new ink!

Ah! so i went into book a consultation to get my first tattoo drawn up! Bring on the 19th of September!!!! WOOP WOOP! a few ideas below....for upper left arm ;p

 
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

truly wise words from Keith Norris of Theory to Practice

"Truth. Keep in mind though that this is a journey, not a destination. Learn to enjoy the ride. You’ll never wake up one day and say “That’s it! I’m here!” Rather, you’ll reach a point where you’ll like where you’re at, but (and in a very enjoyable, non-stressed way) you’ll endeavor to improve even upon that."

full post here:

http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/of-routines-ruts-and-habitual-eating/

Can you use yoga as a tool to reduce player burnout? I think so...

Below is an email that I have sent to a few rughy union teams in London...

"I'm a 27 year old New Zealand/British Yoga Teacher with over 11 years experience looking to branch into the team sports industry with a particular interest in Rugby Union.

My teaching style really aims to address the chronic stress levels that come with the pressure and responsibility of playing professional sport in todays performance driven society and all of its implications on fitness and player performance. I have aligned my yoga and meditation classes with evolutionary (Paleo) nutrition and high intensity style training to try and provide the relaxation (CNS recovery) piece of the puzzle.

As part of my classes, I encourage participants to set an intention for their practice at the beginning of class. It could be to try every posture, to work on linking movement with the breath, or to stay focused on what is happening on their mat rather than worrying about what has come before and what will follow after the class. For many this intention is what sets yoga apart from traditional forms of exercise.

My underlying goal is to share my passion of yoga and meditation with like-minded people – while also contributing a significant piece of the training puzzle to help build more well rounded people and sportman alike.

With this in mind I would like to offer a free 30-minute Yoga stretching/relaxation session to the members of the coaching and physiotherapy teams.

If you would like to include Yoga as a tool to reduce player burnout, increase range of movement and limit recurring injuries with a teacher who understands the importance of bridging power/strength style training with CNS recovery and active rest then please get in touch to arrange a demonstration session."

I will keep you posted with how I go.  Exciting times head! 

Below is an article that appeared in Australian Yoga Life 2008on how the Titans rugby league team are now using yoga as part of their training programme.

The Titans turn to Yoga

Yoga and rugby league may seem unlikely allies, but thanks to Billy Johnstone - one of Australia's leading National Rugby League trainers and conditioners - yoga is part of the regular training schedule for the newest team in the NRL, the Gold Coast Titans.

Greg Wythes talks to Billy Johnstone and Santina Giardina about how the Titans are responding to their yoga regime.

Billy Johnstone is one of a new breed of conditioners and trainers in the hard world of modern rugby league. His approach contains all the components of the professional trainer - though his players would say he works them harder - but he has one further ingredient: yoga.

Billy has a long history in sport and fitness. He trained initially as a boxer and had his first fight at the age of eight.  In his late teens and early twenties he was a top ranked light middle weight boxer, with 26 professional matches to his credit. He then played 155 first grade rugby league games, mainly for the Canterbury Bulldogs, retiring in the early 1990s. During his playing career he was renowned for his training ethic, an ethic that kept him at peak fitness and allowed him to continue in the game well into his thirties. Billy moved directly from playing to training and conditioning, and has worked for a number of clubs including the North Queensland Cowboys and now the Titans. He is also the current conditioner for the Australian and the Queensland State of Origin teams.

Billy is a man working at the top of his chosen field and into this field he decided to bring a young, blonde, fine-boned female yoga teacher. The rugby league world is decidedly male dominated. It has a reputation - rightly or wrongly - for an old fashioned, pre-feminist attitude to women. At worst it is misogynistic; at best blokey. It is not a world where women are normally accepted, and even more rarely into the training sphere. So when Billy introduced Ashtanga yoga teacher Santina Giardina to the Titans players, he must have known he was taking a calculated risk. It is a measure of their respect for him that they were prepared to give yoga and Santina a chance, but it was not a willing and open acceptance.

