New Series: Weight Loss Made Easy!

Welcome to the first chapter of my new blog series entitled Weight Loss Made Easy!

In this blog series I will be providing easy to use information that will motivate you and get you weight loss results that you never thought imaginable.

All of the weight loss results achieved from my principles are a symptom of great HEALTH. Carrying excess body fat is a symptom of ILL HEALTH. (Both physical and mental).
I believe its important for you to know that weight loss goes deeper than the circumference of your waist and hips. It impacts every part of your life, and I want you to live a life full of energy, vitality, happiness and love.

This series will cover some fundamental principles around weight loss, and the first principle is: Getting Balance In Your Body

There are two ways in which we can get a natural high - either through adrenalin, which gives you that switched on feeling for short bursts - or from serotonin, which makes you feel calm and comfortable for longer periods. The real high comes from a balance of them both.

There are five main chemicals in your body to think about:

Adrenalin: Gives you speed and confidence in busy times
Serotonin: Makes you comfortable, relaxed and happy
Cortisol: Is the back up for when you run out of adrenalin, useful for times of enormous stress
Melatonin: Is necessary for when you need to sleep deeply
Insulin: Is the key to controlling your sugar levels.

How well you sleep is one of the determinants for allowing your body to restore the chemical balance.

A poor diet will create stress in your body, so it’s forced to use emergency system chemicals to suppress appetite and give you what you need to get you through the day. Some foods elevate serotonin levels and others elevate adrenalin.

Exercise also has a trigger effect. Good fitness means you can manage pressure with less adrenalin. Some exercises increase serotonin production.

How you think influences body chemistry. If you feel fear, adrenaline will activate. Serotonin levels decrease when you are sad. Managing your thoughts is essential for balance of chemistry in your body.

Each of the five chemicals we’ve talked about create a distinct effect on your physiology. If you learn to recognise their effects, you can intervene in the process and manage your emotions.

The adrenaline high can be addictive and gets you going but it isn’t good for serotonin levels. It also dumps sugar into your system so you may suffer from an insulin overreaction.

You’re also in danger of crashing. When you slow down you may notice you get sick. This is because a high on adrenalin falsely maintains your immune system. Slow down and you have a lowered immune system.

Are you an adrenaline junkie?

Do you have a strong desire to be doing something constantly, even on holiday or on weekends?
Are you constantly thinking about what needs to be done?
Does relaxing get you feeling guilty?
Do you feel like rushing in traffic, even when you don’t need to?
Do you fidget?
Do you feel a vague sense of depression?

If you answered yes, then perhaps it’s time to re evaluate how you use the chemicals in your body to manage your life. The key is to know when to tap into the adrenalin, because of the hazards of prolonged use of it.

Caffeine, sugar, fatty foods, pressure, “pep” talks can all trigger adrenaline release. The key is to realise when you need it, it’s there without these “props”.

When you’re home, allow yourself the time to read something other than the front page of the newspaper. Learn to have the peak state when it is needed and the rest of your time go into cruise mode. You will ultimately have more energy and feel more capable.

What are three things you could do that would enable you to experience a new level of health and vitality, based on what you have just learnt?

The Psychology of weight loss

As a Personal Trainer and Peak Performance Coach, i have helped many people with weight loss. 


During this time i have found that there is a specific psychology that separates those who achieve the results, and those who don't.


In fact, i am now able to pick the ones who come to me with the mindset already embedded within them, to lose weight, compared to the ones who are not yet ready for the weight loss. 


The good news is that this mindset is a conscious choice. And it comes from gaining leverage on yourself. I call this the pain vs pleasure model of the world. As humans, we are more likely to make change by moving away from pain, rather than moving towards pleasure. 


If i work with a client who has no leverage on themselves. I work with them to create that leverage, as well as define the goals, and set the action plan, and the weight loss follows. 


 If you think to yourself, 'It would be really nice if i was able to lose 5kgs'. Do you think this is a compelling reason to drive you and motivate you to take massive action and get the job done?? No... 


But... if something happens to you like a health scare, or you see a photo of yourself and you are shocked at how much weight you have recently put on, or a family member 'sits you down, to have a word with you about how much weight you have gained'... These things create pain. This pain comes in the form of an emotion. Like sadness, anger, frustration, what ever it is for you. 
And it is these negative emotions that you can use as a powerful tool to create a shift in mindset to have the motivation and drive for any change.


