories in it”. I guarantee these are the kind of people you see face down in the gutter after a night out (in which case that skin tight dress they thought made them look a 10/10 has now made them as appealing as the cigarette butt floating in the drain next them). Or, they’re the kind of person you find in the high street grease box (kebab shop or chip shop) at 3am filling their gobs with something as nutritious as the polystyrene box it came in (and yes, you do look 4 months pregnant now you fool). No wonder the bloke who bought it for you has now disappeared. Not only do you smell like that poor girl snoring in the gutter, but you also look like a baby who’s been fed with a fly swat. You see what I’m getting at, I hope. 

There is a more serious side to this, particularly when we are talking about eating disorders. I genuinely believe that the majority of eating disorders evolve from a significant life event. However, it is very much dependent upon the type of person and how they deal with that event which determines if they develop an eating disorder or not. Going back to my previous post (anxiety); if one has a sensitive mind from years of worrying, stressfulness and the experience of a traumatic event in their life and they hear information such as, carbohydrates make you fat, dairy and fatty foods will go straight to your thighs, if you are not eating organic your blood will turn to poison, you must eat every 2.5 hours otherwise you will go catabolic, and all the other forceful and extreme information that the fitness industry portrays, it’s no wonder that these people become obsessive with how they look and what they eat. An eating disorder does not necessarily have to be anorexia or bulimia. The mere obsessions and phobias developed around food, and different protocols are most definitely eating disorders. 

Now, I get a lot of stick because I track my macros, weigh my food and basically monitor what I put in my body. To some, this may seem obsessive and an eating disorder in itself – but is it? I know how much food my body needs. I don't restrict foods from my diet because they are labelled as ‘bad foods’. If I feel like a pizza or a burger, I’ll eat a pizza or a burger and ice cream for that matter, instead of have a ridiculous ‘cheat meal’ where I upload pictures of my 3 pizzas, 4 boxes of pop tarts, a tub of Ben and Jerry’s and a litre bottle of Coke (it’s cheat day, we don't do diet) to Instagram and #CHEATDAY. In most cases, this is someone’s attempt to “get it out of their system” (yes, it will be out your system very fast I can assure you). In other words, people make themselves feel so sick so that they don't ever want to eat ‘bad foods’ again… until next weekend comes around and it’s #CHEATDAY again! I don't care what you say but binge eating like that is most definitely an eating disorder. 

Why not enjoy the food that you like? Enjoy eating a pizza or a burger if you feel like it and are able to factor it into your calorie intake. I can guarantee you won't have any of the regrets that most of those people do following those ridiculous binges. You won't be sat on the toilet for the next 2 days, and you won’t then go and starve yourself for the following days thinking that all will be good because you've lived off celery and green tea (chicken and broccoli for you gainz lovers) for the past 6 days. I'm going to direct you to my post “Finding our feet with how much to eat” where you can stop this unnecessary binge eating and starvation cycle that so many people find themselves on. Instead, workout what you need to eat macronutrient-wise and factor the foods you love into them. You don't have to become obsessive with it (I mean it…be realistic). Just get an idea for how much you need. I suggest weighing your food for a week or two, and soon you should be able to get an eye for what things look like. Use size comparisons if you like, e.g. I know I need a fist size of chicken breast or I need an iPhone size of a potato. You see what I mean – there are simple ways around it. 

I have drifted a slight bit here between the two issues: under-eating and eating disorders. But conclusively, as I mentioned earlier, I believe it comes down to a lack of understanding. Put it this way, to perform optimally, and ensure your body is functioning properly and hormonally you need to be eating an adequate amount of food. Thus, I suggest increasing your intake to maintenance level calories in time; see my post on “Finding our feet with how much to eat” to learn how to do so sensibly and correctly.

Enjoy.

The Anxiety trap - Acceptance

The anxiety trap

Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety. As funny as this may sound (or scary for some), but 4 months ago hearing, saying or even seeing the word “anxiety” would set my mind off like a volcano (and for some of you reading this now, you may be in that current position and I deeply apologise for what I’ve just done). “Oh, here we go again. I managed to clear my head and forget about anxiety for 2 minutes, and what do you know? I’m back to being in that same anxious state again.” Essentially, I became anxious about being anxious. Weird, right? But for many people, this is a common occurrence – this is called generalised anxiety. Call it a disorder if you like, call it a disease, call it a state of mind, but honestly whatever it is, it’s not a pleasant position to be in. Now, I’m not writing this to reap attention, nor am I writing this to make a profit in any way. I’m sharing this story and the process I went through to reassure people who are going through the same struggle that I was, and hopefully to prevent others from entering that state in the first place. 

