Ibiza Personal Trainer

New Team Member

2008-05-14T23:33:00.004+02:00

We would like to welcome the lovely Ruth Osborn (aforementioned girlfriend) on board Ibiza Personal Trainer in an official capacity.

Ruth qualified last Saturday as a REPS II Fitness Instructor and after a tough interview :) we are pleased to announce that she will be working with us this summer in this capacity.

She is probably already better known to most as the face of Ibiza Swim, having spent the last year teaching swimming Ibiza wide.

We are fairly confident she will be a valued member of our team, and no, all my male clients cannot swap to Ruth instead, before you get any ideas ;)

This week..

2008-04-26T16:05:00.003+02:00

..Has seen us start training with a lovely young girl who is the niece of one of my clients and who is facing a fitness entry test at Barcalona University, to gain entrance to their highly sought-after and world renowned Sports Science Degree qualifications to become an advanced personal trainer and leading on into physiotherapy.

There is a fairly tough physical entrance level and 9 weeks and counting until test day..

But she is young and bright and determined, and in generally good shape and health and will respond and recover extremely well so we're feeling very positive about the prospects.

So we're off and away 3 times per week, have a mock test set up for tomorrow to guage exactly how far we have to go, and will update with progress, this should be really interesting.

Fitness Holidays - Ibiza?

2008-03-22T18:43:00.010+01:00

We know it's an unlikely sounding prospect but it's really a great idea. I know I am biased because I live here but we have truly beautiful surroundings here, healthy food, natural, local food in abundance, and just being here makes me feel good. ..Combine all of this with a personal fitness holiday or break in Ibiza and you will go home feeling on top of the world. :)

Most of the questions people may have about this would likely be answered here in our personal training & holidays FAQs, or here in our personal training methodology, but if you do have any further questions please dont hesitate to call or mail.

The season is gathering pace now and will be kicking off again shortly and the bookings are starting to pour in, (hi ladies & gent :) ..we're looking forwards to meeting and work with you all over the next six months.

Amalgam Man Locksbottom

2008-03-04T18:16:00.006+01:00

I discovered this written by me 3 years ago now as final preparations were underway to leave the UK for good and there was just a last little bit of the English Weather to endure before I could get away.

I couldnt help chuckling when comparing to our lifestyle these days, of amazing sunrises over beautiful beaches and riding the roads and trails every week all through the "winter" here

This was written in April 05 in the UK. ..Hope you enjoy

Amalgam Man Locksbottom

Ok, so it's not quite Ironman, but today I had to go to the dentist and as the car's being serviced and it's only 18 miles away I took a gamble the rain would hold off and took the bike & rode there.

All was good on the way out, a few nice long hills to get the burn going, even almost had to stand up approaching the brow of one of them, good stuff.

The dentistry was ok, well averagely uncomfortable, with a few pain twinges, Ok by standards I have been subjeced to before might be a better description.

As I was leaving with a face full of lidocaine and amalgam, the receptionist said "I hope you dont get too wet.." and it pretty much all went downhill from there.

For a little while it was literally a long long downhill, and now starting to drizzle, and I pretty much have racing slicks on so was taking it fairly easy. About 3 miles into the return journey the rain got heavier, so I skidded up under a big tree and took the opportunity to have the lunch I hadnt had because of my 3.15 appointment. The time was approx 4pm now.

Absolutely starving, I wolfed down my roll, immediately swallowing my new temporary filling in the process, and then as the rain backed off a bit, ..the gods are smiling on me I thought, so I hopped back on the bike, upshifted and 2 hard cranks later was wondering what was going on at the front end.. 'kin puncture!! ..flat as a slow hedgehog. Bollox! .. 2nd puncture in 2 days meant I had no spare tube now either.

Anyway, I thought there's a Halfords abit further down the road and so set off on the walk of shame. ..At which point it really starts bucketing down hard. Perfect.

So, no Halfords, it's moved, gone, not there anymore, & so a further 6 miles later, soaked to the core, I just caught Sidcup Cycles before they closed and bought 2 new tubes. 5.30pm.

I hastily changed the offending front tube, with both myself & the guy in the shop checking the tyre for the cause, with no sign of anything there.

I got back on the bike again with a mere 10 miles to go, the rain's stopped, and f**k me, 200 metres later, FSSSS!! again!!

This time I can SEE a hole in the tyre and the air's all hissing hissing, hissed, out. And then with only another ten miles to walk, all the shops properly shut now, it really starts bucketing down again.

I got home at 7.00 pm.