"In the beginning they didn't like it," says Santina. "They complained. They  moaned during the asana work.  ‘We don't get paid to stretch,' they would say. It was tough for them. Their bodies are stiff. They found the concentration hard. I had to struggle to keep them involved. And if Billy wasn't there, they wouldn't participate."

Billy had introduced his players to Iyengar style ropes in their home gym at the Runaway Bay Sports Centre at Bond University. He used the ropes as a means of supported stretching to lengthen muscle groups, particularly after a weight training session. But a structured freestyle class was a big step up.  "The main thing for me," says Billy, "is that yoga is the direct opposite of what they're doing 90 percent of the time. It's about bringing in some balance. A kind of yin/yang thing, if you like. It also helps to get away from the testosterone-fuelled, macho approach of the modern game. But I like to phase it in and out, and I try not to force it down their throats. We do 10 to 11 training sessions a week; things like swimming, cardio

Billy came to yoga in the early 1990s and went to Iyengar classes twice a week for 12 years in Sydney. Once he began working with the Titans on the Gold Coast, he began attending Santina's classes. He found the Ashtanga style, with its flowing vinyasa approach, its strong physical demands and its emphasis on the breath, gave a new dimension to both his own practice and to what he could offer his players.

"When I first discovered yoga I thought: ‘How stupid have I been?' It just seemed to offer so much," he says.  "I had started sports very young and towards the end of my career I was looking for something else. I had a hip replacement and yoga helped me a lot.  And it wasn't just the physical side of it. It really helped to give clarity and balance to where I was going."

Santina's approach with the team began with the basics and she modified it to suit the culture she was working in. "I don't use Sanskrit terms and we don't do any chanting," she says. "They want to keep moving on all the time but I bring them back to the mind and the breath. One pose and then another, keeping the focus on their own bodies and not comparing themselves to anyone else in the class. I work on things that will help to open up their bodies, like half lunges. And I try to give them things that will break it up a little for them, like a Headstand or a Handstand or Bakasana (crane pose), to challenge them and give them a sense of achievement. But I make them work. I have a similar work ethic to Billy and I think that's why we get on."

Professional rugby league players do not give their respect easily and they are not easily impressed, but slowly things began to change. Santina started to notice subtle differences in the way the team approached her class.

"As you'd expect, they are very competitive," she says, "especially at the beginning of a session. But as the class progresses they begin to gel better. They're more connected and there's more sense of community. They groan till about half way through, and then that drops away. By the end of the session they are much more co-operative and willing to help. And then after one class, Luke Swain, one of the forwards, said; ‘Thank you, yoga', on the way out and it became a kind of refrain. Now they all say it as they leave."

Before long some of the players began to stay behind to ask for specific help: "How does my body work?" How does the hip rotate properly? I need some postures for my hips. I need to open them." Their interest began to grow and their comments to Santina reflected a budding awareness of the processes within their bodies. "I don't feel as compacted or compressed." "I feel younger." "I feel lighter." And this is exactly the kind of response that Billy had been hoping for when he introduced yoga to his players.

"Rugby league is a collision sport," he says. "It's a painful occupation. You have to prepare to be hurt. I find the more props you can use the better because of this collision aspect. The doctors will tell you that the injuries the players sustain are similar to those of a car crash victim. Yoga can help a lot to reduce this effect, and I use it to try to minimize injuries that can often affect players for the rest of their lives. I'm confident that down the track it will be a normal part of every team's program."

But for this year's Titans team, yoga has been something very new, and for a lot of the players the results have been more than they expected. Three months into the program a core group of players began to attend Santina's classes independently because they wanted more yoga than they were getting as part of the club's normal training.

"It's been great," says David Myles, one of the club's senior players. "I'd never done yoga before but now I feel so much better. As a rugby league player there are not many times when you're not sore, except after yoga and then the next day. I'm 30, so I'm getting towards the end of my career, but it's taken five years off the way I feel. As an elite athlete it gets you thinking about things. I'm much more aware of my body now."