For some, a worry will float away just like every other thought that passes through our mind does; for some, these worries hold their ground for days, sometimes weeks. But eventually, similar to the first person, they pass just like every other thought. Unfortunately, there are some of us that worry…and worry…and worry…and worry, until a) worrying becomes a habit, and b) our body reacts with fear. Our body is installed with what is called our fight/flight response. This response is used to prepare our mind and body for situations where we may be faced with life-threatening situations, e.g., a T-rex breathing down your neck (I recently watched Jurassic world and I actually experienced that response from the cinema chair). Anyway, we worry so much that we begin to fear things, and as a result start to avoid situations, places, words, or whatever it may be that makes you feel uncomfortable. We have now associated fear with whatever that is, and what do you know… if you have to go into that situation you feel horrendous, your head starts to spin, your mind starts to race, you start sweating like a pedo at a Wiggles concert and eventually you will break down into what is deemed a full blown panic attack. For those who have not experienced this, it’s absolutely horrible. 

A lot of people claim not to be worriers and lead a non-stressful lifestyle. In fact, I’ve even heard someone once say, “I’m not a worrier; I'm more of a warrior”. All right then big balls – let’s see how you like T-Rex breath. Unfortunately, I don't have any pet dinosaurs, or access to dinosaurs for that matter, so I was unable to proceed with that experiment, but his comment actually hit home a bit and made me realise something. Ok – you may deem yourself to be a warrior, and for some people that really is the case and nothing actually seems to worry them (kudos to those people). But for the majority of civilisation, and I’m talking elite athletes, movie stars, television stars, you name it, they all have some form of worry in their life. These people are deemed to be warriors. They live in outrageous villas, drive around in big-dog vehicles and manage to obtain thousands of likes for Instagramming a piece of food they pulled from between their teeth that’s not even cool – you’re basically showing us a decomposed piece of food that has a similar biological makeup to your stool… cheers. Basically, what I’m getting at is that a lot of these people are in and out of rehab each week because of drug addictions, alcoholism, and assault, commonly initiated by psychological difficulties (in my opinion, over-worrying). These guys worry just like we do. And like a lot of people today, they try and distract themselves with things like drugs and alcohol. Worrying is pointless. Take a second now and think about this: how many times has what you've been worrying about – whether it be how are you going to initiate a kiss for the first time or how are you going to pay a bill that is due next week – how many times has what you’ve been so profusely worried about actually occurred? I guarantee you that 9 times out of 10 that fearful outcome doesn't occur, and why? Because our minds can play some sick tricks on us, especially when we are in a sensitive and vulnerable state. 

When worrying becomes a habit, we become extremely sensitive. We put so much pressure on ourselves daily and our mind becomes sensitive to what we have been told. For me, I had lectures on all sorts of horrible diseases each week; all it took was for those symptoms to pop up on the board and BAM! I think one week I had type 2 diabetes, the next week I had hyperthyroidism and I think one week I even had Alzheimer’s – I can’t really remember…WHEYYYY! But honestly, a habitual worrying mind will take what it's given, spin it around, sprinkle it with a bit of horrible dust and 100% convince you that you have that disease. You'll somehow have every symptom on that board and in some cases, you'll be straight to the emergency room that day only to find out there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Until next week comes around of course… 

Fortunately, I have now discovered a way around this cycle of worrying, and have since learned how to cope with a racing mind, irregular heart beats, dizziness, a lack of motivation, being constantly on edge and all in all feeling rubbish. Acceptance. Acceptance is an incredible thing. It is extremely uncommon to find acceptance among society (besides monks and a selection of yogis that actually meditate correctly, not just to upload images of themselves posing on their social media accounts). We all try to correct what is wrong, better ourselves, and try and force happiness. The reality is that we are at our happiest when we accept what we have and what we are fortunate enough to be given, and when we allow worrying thoughts to pass through our minds just as equally as a positive thought would do. Accept that someday you are unable to train and that's ok – you aren’t going to shrink or lose all your gains from the previous month of solid training. Accept that you may have to go out for dinner a few nights a week and eat something different to what you would normally eat (read my previous post on creating a diet and this can be dealt with easily). And accept that some days you may feel terrible and nothing is going your way but that is life, whether it’s fantastic or horrible – just accept it. 