..So anyway I'm looking on the positive side of it all, and am christening this as a new kind of multisport, a combined test of endurance, fortitude and patience, called "Amalgam Man" - It's not as long as Ironman, but more of a test of where your limits of patience and shouting begins, and comprises of:

20 Mile bike, 30 mins dental work, 4 Mile bike 16 mile walk with bike.

..granted there wasn't technically a swim involved, but for the majority of the afternoon, you wouldnt have been able to tell that by looking at me.

..roll on Ibiza and leaving this shit UK weather behind.

Ibiza Personal Trainer 2008

2008-03-04T18:08:00.003+01:00

Ok, have been very slack on the blog-writing front recently and must apologise for that, normal service will now be resumed forthwith.

Firstly, a big shout to our friends over at Ibiza Now Magazine who mentioned us and our love of fitness training outdoors in the March 2008 issue.

They talk about some stuff we were blogging about earlier in the year, the therapeutic power of getting yourself fit outdoors in beautiful places instead of dingy sweaty gyms, and the silliness of running on a treadmill looking at videos of beaches or woods, when you have the most amazing beaches and countryside all around us, and the perfect outdoor training temperatures throughout the winters here.

Gym goers in Ibiza.... .....Why??!!

Ibiza Personal Trainer - Best of 2007

2008-02-06T08:52:00.000+01:00

Ok we thought it would be a good idea to recap over the last year to give any new readers finding us a better chance of seeing whats in my Personal Fitness training in Ibiza blog by listing back what we consider some of our favourite posts, in reverse order.

We will be leaving a permanent link to this page at the side of the blog and will be updating this page regularly and hope that this helps to find the stuff youre interested in. I've tried to make the blog as coulourful as possible with pics and videos wherever possible. Hope you enjoy.

26 Jan Swimming for Fitness in Ibiza with Ibiza Swim

21 Jan More Outdoor Fitness in Ibiza

17 Jan Fitness Training in Ibiza

16 Jan Outdoor Fitness Ibiza Style

14 Jan Fitness, Sunrises and Sunsets in Ibiza

06 Jan Healthy Outdoor Activities in Ibiza - Paintball Lounge Party

Happy New Year from Ibiza Personal Trainer !!

15 Dec 07 - The Colours of Ibiza - Slideshow

14 Dec 07 - Model's Fitness Tricks, Lose Weight Fast like the Pros

15 Nov 07 - Sparta & Fitness Spartan Style

07 Nov 07 - The Glove, Darpa and the Future of Fitness?

25 Oct 07 Innerlight Supergreens - Skeptical? - Yep !

16 Oct 07 "Superfoods" - A Closer look and the Definitive List

15 Oct 07 - "Please don't do it like this" - Funny Gym Accident Videos

13 Oct 07 - "If you can do this.." Extreme functional strength videos

10 Oct 07 - Our Top 3 Fitness Blogs

10 Oct 07 "Carbophobia" - More "Low Carbs" Nonsense

29 Jul 07 Whole Body Vibration Training Revisited

23 Jul 07 "Superfoods" (1)

22 Jul 07 Vibration Training, Real Benefits or Expensive Gimmick?

20 Jul 07 - A Week in the Life of Ibiza Personal Trainer

14 Jul 07 - Health & Skepticism & "Bodytalk"

14 Jul 07 - Metabolic Types and "Metabolic Typing" Diets

03 Jul 07 - Exercise is the Best Medicine

29 Jun 07 - Excellent Article on Building Muscle Mass

27 Jun 07 - Fraudulent, Dangerous and very funny Piece of exercise Equipment, only $15,000

23 Jun 07 - Weights and Metabolism

14 Jun 07- Does Your Personal Trainer look like he even Trains Himself?

28 May 07 - Exercise Outdoors as Therapy

31 May 07 - Outdoor Therapy Continued

23 Jan 07 - Ibiza Personal Trainer - Interval Training

31 Dec 06 - Ibiza Personal Trainer - Job Satisfaction

That should about cover it for 2007, we have a load of new ideas for 2008, to make this worthy of being called Web 2.0, so watch this space.

Over and out

Kevsta

Fitness & Swimming in Ibiza

2008-01-26T16:49:00.000+01:00

Hi just a quick promotional post for a friend and a great Ibiza based company who we work with on occasion, and who provide an excellent service teaching and coaching swimming across the Island.

The company is www.ibizaswim.com and they have just launched their new blog HERE. Please stop by and say Hi when you get a moment. Hopefully the blog will be as successful and popular as the swimming lessons have been.