At 21, centre Brett Delaney is one of the club's younger players. For much of the season he has carried a back injury and has found that yoga with Santina has made all the difference in the management of his pain.  "She understands our job and tailors the stretches and the postures to suit us as rugby league players," says Brett. "I see yoga as a means of long term maintenance for my injury. It has made a big difference in relieving the tension in my lower back, my hamstrings and my glutes. I'm beginning to see how I can relax into the postures and go deeper and better. I understand my body in a different way. I don't think another yoga teacher could do what she does for us. She's really good at her job. I go every week and I'll be going back next year too."

"Santina keeps reminding us not to strain," continues David Myles. "A big part of it is the controlled way we do the breathing. She chips away at us to relax our faces and not to clench our teeth, but at the same time she pushes you and she watches you carefully. She makes sure you work, but properly, with the right approach. I recommend all my friends to come to her classes. I think yoga could play a really big role in rugby league."

The impact of relaxation, and specifically Shavasana (Corpse pose), on the players is one that both Billy and Santina see as critically important. For Billy this is in the carry-over to the mental preparation for each game and the mental strength of the players. For Santina it is in bringing a new psychological facet to the players that deepens and invigorates their experience of yoga.  "In Shavasana they have a taste of ‘no mind'," says Santina, "and they crave it now. It's new to them and they don't know how to respond to it. They are shifting, inside, to a more internal sense. When they work on the mat, when they breathe and they focus and work with intent, and then bring all that to Shavasana, the deeper they go. They probably don't fully understand what's going on but there's a knowing in their eyes. I love working with them and seeing that. They have come so far in a few months. I'm really happy with their progress."

"One of the big problems facing players today is how to get themselves up to play each week," says Billy. "There is so much emotional pressure put into rugby league and so much pressure on the players to perform. Yoga can give them a different mental approach. Some guys have played the whole game in the dressing shed before they go on. Yoga helps by relaxing them so that they don't use up too much energy prior to the game. And it's a big plus for me when players start taking responsibility for their own training by going to Santina's classes."

For Billy, yoga is no short term experiment. As Australia's leading trainer and conditioner in his code, he views yoga as an integral part of the training program. It is a holistic approach, based on a much broader perspective than simply winning games, though this too is important. It recognises and addresses aspects of player health and fitness that are not normally addressed in most clubs. It reflects an innate care and concern for his players as people who will have a life after rugby league, as well as trying to get the best from them during their professional careers. It is an approach based on Billy's own experience of the benefits of yoga over many years of practice. Will yoga give a team the competitive advantage to take it to the top of the competition? It seems unlikely, given the range of factors at play at this level of elite sport. It does seem more likely, however, that yoga could provide a team with an important edge in preparing for the unique demands of the NRL. And Billy Johnstone has brought his team to that edge.

Australian yoga life - 2008

my arms feel like jelly! haha!

Had another great session in the gym today. YEAH BOY!

Today was max effort upper body.

Incline Bench Press:
Warm Up:
20kgs - 8 reps
30kgs - 5 reps

Max effort:
40kgs - 4 sets of 4, 2, and then last 2 sets were 2 reps followed by lowering the weight down very slowly to a count of 10....(up by 2 sets)
37.5kg - 3 sets of 3 followed followed by lowering the weight down very slowly to a count of 10.
35kg - 3 sets of 4 reps (up 1 rep per set)

Military Press:
Warm Up:
7kg - 5 reps (up by 1 kg)
8kg - 4 reps
10kg - 3 reps

Max effort:
12kg - 3 sets - 3, 4, 3.5 - elbows not quite straight (up by 2kgs)
10kg - 3 sets of 5 reps
9kg - 3 sets of 6 reps

i was f*%ked after this! jelly arms all the way! but it felt really good and then stretching was so calming.....

I am teaching tonight so just trying to rest my arms. lol. Ive got liver for dinner and I cant wait! YUM!

I have noticed that my skin is looking very radiant and clear and alive! yes! thanks paleo foods and coconut oil ;p

(not me!)