I want you to try something. Take yourself to a room or place you deem to be fairly quiet (your bedroom, living room, bathroom perhaps), and close your eyes (not right now because this next part is important). For some, this next part may seem like the worst thing you could ever imagine. If that’s the case, come back and try again when you've built up a little more courage. But let me tell you, it will be twice as scary the next time you give it a crack and even more so as you continue to put it off as you are just fuelling the fire with fear. Take my word for it and trust me on this. After all, I am living proof of going through this and coming out the other side in a far more peaceful state of mind. Now, instead of trying to control your thoughts in this quiet state, and making everything seem like rainbows and unicorns, let those bad thoughts come and accept them (this is why I suggested a quiet place as it’s about to get rather loud). You don't have to enjoy their presence but just accept that they are they. At first this will seem ridiculous and downright disgusting. In fact, my first time attempting this I genuinely felt like I was going to vomit. I understand it may take a few attempts to actually put yourself in this situation and allow whatever thoughts into your head, but over time it will become habitual, just as the constant fear of these thoughts are now (not for long). I’m not going to put a time limit on how long it takes to feel a sense of peacefulness. Some people will find it easier than others to accept these bad thoughts racing through their mind and horrible sensations associated with them. And some may fight, and fight, and fight until their mind becomes so tired that eventually they have to accept those bad thoughts because they have no energy to fight them anymore (a common state of mind for anxious people in the evenings as they have spent all day fighting with their thoughts and feelings, only to be left with a well-cooked and fatigued brain). But I’ll say this again – until you accept these thoughts and feelings and see them for what they are (a thought or feeling brought upon by anxiety), you will never find that peaceful state of mind. 

One last thing I want to clear up is adrenaline, as I found this helped me a lot with understanding why these horrible feelings come about, i.e., irregular heartbeats, dizziness, brain fog, eye floaters, irritation and a number of other symptoms I am unable to fit in this post. Adrenaline is released as a response to our inbuilt fight/flight mechanism, which I mentioned earlier. All of these symptoms associated with anxiety (and I mean all of them – don't think that because I haven't mentioned a symptom you have/are experiencing that it is related to some other horrible disease) are all due to an uncontrollable release of adrenaline. What you'll find is that when you start to fear things less you will release less adrenaline. Therefore, the symptoms will subside and eventually diminish as you learn that there is actually nothing to fear, batman is here (no batman, but you should know what I’m getting at by now). 

So, here you have a little bit of writing that you can either use to your advantage. Or if this isn't for you and you find it too difficult to comprehend, then by all means go and seek help elsewhere. But let me tell you, I have been to see a therapist and I have tried a lot (not all of it because fortunately for me I stumbled across this information quite soon into my struggle with anxiety), but this does work. You aren’t going to feel better overnight, and I guarantee you will experience ups and downs along the way. But hold tight and trust me on this – you will soon start to feel that sense of peacefulness return to your life. 

Finding our feet with how much to eat

Finding our feet with how much to eat

Before we get started, I must clarify that this is not a dieting protocol, nor is it a gimmick of ‘Flexible Dieting’ or ‘IIFYMS’ – this is general knowledge. Everyone should have an idea of how much they are eating, just like everyone should know how much they exercise to avoid burning out and plateaus, or if they need to raise intensity/volume to progress. With food, if we aren’t eating enough we aren’t going to function properly. Similarly, if we are eating too much we will find it difficult to function properly; excessive body fat and other overweight-related difficulties are likely to affect us psychologically and physiologically. Take this information I'm about to share with you, and help your friends and family. Too easy – let’s carry on. 