More Outdoor Fitness Training in Ibiza

2008-01-21T19:41:00.000+01:00

Most Sunday afternoons we do a free bike ride session with any of our existing Clients who want to partake. This week there were just 3 of us, myself and 2 stunning blondes :) and we rode the Ibiza Ciclo Turismo Route 11 which is a fairly challenging 38km mountain bike and off road route through some of the most stunning countryside and mountain tracks Ibiza has to offer. It was about 3 hours worth with some quite intense climbing on rough ground, but worth every moment of the legburn. Have a look at some of the snaps to see what Ibiza Personal Trainer Outdoor Fitness is all about.

Join us next Sunday

Fitness Training in Ibiza

2008-01-17T10:57:00.000+01:00

Welcome to more Outdoor Fitness Training, Ibiza - Style - this was sunrise this morning Thursday 17-01-08.

Outdoor Fitness Ibiza Style

2008-01-16T20:34:00.000+01:00

... Tuesday's sunrise over Talamanca beach training with a Personal Training Client in Ibiza .

Look what you're missing, see you all out there tomorrow!! :)

Ibiza Fitness, Sunrises and Sunsets in Ibiza

2008-01-14T14:09:00.001+01:00

One of the reasons I love my job so much is that I get to do it here. Most people dream of retiring somewhere they can jog along the beach in the mornings as sun breaks over the ocean.

I do that most mornings, and a lot of evenings too :) As everybody alls return from their xmas breaks we're at full steam ahead again and can be seen running along Talamanca beach on exercising outdoors at Marina Botafoch most days :)

Sunrises in Ibiza are often as spectacular as the world acclaimed sunsets, but I suspect that fewer see them generally. Theres some pictures from a great new Ibiza Blog http://ibizaa-z.com showing the fantastic spectrum of colours at daybreak in Santa Eulalia over about 10minutes. Visit the site for the original and enlarged views, theyre truly stunning.

And heres a few shots I took of sunrise this morning over Talamanca beach which is what outdoor fitness in Ibiza is all about :)

Healthy Activities in Ibiza

2008-01-06T11:57:00.000+01:00

We're going to run a series of articles this year on some of the great sports & activities available in Ibiza year round. Yesterday I was at Paintball Lounge Party at the "Gala Night" complex near San Antonio.

This is an all-new concept, combining the exciting (and from Ibiza Personal Trainer's point of view, a very healthy pass-time, - I would let a client play this for a few hours instead of a workout ;) game of paintball with a great chill out lounge and pool space, and best of all you get to shoot your mates in the arse :)

They have DJs playing all day and with all the excellent "battle props" they have in the combat zone there's an ever present feeling like being the star of your own action movie :)

So if you're looking for Healthy Activities or Things to Do in Ibiza - Paintball Lounge Party are definitely worth a visit.

Happy New Year from Ibiza Personal Trainer!!

2008-01-06T11:43:00.000+01:00

Ok, better late than never, lets make 2008 a good one.

The usual January rush is on in the gyms, which never ceases to both amuse and frustrate me. Its not really funny, but you know like when you know a pattern intricately, having seen it for so long now, that you can redict to the minutest detail what will happen? ... I can't help but smile.

The gyms cant help but smile too, with the amount of yearly memberships they sell to people who only ever come to an average of 3.5 sessions before giving up and never being seen again.

It is frustrating because the volumes of gym goers in Jan & early Feb every year reflects the true amount of people who "would like to be in better shape" 80% of whom will do 2-4 sessions in the new Year and then lapse back into apathy about their health & fitness.

That I find frustrating in the extreme. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than helping a new client through the initial introdution to working out, losing weight, getting fitter, and seeing someone begin to start to actually like it, and then as the results really kick in, you actually see the lifetsyle shift happen, and people can do it for themselves.

Conversely nothing frustrates me more than to see someone start out 110% and fade into a drizzle of excuses, cancellations and the self loathing that must invariably follow until this time next year when it's time to pretend to care enough to do something again.

For this reason, whereas I am sure a lot of personal trainers are rubbing their hands looking forwards to the January rush for the new business it brings, this year I've decided to take the (possibly contraversial?) decision not to take on any new Clients at all in January.

This year, as we only want to work with people who are serious about wanting to improve their health long term, and we just dont have enough time any more for all introductory meetings, chats & sessions and get-to-knows with people despite every effort on out behalf were never really serious and just paying their annual NYE guilt dues once again and will be back to their old habits again in 3 weeks time.

come on people, lets stick to it this time!!

Maybe a bit harsh to anybody with a genuine desire to improve long-term, but if it is genuine they'll still be doing something about it in February and we can start then.

The Colours of Ibiza

2007-12-15T23:32:00.000+01:00

I know I go on about it a lot, but the colours here are just stunning. Have a look for yourself and see what you think..