This is the psychology that makes the difference in weight loss. 


So if your not quite sure how to use this information for yourself to lose weight, I have defined some simple steps to get you in the mindset to have success with weight loss. 


Step 1# 


Decide what you want. 
Do you want to lose 5kgs?, 10kgs?, 40kgs? Do you want to feel more sexy?
Do you want to be able to wear a bikini at the beach this summer? What ever it is for you, figure it out so you have a goal. Without a target in sight, how do we know where to point the bow and arrow? 


Step 2# 


Find your purpose. 
Once you have decided what you want, you now need leverage on yourself before you begin your execution.
So the question to ask yourself is why do you want this? What does losing 5kgs do for you? What purpose will it serve?... Ill give you a hint... It will always come back to an emotion. It may improve self esteem, it might make you feel more confident, maybe you are worried about your health. Is it to help you to meet the love of your life?... or is it to keep the love of your life?
Maybe you dont feel beautiful anymore?. These thoughts all create emotions that don't feel nice. Ask yourself, how much longer am i prepared to put up with this?
Purpose is power, it gives you drive. 


Step 3#


Take Action.
Now that you have completed the first two steps of defining your goal, figured out your purpose for this goal, and created leverage on yourself, its time to take action... 


You hold all of the tools and resources required within you right now, to have the body you deserve. 
So what are you waiting for? Be like Nike and just do it!




Stay tuned for my next blog on what specific actions to take to get the weight loss results you always wanted, FAST! 




by Jai Bazevski. 

Interesting info on how Milk leaches calcium from your bones

There are 28 amino acids in nature. The human body can manufacture 19 of them. 
The other nine are called "essential." We must get them from the foods we eat.
One of those "essential" aminos is methionine.
One needs methionine for many human metabolic functions including digestion, 
detoxification of heavy metals, and muscle metabolism. However, an excess of methionine can be toxic.


Methionine = C-5, H-11, NO, S


Methionine is a good source for sulfur. That's the problem. Eat foods containing too much methionine, and your blood will become acidic. The sulfur converts to sulfates and weak forms of sulfuric acid. In order to neutralize the acid, in its wisdom, the body leaches calcium from bones.
"Dietary protein increases production of acid in the blood which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton." {American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1995; 61,4}
Animal proteins contain more methionine than plant proteins. Let's compare cow's milk to soymilk:

Methionine in 100 grams of soymilk	.040 grams
Methionine in 100 grams of whole milk	.083 grams
Methionine in 100 grams of skim milk	.099 grams

Now, let's compare 100 gram portions of tofu to meat:
(All of the meat products are lean and without skin)
Silken soft tofu: .074 grams
Hamburger: .282 grams
Hard boiled egg: .392 grams
Roast ham: .535 grams
Baked codfish: .679 grams
Swiss cheese .784 grams
Roast chicken: .801 grams
In 1988, N.A. Breslau and colleagues identified the relationship between protein-rich diets and calcium metabolism, noting that protein caused calcium loss. His work was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology (1988;66:140-6).
A 1994 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Remer T, Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:1356-61) found that animal proteins cause calcium to be leached from the bones and excreted in the urine.

Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I am often asked questions about what types of Oil is best to cook with, and what should be avoided, so I thought it would be good to shed some light on the many benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the TOP GRADE Olive Oil extracted from the first traditional cold-pressing of good quality olives.

Here is just a few of the many benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Weight Loss: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is TOP of the healthy fats list and is essential to any weight loss or maintenance plan as it has many unique properties that promote weight loss and control.

Speeds Up Fat Burning: It increases the rate of FAT OXIDATION after ingestion, when consumed you will actually begin to increase your rate of fat burning. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is at the top of the list of fats for weight loss as it speeds up fat burning.

Reduces Inflammation: It acts as a potent antioxidant lowering inflammation, which aids blood sugar levels. Emerging research suggests that inflammation of the cells that line the arteries may be an underlying cause of weight gain. Inflammation of the arteries impairs blood sugar metabolism, which promotes fat storage and makes weight loss difficult.

Other Health Benefits:

Choosing Extra Virgin Olive Oil as your main source of dietary fat is good for your health, it contributes nutrients to your diet, may prolong life and reduces risk of chronic diseases.