Fast length: 17.5 hours

Macro nutrient break down:
Cals: 1996
Fats: 35.7
Carbs: 248.3
Pro: 181.5

over the last 2 days...

hey hey paleo peeps!

hope all is well in your world ;p So Tuesday was my max effort lower body workout and it was KICK ASS! I was soooo it the zone!

During my last lot of back squats I had noticed that on some of the reps my thighs were not parallel to the floor and more of in a partial squat position....this could have been because last week I did dead lifts before squats as my spotter was with a client so my legs were fatigued by the time i reached the squat rack.
So this time I did my squats first and I made sure that I always come to parallel. I felt very strong and was stoked with my technique too! And I also made gains in the numbers or reps to! WOOP WOOP. And if i had a badge like the won below I would have worn it all day!

  

Fasted training with 2x black coffees and bcaa's

Back Squats
Warm up:
5kg - 13 reps
6kg - 11 reps
40kg - 5 reps
50kg - 5 reps

Max lift: (2mins rest between sets)
65kg - 3 sets - 4, 4, 5 (up 1 rep on both 1st and 2nd set)
62.5kg - 3 sets of 5 (down was 1 rep each set but these were full and not partial squats)
60kg - 3 sets of 6 (up 1 set)

Dead lift
Warm up:
30kg - 5 reps
35kg - 5 reps

Max lift: (2mins rest between sets)
42.5kg - 3 sets of 3, 3, 4 (up by 2.5kgs)
40kgkg - 3 sets of 5
37.5kg - 3 sets of 6

Fast length: 17 hours

Macro nutrient break down:
Cals: 1996
Fats: 35.7
Carbs: 248.3
Pro: 181.5

Taught yoga in the evening and had such a great time....My script is coming together nicely, learning the art of getting information across while not over loading them and it is extremely rewarding to see your students progressing and relaxing! Thanks for all your hard work guys and for helping me become the teacher I am. I am just absolutely loving evolving and growing as a teacher. Another thing that made 2nights class so special for me was I was amazed at how easily I can now throw my self around my yoga mat and hold the postures and talk and breath at the same time!!!!!

Wednesday 25/08:

Black coffee followed by 45mins of cardio on the bike set at random and switching between level 1-3 (legs tired aye lol) followed by yoga stretches.


2 more black coffees and a half hour walk pushing my 5 month old niece in her pram along a very bumping farm track.

Fast length: 15.5 hours

Macro nutrient breakdown:
Cals: 1506
Carbs: 31.4
Fat: 75
Pro:197.1

Yesterday was the hardest day I have had on IF....i was ok during the fasting state and had my 1st meal just after 2pm and ate again at 3.30ish but from about 5 i was ravenous so i had another coffee as i didnt want to have dinner to early and throw out my fasting times and i didnt want to really eat more as im not exactly sure of how many calories and how fat ect...Ive leaned out quite alot already in just 9 days and i feel that my number are in the right place for now and as I lean out more I will up my fat intake on rest days. I did manage to keep busy and distract my mind and tummy from food and then dinner was amazingly tasty and well worth the wait!

Keeping your food intake where it should be is KEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woke up this morning feeling great and feeling leaner and lighter on my toes! I've guessed the  amount of fat and calories I should be consuming on rest day as Martin writes in the Leangains guide:

 * Macronutrients and calorie intakes are always cycled through the week. The specifics depends on the client's ultimate goal: fat loss, muscle gain or bodyrecomposition. The details will be revealed in the book. Generally speaking, carbs and total calorie intake is highest on training days. On rest days, carbs are lower and fat is higher. Protein is kept high on all days.

And I took the amount of carbs to have on workout days from this post that Mark Sisson wrote:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/carb-refeeding-and-weight-loss/

My maintenance level caloric intake is: 2154
My basal metabolic rate caloric intake is : 1389.5

Training Day break down (around about):
Cals: 1996
Fats: 35.7g
Carbs: 248.3g
Pro: 181.5g

Rest Day break down (around about):
Cals: 1506
Carbs: 31.4g
Fat: 75g
Pro:197.1g

I am also having a daily doss of fish oil ;)

So today looked like this:


Black coffee x2

Went to the gym at 1.30pm for 45mins cardio on the bike set at random going between level 2-3 and 
then yoga stretches

Broke 17.5 hour fast with -  yip you guessed it! Ham, eggs and cheese!