Model Tricks - The Tale of the Tape

2007-12-14T17:25:00.000+01:00

A big mention this week to my lovely girlfriend Ruth who has recently just completed a 2-week intensive fitness blitz in a bid to beat the tape measure . It was prompted by a surprise call from a local model agency asking her to register, measurements etc..

...."Measurements?!!! "

- "But, ..but I've been overindulging since the end of the summer!!!" ..out came the skinny jeans as a point of reference.. ..Uh oh. - Too tight, and away we went.. :) An hour later we were already 40mins into a 70 minute cross country run along our lovely Santa Eulalia coastline. She had an appointment in 14 days and wanted to lose at least an inch from hips and waist in that time. ..

So it was time to dig out "Ol' faithful" a 2-week plan blitz plan of twice-daily hard exercise and significantly restricted Calorie intake. The program is so rigourous that it can only really be untertaken by someone who is already in reasonable shape, is highly motivated, has little else to do in the way of work, and most importantly, who has a deadline day to work towards and to finish the program on.

It should also only really be undertaken under the supervision of an exercise professional for the whole time period. When all these conditions are in place however, enabling one to successfully complete the program, it never fails.. :)

The reason all these conditions must be in place for this to work is because this is a very hard thing for anybody to do. You must be sufficiently motivated, sufficiently disciplined, not only to do 28 workouts in 14 days, but also to manage your input strictly, and often to feel hungry and weak as well , taxes the strongest people, and unfortunately all this is necessary for success.

Most people tend to get quite grumpy and irritable when their blood sugar is low, and they're all tired and achey with no sign of any respite, and often before very long all rationality goes out the window, along with the program. I've seen quite a few start this program and get 3 and a 1/2 days in, and quit.

At 3 & 1/2 days in, you've done 7 out of 28 workouts, or only 1/4 of the way through, but 3 & 1/2 days is also quite a long time to be feeling tired, hungry and achey, especially when you're still looking at another 10+ days to go. I've seen only three people (now) take it on and actually finish it, and reap the amazing results it brings.

It's a fairly simple approach, induce a massive negative calorific balance, by 2 x 400 calorie workouts per day, and a strict 1400 cals per day intake, and then just keep going. Ruth's normal maintenance calorie allowance is 1750, so this is already on the border of breaking 15% reduction rule with regards to metabolism, muscle loss etc, without the extra 800 cals per day deficit from the relentless workouts.

What this program basically relies on is the fact that we, the human species have the most amazing capabilities to adapt and to survive and overcome the physical challenges we can sometimes face.

To put this in perspective though, as anybody who has been in the miltary and experienced the realities of a real "Bootcamp" as opposed to the civilian (Fitness Industry) Bootcamps, this won't seem so extreme because they will know and understand from 1st hand experience that not only can your body do these things, but that after a sudden and extreme emersion into a hardcore regime, almost everybody finds hidden depths they did not know they had. At the end of the Bootcamp they can hardly believe the changes in themselves, both physically & mentally. Also many triathletes won't be particularly phased by this plan, but we all know that Triathletes in general often train too hard as well... ;)

So think of it as a Model or Actor's bootcamp then, with a catwalk show, or filming starting, at the end of the time period, that way it's easier to stay focussed when the going gets tough.

Because of the nature of the program, ie. no rest days at all for 14 days the possibility of inducing and then aggravating overtraining injuries is also high, so the individual must be prepared to continue training on around this, and still finish. ..Hence the need for a FitPro around :)

The workouts themselves were all cardio, because when you're looking down the barrel of another 21 back-to-back sessions, weights work with the accompanying soreness the next day isnt such a bright idea :)

However, by cardio we dont mean the steady state stuff (very often, occasionally slow and long is allowed, when that's all you can manage, ..so it's a good idea to save a few for the last couple of days ;) and consisted of:

14 Runs
9 Bike rides
5 Swim sessions

Doesn't sound so bad so far? i'll elaborate a bit further.. effectively, pick two of these every day for 2 weeks, with the long bike rides on Sunday afternoons (almost straight after the morning run!) ..And Speaking of triathletes, one of these Sudays was in fact a "brick" session, ie. One hour bike ride, half an hour run, and then a one hour bike ride back again..

Runs- Minimum 30mins, ..up to 1hour & 10mins, and including intervals & hillwork

Cycling - Minimum 40 mins with repeated hill climbs on the shorter rides, and 3x3hr+ rides through the spectacular mountains.