Olive Oil is a major part of the Mediterranean diet. Research shows that people living in Mediterranean regions have a reduced risk of certain diseases and longer life expectance, despite their high dietary fat intake. Studies show lower rates of heart disease in people who consumed a Mediterranean diet.

Studies focuses on olive oil show that it may reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing plasma triglycerides, (LDL) bad cholesterol, platelet activation, inflammation and oxidative damage. Increases (HDL) good cholesterol.

Research suggests olive oil may reduce the risk of breast, colon, lung, ovarian and skin cancers.

Chemical compounds specific to olive oil, appear to stop the build-up of free radicals in the body and may be able to reduce oxidative damage to DNA.

Studies suggest it may help reduce or manage blood pressure, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis and immune function.

CHOOSE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AS YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF DIETARY FAT

Extra Virgin Olive Oil as part of a healthy well balanced diet will help your weight loss plan and reduce risk of diseases.

Locally produced oil is better than imported as prolonged storage can degrade some nutrients.

3 Veggies That Fight Abdominal Fat

A unique way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat...

I bet you didn't know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very specific phyto-nutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.

Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat...

Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petro-chemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, cosmetics, can react with your body and make your body store excess abdominal fat!

These chemicals are know as xeno-estrogens.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body. Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for both men and women. So these can wreak havoc in the body.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).

So here is where these specific type of vegetables come in handy...

Using cruciferous vegetables will help fight against stomach fat!

What the heck is a cruciferous vegetable i hear you ask?

They are vegetables that contain very specific and unique phyto-nutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds...

BROCCOLI

CAULIFLOWER

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

CABBAGE

Are some common veggies that you can eat every day. And this will fight against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!

So give it a go... Add these veggies to your weekly eating plan and see what happens! What have you got to lose?? (besides belly fat)...

5 cups a day, keeps the FAT away!!

GREEN TEA CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
Green Tea stimulates a process in the body which generates energy by increasing its basal metabolic rate helping you burn calories & fat more efficiently, which accelerates weight loss.

This natural weight-loss stimulant is a great slimming solution, it's rich in powerful Antioxidants called Catechins that are responsible for a myriad of other health benefits - promotes heart health, aids digestion and regulates blood sugar and body temperature.

It raises the metabolic rate and speeds up fat oxidation, thus helping people lose weight.

Drink it daily to boost your metabolism.

Research has shown that five cups a day is the magic number for fat loss.

• Increases Metabolism & Accelerates Weight Loss
• Increases Body’s Ability To Burn Fat & Calories
• Helps Suppress Your Appetite
• Rehydrates The Body
• Absorbs & Blocks Bad LDL Cholesterol
• Raises Good HDL Cholesterol
• Prevents Cardiovascular Disease
• Reduces Risk Of Strokes & Heart Attack
• Strengthens Your Immune System
• Eliminates Free Radicals & Detoxify’s The Body
• Blocks Bad & Increases Good Bacteria In The Intestines
• Helps Stabilise Blood Pressure
• Rich in Vitamin E Slowing The Aging Process
• Protects From Tooth Decay Inhibits Growth Of Plaque
• Prevents Food Poisoning Inhibits Growth Of Bacteria
• Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
• Helps to Stabilise Diabetes
• Helps To Stop Abnormal Blood Clots Forming
• Rich in Antioxidants Beneficial To Your Skin
• Theanine In Green Tea Is A Natural De-Stressor
• Prevents & Treats Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease - Green Tea Inhibits 3 Enzymes Linked To The Development Of Alzheimer’s.
• Green Tea Helps You Exercise Longer - Exercise is important to lose weight, it burns calories, increases your energy & builds muscle which boosts your metabolism even higher. The Catechin Polyphenols in Green Tea stimulate the use of fatty acids by the liver & muscle cells, reducing the rate carbohydrates are used & allows more endurance & longer exercise times.

The Ant Philosophy

This is an amazing Four-Part Philosophy for success!

I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy.

Here is the first part: Ants never quit. Thats a good philosophy. If

they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll look for another way.

They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for

another way. What a great philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. Thats an important perspective. You cant

be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering their winter food in the

middle of the summer.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter.

That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This wont last long - we'll

soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll

dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They cant wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during

the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy,

the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow! what a great philosophy to have - the ant philosophy.

Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

I credit Jim Rohn for this philosophy, although he is no longer on this planet, his teachings are still moving people, an he is still a great mentor for many.