Black coffee

Meal 2: the same - Will i ever get sick of this dish???? ;p

Meal 3: Chicken stir fry with wakame and carrots cooked in coconut oil.


I had 11 in my class 2night and 5 of them were guys!

 

(not sure what is up with his triceps! lol!)

I missed not being able to blogg over the weekend!

Saturday 21/08:

Coffee and BCAAs

Trained 8am:

Warm up:
Mobility drills

Leg Press: 70kgs 2 sets of 12, 61kgs 1 set of 15
Leg Curl: 40kgs 3 sets of 12

Chest press: 35kg 2 sets of 12, 28kg 1 set of 13
Seated Row: 33kgs 1 set of 15, 40kgs 2 sets of 12

(i found my arms where a bit weak from Thursdays max effort workout and to be honest so where my legs from Tuesday! I have enjoyed doing the cardio on rest days but i have to keep the resistance pretty low)

Side to side: 6kg ball 3 sets of 20

total of about 25mins followed by yoga stretches ;)

Coffee and more BCAAs

And then i taught LBT......I have a nice bunch of girls who come along to class. Class is small and is between 4 - 7 each week.....10.30am on a Saturday morning is bit early for most! haha

Broke my 16.5 hour fast with with 395grams of prawns with a combo of sweet potato (370g) and butternut squash (260g)

Meal 2: 340g non fat yogurt with 100g blue berries.

2 black coffees

I have decided to introduce fish into my diet so i booked Julius and I into a seafood restaurant....


Dinner: 5 king prawns with cherry tomatoes, sea bass fillet, bean sprouts, shitake mushrooms, new potatoes and fries

Pudding: 170g non fat yogurt

Macro nutrient break down:

Cals:1,990

Fat: 37.4
Carbs: 239.6
Pro: 193.2


Sunday 22/08:

2 black coffees

Broke 16.5 hour fast with my fav ham, eggs, cheese,  and sauerkraut! again! I'd love to have bacon instead of parma ham but I'm trying to keep my fat intake around 75g for the day and bacon completely blows this of a the water! 
But as i lean out i will be able to up the fat and then BRING ON THE BACON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meal 2: ham, eggs, cheese,  and sauerkraut! again! HEAVEN!

Black coffee

Meal 3: Turkey stir fry with wakame and broccoli (cooked in coconut oil with garlic, ginger and coriander)

Macro nutrient break down:

Cals: 1506

Fat: 70g
Carbs: 31.4g
Pro: 197.1

Being active during the fasting state is mean!!!!

Yo!

So breaking my 17 hour fast with my fav higher fat day food combo of ham, eggs and goats cheese!

I was pretty active during the last part of the fast today....I cleaned the flat and scrubbed the shower. And then went to the gym to do my cardio on the bike...45min on random going between level 2-3 followed by some very relaxation yoga stretches...my breath was very deep and free flowing and it was really  calming. And even thou I was inside i felt a blissed out as this lucky lady and it imagined i was near the beach and that i sun was warming my skin and i could feel the sea breeze caressing my skin....heaven!

And in line with this i really love teaching the restorative/gentle yoga classes more than the faster based gym style classes - these are still fun but the gentle yoga classes make me feel like I'm flying. I feel so centred and calm....like this is what i was born to do....sounds cheesy but that's what it feels like. I love coming up with scripts to entice my students to go deeper into their practice...to let go and relax more...

(im going to dedicate a post to this)

Meal 2: ham, eggs and goats cheese!

Dinner: 400grams turkey stir fried in coconut oil with garlic and corriander carrots and wakame flakes.


Macronutrient breakdown:
Cals: 1506
Carbs: 31.4
Fat: 75
Pro:197.1

I contain more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. What am I???