Swim sessions - All strokes - averaged 3k per session, or 120 lengths of the local 25m pool

At about 8 days in Ruth did develop a nagging pain in her foot and so had to switch to intervals on her bike instead of running, ie. go out and find the biggest hill you can, and ride up and down it 5 times. I think the locals in Siesta, our nearest big hill must have thought she was a bit odd to say the least, but all the builders loved it :)

I couldn't join her for many of them due to my usual workload, (I do 2 sessions a day most days, and sometimes as many as 5) another 14 hard workouts per week for 2 weeks was a bit much to commit to, but I promised to do the ones where she needed more motivation and keep her on the path when otherwise she may have failed.

In total I only ended up going out with her running only 3 times, and the 3 long bike rides, plus I also had to bully and cajole her into going out the second time at day 11. This is a very difficult point at which to keep going, as you've already seen good results, you're dog tired, and frankly sick of it, its a very easy point to drop off at.

However by this point your body has responded massively to the demands placed on it in the previous 10 days, and you've now turned into a Super-Fat-Burning-Machine. This system's a little bit like an Endowment Payment Plan, ie. most of the interest comes right at the very end, so its still very important to do the last 7 workouts.

Otherwise, she did amazingly, and as always it worked a treat. She over an lost an inch on the tape measure in both target areas, which equates to 1.5 kilos of fat, and just over 2 Kg on the scales. Her body fat % readings dropped 2.5%.

Ruth is also a vegetarian and so sufficient protein intake was also a factor, especially so under a hard training regime. She kept accurate records of her intake and will likely be publishing (in her Blog) some of her delicious recipes vegetarian protein-power recipes before too long.

If anybody is interested in a 2 week residential Baptism of Fire called 'Ol Faithful, get in touch through the website and we can talk about it. But its really not for the faint hearted.. :)

in the meantime I'll leave you with another photo of the lady and her friends doing their stuff earlier in the season..

SpartaaaaAAAAAAA !!! :)

2007-11-15T13:35:00.000+01:00

not very fitness related but this had me cracking up this morning. As one who has shouted this line once or twice at flagging clients recently to get that extra mile out of them, it's just too good not to share...

..below is my personal fave out of the many talented photoshop artistes work there, watch the whole thing, its pretty funny. Then click the link and enjoy the rest of ....SPARTAAAAAA !! : )

The Glove

2007-11-07T13:22:00.000+01:00

Fascinating research being done on behalf of the American Military, through the Pentagon's wierd science division, Darpa: the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency seems to have has major implications in the field of human physical performance and endurance, and is possibly throwing new light on previous assumptions made regarding how the body works, and what governs our physical limitations.

For nearly 50 years, Darpa has engineered technological breakthroughs from the Internet to stealth jets, and has been involved in the development of some things that have become part of the fabric of everyday military and civilian life: wearable computers, long-range drone aircraft, night vision, even the M16 rifle and the computer mouse.

Now they have developed a device known as "The Glove" which seems to basically cool the blood in the hand and has the unexpected side effect of totally rejuvenating the rest of your fatigued or exhausted muscles as it does it.

Whole Article HERE

"Grahn and his research partner, biologist Craig Heller, started working on the Glove at Stanford in the late 1990s as part of their research on improving physical performance. Even they were astounded at how well it seemed to work. Vinh Cao, their squat, barrel-chested lab technician, used to do almost 100 pull-ups every time he worked out. Then one day he cooled himself off between sets with an early prototype. The next round of pull-ups — his 11th — was as strong as his first. Within six weeks, Cao was doing 180 pull-ups a session. Six weeks after that, he went from 180 to more than 600. Soon, Stanford’s football trainers asked to borrow a few Gloves to cool down players in the weight room and to fight muscle cramps.

In 2001, Heller went to Darpa. The agency saw the potential of the Glove for training recruits; the Stanford researchers received their first funding in 2003 and got $3 million.

In trying to figure out why the Glove worked so well, its inventors ended up challenging conventional scientific wisdom on fatigue. Muscles don’t wear out because they use up stored sugars, the researchers said. Instead, muscles tire because they get too hot, and sweating is just a backup cooling system for the lattices of blood vessels in the hands and feet. The Glove, in other words, overclocks the heat exchange system. “It’s like giving a Honda the radiator of a Mack truck,” Heller says. After four months of using it himself, Heller did 1,000 push-ups on his 60th birthday in April 2003. Soon after, troops from Special Operations Command were trying out the Glove, too."

..As a skeptic I will of course be reserving judgement until we all know more, but it's gotta be said, that's some interesting sh*t.

As an optimist I kind of hope it does work, obviously not for the benefit of the US Military, but any significant performance enhancing technique as simple as this (i.e. not involving invasive techniques, surgery, nano-technology, chemicals or other un-natural activities, vibration etc) will have a huge implication on man's capabilities as we move into the 21st century.