Following on from last week’s post, you should now have an average figure for the amount of calories you've eaten over the past 7 days. If you are having difficulties doing this, follow these steps: 

• In my fitness pal, select the “more” button (bottom right corner on the home page)

• Click “nutrition” 

• Slide across to the “calories” section

• Click on the “day view” drop box and select weekly view

• Scroll down and there should be a figure for “daily average” 

• Remember this number! Write it down if you have to…

Congratulations! Now we have a rough idea – depending on how accurately you tracked your food for the last week – on how much we have been eating. Now then, we need to calculate what is known as our Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Basically, this is the minimum amount of energy our bodies require to breathe, beat and, to put it simply, get by (not taking into account what we do externally). Oh, and for those detox lovers out there, our BMR also aids in the bodies natural detoxification mechanism. To calculate this figure we need to use a formula. In an ideal world we would all migrate to a respiration chamber, and undergo a calorimeter examination and other forms of metabolic testing. However, fortunately for our wallets and us there are a few simple yet effective formulas that can help us out. 

Working out “our” calories:

Harris–Benedict equation:

Probably my favourite one as it’s simple to use and gives us a good starting point. 

Men

BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years)

Women

BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)

Once we have calculated our BMR, we can go ahead and workout our Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This is the amount of calories we are burning in relation to our activity levels. Bear in mind that this can vary and as I’ve said before, this is only a starting point. Choose one of the sections below, be honest, and complete the recommended calculation (i.e., moderate exercise, 3–5 days per week, daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.55).

Activity Level:                                                                      Calculation:

Little to no exercise                                                               Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.2

Light exercise (1–3 days per week)                                      Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.375

Moderate exercise (3–5 days per week)                              Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.55

Heavy exercise (6–7 days per week)                                   Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.725

Very heavy exercise (twice daily, extra heavy workouts)     Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.9

We should now have a number. This number is not concrete and it is, by all means, likely to change. We actually have two numbers: your average calorie intake from the past 7 days; and your maintenance level calories, which we just calculated. Let’s use the maintenance calories as our target number. If your calorie intake from the past 7 days is above this figure, we need to taper it down to match, or potentially to go below the target number. If, however, your average for the past 7 days is below, you require more food. More food you say? Yes – more food! How good! Easy now… let’s not get carried away. Don’t start filling yourself with all those things you've been craving since Christmas, or since last weekend’s booze-up (for some). We need to increase these calories slowly. I recommend adding 200 calories every 2 to 3 weeks. For some this may be too little and for others it’ll be too much. This is where you need to be able to self asses how your body reacts. If your energy levels are low and everything sucks, try every 2 weeks, or alterations in your macronutrient breakdown might be necessary (I’m about to get onto that part so hold tight). Similarly, if your body fat starts to dramatically increase after 2 to 3 week increments, slow things down a bit. Maybe for you 4 to 6 weeks is more suitable. Everyone is different in these circumstances. Some people have caused some serious metabolic damage to themselves through years of poor dietary habits and ultra low calorie eating, only to rebound the next week, and eat in excess of 2000 calories a day and continue on what is essentially a calorie roller coaster.

Macronutrients to suit “us”:

There is a great deal of contradiction in regards to macronutrient ratios and breakdowns in the nutrition world today. Unfortunately, the majority of the population is left in an even greater state of confusion as a result. Some people are more efficient running on high fat diets, in which case carbohydrate consumption is low. Whereas others, will find it tremendously difficult to generate enough ATP (energy) through this metabolic pathway (beta-oxidation), and will tend to favour carbohydrates as a fuel source (glycolysis). Both situations are hoping to obtain better cognitive and physical function. Again, this is where self-assessment comes in. You'll here me say this a lot as nutrition is very much individualistic. By assessing your own energy levels and cognitive function you should be able to determine what fuel source suits you best. A good test is to use your breakfast as an indicator. Experiment with low, moderate and high carbohydrate breakfasts and assess your energy and satiety levels 2 hours following. For example, if you eat 12 Weetabix dressed in 2 tablespoons of sugar using Nesquick/Milo milk for the moisture, (I may have tried this before…) 9 times out of 10 your going to: a) fall into carbohydrate endured hibernation; or b) eat the remaining 12 Weetabix in the 24 pack box along with the last of the Nesquick/Milo, as your ratio of milk to Nesquick/Milo is pushing 1:10. Unfortunately, this is not what I mean by a high carb meal. I apologise if your reading/smart device (too many to name these days) is now covered in saliva, but I’m focusing more on experimenting with mixed meals. For example, a low carb breakfast may be 4 whole eggs, avocado/nuts, and an array of green vegetables all cooked up in some coconut oil. Of course the quantities will vary depending on your caloric intake, but you get the idea. A higher carb breakfast could be something similar, as well as a bowl of porridge, potatoes, or toast – whatever floats your boat! Depending on your response to these meal types, you can then decide which meal composition suits you best. As I’ve said, everyone is different, except when you’re eating boxes of cereal and tins of milk flavouring. Then, you’re almost guaranteed a solid post-prandial snooze. 