Can you guess what it is???? and no its not a 'super food' (well it is in my eyes)

its LIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yip that's right LIVER!

now i hated liver with a passion as a child and there were many a tear shed and nights of being sent to bed hungry after refusing to eat my liver and bacon...oh if only i could travel back in time and stuff myself!!! i wonder how much healthier i would have been.... ;p

below is a link to "the liver files" on the western price site

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/509-liver-files.html

its well worth a read and has some really nice recipes....Marks daily apple also has some tasty liver recipes. And if the idea of liver freaks you out and makes you gag then try having it minced up in a hash like this:


http://www.marksdailyapple.com/crispy-liver-hash-brown-patties/

Calf liver is my favourite! NOM NOM NOM.

i try to eat liver 3 times a weeks and lightly pan fry it in coconut oil with rock salt and pepper! ;)

YOU MUST WATCH THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/homeproject

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

HOME official website
http://www.home-2009.com

Can you move like these guys???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYmVB2TXB1k

oh yeah! shake dat ass! ;)

last 2 moves are my fav!

Seriously funny shit!!!!! ;)

I LMOA when i saw this!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVWUaH2mCt4&feature=player_embedded

grrrr....not so good sleep ;( but awesome military press ;)

Sup peeps!

So yeah had a bit of rubbish sleep...don't sleep to good when my man is away...but i did get some sleep just not enough. Had to have to cups of coffee before heading to the gym.

I was struggling with the incline bench this morning...but in saying that i did manage 1 more rep at my max weight! ;) and military press is was greatly improved. I had a really fun time but feel like i could have a nap now but I have client soon...so i will try for a power nap before teaching 2night.

Incline Bench Press:
Warm Up:
20kgs - 8 reps
30kgs - 5 reps

Max effort:
40kgs - 2 sets of 2 reps, 1 set of 1 (up by one set and 1 rep)
37.5kg - 3 sets of 3,2,2 (up by 1 rep on 1st set)
35kg - 3 sets of 3 reps (the same)
32.5kg - 3 sets of 5,4,5 (up by weight - last week did 30kgs)

Military Press:
Warm Up:
6kg - 5 reps
8kg - 4 reps
10kg - 3 reps

Max effort:
10kg - 3 sets - 5,5,6 (up by 1-2 reps per set)
9kg - 3 sets of 7 reps (up 2 reps per set)
8kg - 3 sets of 8 reps (up 2 reps per set)

Broke 16.5 hour fast with 170g non fat yogurt and a handful of blue berries (i was STARVING - and just couldn't wait until i go home to make food so i decided to tuck into yogurt at the bus stop...i ended my workout at 9.45 and had BCAAs ever 2 hours and a coffee after training...my private yoga lesson started late and then we ran over time and then had a chat and then had to wait for the bus and go food shopping = longer fast than usual)

So now tucking in 950g of sweet potato and garlic mash with 400g prawns.

pre teaching snack:  170g non fat yogurt and a handful of blue berries

Dinner: pan fried liver broccoli with coconut oil), wakame flakes and sauerkraut (yes this is the same as Tuesday night as it was left over and needed cooking up)

Pudding: 170g non fat yogurt and a handful of blue berries - (total of 200g blue berries today)

Macro nutrient break down:
Cals: 1,986
Carbs: 246.1g
Fat: 35.7g
Pro: 181.0g

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. ~Irish Proverb

I had an awesome sleep last night and wanted the world to know!
;)

to those of you who think sleep is not important.....well sorry but your wrong!!!! IT IS KEY!!!!!!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-definitive-guide-to-sleep/

and if you live by the 80 20 rule or 90 10 rule try to keep in mind that lack of and or poor quality sleep counts towards your 20%...it took me a while to work this out

Bacon Bouquet - yes you read right! A BOUQUET MADE OF BACON!!!