I did a little more research on this and the Project is now called "Peak Soldier Performance" and is currently being validtated in Double-Blind-sided tests..

Straight from the Horses Mouth:

http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrusts/bio/mainhuman/psp/index.htm

"Now in its last phase, the Peak Soldier Performance Program has had numerous successes. In the area of thermoregulation, investigators have developed a novel device for core body cooling/warming based on efficient heat transfer from evolutionarily conserved arterio-venous anastomoses in the palms and soles..."

36 Hours in Ibiza

2007-11-02T11:01:00.000+01:00

Everybody I know has asked me this at least once... "...But what's it like in the Winter?" Well, we dont stop having fun when all the visitors go home. :)

The rooftop bar at Restaurant L’Elephant, with views of old Ibiza Town.

By ANN MARIE GARDNER Published: November 4, 2007

..If there were direct flights here in the winter Ibiza would be a year round destination. In a way though I think most of the island prefer that there are not, and we get the place all to ourselves. Do feel free to come visit though ;)

This article from the New York Times, the original article Here sums it up quite well.

AS a nucleus of the electronic music scene, Ibiza attracts party people of every age and demographic, from London fashionistas and Goa-style ravers to French bobos and the prime minister of Spain. But after Oct. 1, when Ibiza's club season comes to a euphoric finale, this Spanish island eases back into its Mediterranean groove.

Whether it's hibernating in yoga retreats, trekking through Unesco World Heritage sites or lounging by turquoise blue water and white-sand beaches, Ibiza offers plenty of laid-back after-party spots. Plus, there are phenomenal seafood and glamorous hippies. And if the itch to party should strike, don't worry, the island's original party palace is open year round

Friday
4 p.m. BEACH SPOTTING
Get into the groove at the Jockey Club (Playas las Salinas; 34-971-395-788; www.jockeyclubibiza.com), a trendy but casual restaurant along the powdery white sands of Salinas Beach, a beautiful stretch with the beautiful people. It's a great place to grab a late-afternoon drink and watch sunbathers, while D.J.'s spin their Balearic beat.
8 p.m. GET THE PARTY STARTED
During high season, the beachside bar Café Mambo in Sant Antoni village (Vara del Rey, 40; 34-971-346-638; www.cafemamboibiza.com) is the place to watch the sunset and listen to the D.J. Pete Tong spin his electronica mixes for his popular Friday night show, broadcast live on BBC Radio One. Off season, Guarana takes over as the spot to start and finish the weekend (Puerto Deportivo de Santa Eulalia; www.guarana-ibiza.com).
11pm LATE LATE DINNER
It's dinnertime in New York — and Ibiza — so head to the foodie village of San Rafael. On the beautiful Plaza de Iglesia, across from the cathedral, sit under the trees at the Provençal restaurant El Clos Denis (Plaza de Iglesia; 34-971-198-545), order the roast suckling pig and drink lovely Spanish and French wines. The casserole dishes are big and hearty. About 60 euros ($87 at $1.45 to the euro) a person.
If you're with a larger group, book at Bambuddha Grove (Santa Eulalia, kilometer 8.5; 34-971-197-510; www.bambuddha.com), a modern Mediterr-Asian-fusion restaurant in a space that is part temple and part Japanese garden with Buddha statues and ornamental wood carved doors. Dinner about 60 euros.
After dinner, go to Restaurant L'Elephant (Plaza Iglesia; 34-971-19-8354; www.elephant-ibiza.com), a minimalist-white restaurant with a happening roof bar that offers wonderful views of historic old Ibiza Town. It's a place to be seen before heading to the clubs.
2 a.m. NIGHT OWL
The center of Ibiza night life is still Pacha (Avenida 8 d 'Agost; 34-971-313-612; www.pacha.com) and has been for 40 years. After 2 a.m., Pacha turns into a sea of people dancing with their arms in the air. The mainstream house music and party atmosphere are electrifying. If you're rolling with an entourage, reserve a V.I.P. table (125 euros a person, which includes a half a bottle of liquor and mixers; otherwise entry is 60 euros). Red Bull and vodka is the drink of choice. Open year round.
11 a.m. SHOPPING FIX
Don't miss the outdoor hippie market Las Dalias, near the tiny village of San Carlos on the island's northeastern tip (Carretera San Carlos, kilometer 12; 34-971-326-825; www.lasdalias.es). This is not a cheap flea market but a kind of year-round trunk show where vacationing fashion designers and editors come to forage for one-of-a-kind jewelry, amazing dresses from India and Bali and handmade leather sandals.
Afterward, duck into Ganesha in Ibiza Town (Montgri, 14; 34-971-193-605), a vintage shop run by Vicente Hernández and filled with treasures from his trips to South America. He is an institution (Jade Jagger, Elle and all the Ibiza girls shop here). If you're looking for a flowing Ibiza-style dress, the local designer to seek out is Harvey Musin (Plaza de la Constitucio, 7; 34-971-311-516).
1 p.m. OUT TO SEA
Charter a boat (or take a ferry) to Ses Illetes, the famous white-sand beach with turquoise water on the neighboring island of Formentera. Hike to the natural mud baths on the island's northernmost tip, dunk yourself in mud — it will dry and crack as you walk under the hot sun — then plunge into the sea to rinse it off. For 40 euros, ferries depart hourly from Ibiza Town and Sant Antoni (www.balearia.com). A concierge service called Deliciously Sorted (Calle Venda de Llatzer 25, Santa Gertrudis; 34-971-197-867; www.deliciouslysortedibiza.com) can locate Rivas, sailboats, Sunseekers and Turkish schooners for charter starting at 750 euros a day. It also arranges V.I.P. passes, villa rentals, restaurant reservations and helicopter rides. Concierge services à la carte from 25 euros per reservation.
Continued HERE