How Much Protein Do I need?

Another fire starter among the fitness industry, but I’m not going to over complicate things here. If you consider yourself a bit of a gym junkie (you workout 6 to 7 times a week, train intensely, know your way around a barbell and love the gym chat), I recommend anywhere between 1.0-1.5 grams per lbs of body weight. If you are more of the pilates and yoga type, but still enjoy a good squat here and there, I’d recommend 0.7-1.0 grams per lbs of body weight. Ideally, we should be eating similar amounts of protein at each meal, whether you prefer to eat 3 or 5 meals a day. This is not essential by all means, but it does help with maintaining positive satiety levels, as well as supporting muscle protein synthesis. If you are hoping to build muscle, aim for no less then 30 grams of protein per meal. Multiply the recommended grams of protein by 4 and this will give you your calories from protein. Write it down. 

How Much Fat Do I need? 

The amount of fat you decide to eat per day is highly dependent on how efficiently you metabolise fat. If you find yourself a bit sluggish, Xanax tripping and with a gannet-like appetite after eating a moderate to high carb meal, you’re probably better off increasing your fat intake and tapering down the carbohydrates. This will slow down the digestion of that meal and keep you satisfied for longer. If you feel energised, satisfied and ready to start ‘sexing some stools up’ (work that one out), carbohydrate-containing meals are likely to suit you. Now, a lot of you will be in a habit of eating carbs with every meal and to start with you may not feel that satisfied without them. By increasing your fat intake relative to the reduction of carbohydrates, you should be able to find a balance within that range. I recommend no less then 0.5 grams of fat per lbs of body weight a day. Any less and your libido is likely to fly away and you’ll begin to discover all sorts of issues with your hormones, skin and general well-being. To get your calories from fats, multiply the recommended figure of fat by 9. Write it down. 

Carbohydrates...

Love them or hate them, you need them in there. Some people need them more than others, but we all need them to some degree. You should now have some numbers to play with here: your overall calorie intake, protein calories and fat calories. To work out how many carbohydrates you need, you simply perform this little equation:

Calories to be consumed from carbohydrates = daily calories - (calories from protein + calories from fat) 

Simply divide that figure by 4 to = total grams of carbohydrate per day.

Fibre.

Fibre intake is highly variable, especially now as so many people are being diagnosed, or in most cases, self-diagnosing themselves with IBS and similar bowl difficulties. Find a figure that works for you and stick to it. If you find eating 30g of fibre per day causes you to spend majority of your day sat on the throne, then decrease it and see how you cope. Bear in mind that if you are eating the majority of your calories from whole, ‘clean’ foods, a high fibre intake is not difficult to achieve. Therefore, those of you who cannot cope with high fibre intakes may be better with replacing your brown rice with white, your sweet potatoes with white potatoes and so on. Yes, broccoli is good for you, but if it causes you to hold in your farts all day because your not comfortable with farting in your workplace, while brewing up something in your bowels similar to what you'd find in a witches cauldron, don't eat it. Replace it with a less fibrous green vegetable like spinach. 

Wrap up:

As I’ve said earlier, these numbers are certainly not concreted in, and be prepared to make some changes if you don't feel as energetic or as cognitively sharp as you should. Protein figures should remain fairly constant. Therefore, the changes you make, whether that’s increasing or decreasing overall calories, should come from adjustments to your fat and carbohydrate intake. Please be aware that programs like MyFitnessPal will attempt to calculate calorie and macronutrient intakes for you. If you are able to set your goals on the app to similar suggestions as I have made here, then lucky you. If not, you may have to set your goals to “0” on everything and just remember those 4 numbers we have pointed out: protein, fat, carbohydrates and fibre.