OMG these are the most wonderful flowers i have ever seen!!!!!!! is it ok to have this as my wedding bouquet????? Im all over this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRILLIANT!

the joys of coconut oil!

hey hey!

so i really want to sing the praises of coconut oil and the positive effect it has had on my skin (i use it for cooking and make shore i have about 1/2 a tbsp on low fat days and a tbsp on high days) I have been using it on my face for about 2 years now and I will NEVER again rub anything else into my skin! My complexion is clear and radiant and some may say "glowing" and I have found that my skin was less reactive to sun burn this year (and this is also down to a paleo diet)

I was slower to ditch my coca butter which i was using on the rest of my body but about 6 weeks i made the decision to only use coconut oil on body. My skin is never dry and is very soft and smooth and they funny red spotty thing on my triceps have almost disappeared.

blurb taken from Marks daily Apple:

"On a more superficial level, meanwhile, coconut oil is thought to help strengthen mineral absorption, which is important for healthy teeth and bones, and can also help improve the condition and appearance of the scalp, hair and skin when ingested or topically applied."

full post here:


http://www.marksdailyapple.com/coconut-oil-health-benefits/

So if you have been thinking about making the switch DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

next is to switch shampoo and conditioners.....i did try just the crystal deodorant but i smelt bad and as a yoga teacher that is not good.... Mark Sisson has also written this post on the nasty ingredients in beauty products so i will read over this and look for safe hair and deodorant products....I will let you know how i get on.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-personal-products/

Grrrrr...please tell me which ingredients in the pictures below are the reasons you're FAT?????

Below are a few images taken from "this is why you're fat".... i have gone thru the descriptions and high light the reasons why these food make you FAT...and trust me they are the opposite to what most people think when they look at these images! I am also going to assume that all these foods have been cooked in some type of inflammatory vegetable or seed oil and that the "cheese" is processed beyond belief with a whole bunch of E numbers ect. And Im also gona assume that the "meat" is not free range organic grass feed either.....

 Comprised of roasted vegetables (peppers, onions, some garlic, tomatoes) ham, olive oil, olives, capers, cheese, spinach layered in a hollowed out sourdoagh loaf.

 Restaurant chain Denny’s updated its value menu with the Fried Cheese Melt, a sandwich made with ‘four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread. Priced at a reasonable $4, it’s served with french fries and a side of marinara sauce.”

 One bun between two burger patties, ketchup, white cheddar, lettuce, and bleu cheese sprinkled on top.

 Roast turkey, blanched green beans, stuffing (bread crumbs), cranberry sauce, roasted garlic and topped with brown gravy (because i reckon it is thickend with flour)

 Churros topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries and powdered sugar.

 

Oreo crust, chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, marshmallows, caramel, chocolate chips, & macadamia nuts (i high lighted the nuts because 9/10 packets i pick up have been roasted in sun flower oil)

 Breakfast bagel with, beef pattie, fried egg and bacon

 Bacon Bouquet OMG these are the most wonderful flowers i have ever seen!!!!!!! is it ok to have this as my wedding bouquet????? Im all over this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and this deserves it own post! ;)

 Bacon wrapped Chicken wings

 Layered pancakes filled with bacon, mushrooms, ham, mashed potatoes, tomatoes, cheese and covered in more cheese.

 A beer-battered flour tortilla wrapped around shells and cheese infused with salsa(sugar content) then topped with fried pulled pork, then topped with more salsa(sugar content).

Made of riblets individually wrapped in bacon stuffed with stuffing(unless gluten free) into a deboned chicken, wrapped in bacon stuffed with stuffing(unless gluten free) into a deboned duck, wrapped in bacon stuffed with stuffing(unless gluten free) into a deboned turkey, wrapped in woven bacon strips and slow cooked for 7 hrs.

OH HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a way to break a fast! and of course without the stuffing!  My man made an awesome roast chicken a few weeks back and he made a stuffing with dried cranberries and macadamia nuts....he found the recipe on nutty kitchen

Stuffing

1. 1/4 cup of slivered almonds
2. 10 organic dried prunes (chopped)
3. 2 small to medium gala or pink lady apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4. 1/8 cup unsweetened dried cranberry/pomegranates
5. 1 pinch of black pepper

http://nuttykitchen.com/?s=stuffing

check out this blog! its awesome ;)

Anyway the main thing that all the above creations have in common is the wheat and sugar and high carb content which has been cooked in vege or seed oil! it anit the meat yall!