Innerlight Supergreens

2007-10-25T13:10:00.000+02:00

I was recently asked by a friend, who is a qualified and successful massage therapist what I thought about Innerlight and what I thought of getting involved with them in their business.

Their products, Supergreens and PH Balancing drops didn't exactly fill me with confidence, and upon searching through their website was quite surprised to be able find almost nothing about the products themselves. The text below is as much as they seem to want to commit to about it.

"Simply using the InnerLight products alone can have an enormous impact on your health and on your life. Many wish to take this a step further by also changing their diet and lifestyle.

The InnerLight lifestyle offers you the opportunity to live the life you were intended to live, blessed with the health and energy that is rightfully yours. InnerLight products change people. Making the decision to balance your body causes you to change the way you think and ultimately, perhaps, how you live. Our company is different. You are different just by the fact that you were interested in our products because you care about your health. You are seeking the truth about health and vitality and that truth is the InnerLight message to the world.

Health is about balance and nothing else matters if your body is out of balance. Our products and our lifestyle support balancing your pH and your life, giving you optimal health. When you start using our products you will ultimately feel better. Feeling better may cause you to want to feel great. Feeling great may cause you to want to feel extraordinary.

Wherever the InnerLight journey takes you, we have a path waiting for you.. We offer a” Good, Better, Best” instruction manual including alkaline recipes with daily journals to help you stay on whichever track you choose. Chad Sarno’s website and cookbook will introduce you to raw food menus which give you optimal energy and nutrition, mostly all alkaline and balancing. The PTG information site is all about training and support to keep you involved, supported, and informed at all levels of your InnerLight transition.

This is the InnerLight lifestyle - health and vitality at the highest level. Allow us to change you in ways you always hoped for but never dreamed would happen. Our message is life altering and our support systems unequaled. Our lifestyle awaits you with exceptional health, energy, and wellness as your gift from us. Welcome to InnerLight. The choices are yours. "

Choices indeed. To even find out this little amount of information about what they want my friend to distribute I had to make several choices on my way through their online sales system which seems very focused on who is getting credited (and commission) for this online sale rather than even explaining what the multiple products actually are, or are supposed to do.

And to be honest from the moment the website asked me who was getting the money before even trying to tell me what I might be buying once inside it was clear that this is nothing more than a reasonably sophisticated MLM or Pyramid selling scheme.

True to form, I was then reminded what a great business opportunity this was at every page, at which point I then noticed that old water purifier on the front page too (anyone else remember all those people who were going be millionaires selling those in the 80's and 90's?) ..and indeed a document called almost biblically or similar cult fashion "Calls & Meetings" which is full of sales advice and little else.

can you see which way this is going? :) A little more research into their premise that you can in some way alter Blood PH by what you eat, rather than the complex systems by which our body actually does this..

http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html (Quackometer Report below)
Examining Site: http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html
Fetching the web site...
Analysing Page...

Web site titled 'Food pH List - Balancing Acid/Alkaline Foods'
The black duck says...

This web site has more quackery than my village pond. It is full of scientific jargon that is out of place and probably doesn't know the meaning of any of the terms. It shows little or no critical thought and so should be treated with caution!

This site has a has a currently measurable quackery content of 10 Canards
(The Canard is the internationally recognised SI unit for Quackery.)