Ham and Eggs!

Yo!

rest day with reduced cals - higher fat and lower carb

So had a great fasting time this morning! 2 cups of black of coffee.

I headed to the gym just after 12 and did 45mins of cardio on the bike....I set the bike to random and went between levels 1-3....legs we very tired from squats yesterday.lol!

followed the bike with nice yoga stretches ;) yeah boy!

Broke 16 hour fast with 2 eggs, 2 egg whites, 60 grams parma ham, sauerkraut and 50grams goat cheese.

OMG!!!! I love eggs and they are always a great paleo staple but egg white powder would have to be the most frickin horrible food on the planet! I decided to get some when I was not able to stomach dairy so whey protein wasnt an option. I noticed that if I had dairy I would get red blotchs on both cheeks.
I also get these blotches if i have to much coffee...

I reintroduced dairy into my diet in the last couple of weeks ago..with goats chesse and greek yoghurt...and so far so good.

Another black coffee

I am a sucker for ham and eggs so my next meal was the same as above! NOM NOM NOM (2 eggs, 1 egg white, 60 grams parma ham, sauerkraut and 50grams goat cheese)

Dinner: 400grams turkey stir fried in coconut oil with garlic and corriander carrots and wakame flakes. (just sitting down to dinner and this dish is KICK ASS YUM)


Macronutrient breakdown:
Cals: 1506
Carbs: 31.4
Fat: 75
Pro:197.1

sweet potato heaven!

trained max effort lower body reverse pyramid style this morning (fasted with coffee and BCAAs)

http://www.leangains.com/2008/12/reverse-pyramid-revisited.html

Dead lift
Warm up:
30kg - 5 reps
35kg - 5 reps

Max lift: (2mins rest between sets)
40kg - 3 sets of 5 (up by 2.5kgs)
37.5kg - 3 sets of 6
35kg - 3 sets of 7

Back Squats
Warm up:
5kg - 13 reps
6kg - 11 reps
40kg - 5 reps
50kg - 5 reps

Max lift: (2mins rest between sets)
65kg - 3 sets - 3,3,5
62.5kg - 3 sets of 6
60kg - 2 sets of 6 (1 less set then last week - i was pretty buggerd from the dead lifts and a guy was waiting for the squat rack)

so yes my legs felt like

LOL!

Broke 15.5 hour fast with 950 grams of sweet potato...(thinly sliced, par boiled, then addded 1 tbsp of coconut oil, cumin, ground corriander, rock salt, garlic powder and baked in the oven on 200 for 15mins) and 432grams prawns! NOM NOM NOM....

a little later i had 340grams non fat plain yoghurt with 100grams blue berries

Dinner: 200g lambs liver, wakame flakes, brocolli, sauerkraut

Pudding: 170g  non fat plain yoghurt with 100grams blue berries

Macronutrient break down:
Cals: 1996
Fats: 35.7
Carbs: 248.3
Pro: 181.5

Class tonight was good and I had 10! WOOP WOOP! It is awesome to see my students becoming stronger and more aware of their bodies and how they move. They are also more posturaly aware.
The challenge now is to get them to slow the breath down and not the transfer tension from one part of the body to another! In saying that it took me 10 years to work out how to do that! ;)

you need a bit of motivation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYtQy9EqTA

Marianne Williamson - Our Deepest Fear is that We Are Powerful Beyond Measure

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

deciding to switch from UD2 to Leangains

"When determining what strategies you can use (and this goes for any diet), first look at what you can implement into your daily routine with a minimum of added effort. Don't go out of your way to find advanced strategies that increase the perceived challenge of your diet. That's always a recipe for failure in the long term".

thanks to martin at leangains for this


http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html