A Quick search on JREF "Acid Alkaline PH Balance Body" very quickly shows that not only is this all Quackery of the highest order, they have already seen and examined another company selling guess what? Supergreens"

So to give my response to my friend:

PLEASE DONT TOUCH THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE IT WITH A BARGEPOLE.

For 2 logical reasons, plus a whole host of bad feeling about it.

Reason 1. - Business structure, it's MLM and therefore by definition cannot work once you're past the top few people who set it up, who conversely sometimes do make considerable money from it, by ripping off you and everyone else you know by selling you the dream of financial security without having to work for it. They are not interested in what theyre actually selling, it could be anything as long as you sell it for them.

Reason 2. - The product is a fake. happily they dont care (see reason 1) because their motivation here is not to make people healthier, better or wahatver, it is to get as much of their money as they possibly can.

If anybody has any experience, positive or otherwise of similar schemes please do leave comments or mail me. I would also be interested to hear from anyone using Supergreens, PH balancing and the like about your experiences.

Thanks for listening.

Kev

The Quackometer :) - Do they pass the Quack test?

2007-10-25T11:40:00.000+02:00

You will be hopefully aware by now that I am uber-skeptical of much of the "quackery" to be found on the net these days, what with the ancient terms "chakras, energy flows" and the like all mixed in with "kinesiology" "metabolic typing" from the modern world of blagging it, it can be hard for the uninitiated to tell fact from fiction.

The ever-increasing over-complication of the fitness business these days, and often tight competition for clients amongst trainers means that in an effort to succeed, some are inevitably trying to differentiate themselves from the others and sell their own "unique" approach or product, or sometimes their own "spin" on something we already know and understand well.

I am noticing more and more "pseudoscience" creeping into articles, literature and websites in an effort to move units and in Trainer's cases, highly priced sessions or therapies. You can usually recognise pseudo-science apart from the real thing by certain key words, and by liberal smatterings of real scientific terms - usually improperly used.

In some cases the lines are also being blurred between conventional Sports Science Fitness Training and the Health & Fitness Supplements world and in some cases Complementary Medicines and Therapies, - before we even get into the dodgy practises used by some equipment manufacturers to hawk their latest contraptions.

I am strongly opposed to people profiteering taking the uninitiated for a ride using scientific-sounding words or "research" without basis in the real world.

..This is where The Quackometer comes in. This excellent tool is free, and I would advise running the names and /or websites of anyone you are considering treatments or training through it if there's any doubt in your mind.

The test page is here: The Quackometer

The website Homepage here: http://www.quackometer.net/

Please try it out with a few sample sites, some of the results are quite interesting, try comparing the results from say "Paul Chek" with "Mike Boyle" for example.

Here is the result of a couple of sites I have personally seen, one for the Complementary Health and Alternative Medicine Information Service and one of a Personal Trainer whom I also consider dubious.

I have changed the Trainer's name and removed the links from the reports to protect his reputation, because although I distrust the science behind what he thinks he's doing, not actually knowing the guy, I cannot say for certain that he is aware of the quackery of what he is doing, it is possible he may truly believe he's trying to help people and I'm not into the business of exposing people, so much as the dubious "science" around.

Report One

Examining Site: http://www.chisuk.org.uk/
http://www.chisuk.org.uk/articles/result.php?key=
(10 Canards ) full analysis...

Web site titled 'Complementary Health and Alternative Medicine Information Service'

The black duck says...

The quacking noise is deafening. This web site is riddled with loosely defined terms and possibly pseudoscientific language with huge sprinklings of alternative medicine mumbo jumbo. It is full of scientific jargon that is out of place and probably doesn't know the meaning of any of the terms. It shows little or no sceptical awareness and so should be treated with caution!

This site has a has a currently measurable quackery content of 10 Canards

(The Canard is the internationally recognised SI unit for Quackery.)

And the trainer's website / blog

Examining Site: http://www.xxxxx-xxxxxxx.xxxxxxx.com/
Fetching the web site...
Analysing Page...

Web site titled 'Xxxxxx's Blog'
The black duck says...
This web site is heavily laden with loosely defined terms and possibly pseudoscientific language with a smattering of alternative medicine speak. It is full of scientific jargon that is out of place and probably doesn't know the meaning of any of the terms. It shows no sceptical awareness and so should be treated with a suspicious mind. It also looks like this site is trying to sell stuff. Buyer Beware!

This site has a has a currently measurable quackery content of 7 Canards
(The Canard is the internationally recognised SI unit for Quackery.)

...And I was both amused and glad :) ..although obviously not surprised, to see the reports below. :)

Searching the web to find out about
kev grant
Possible Quackery pages found: 75
Analysing most suspicious web pages..
http://kevgrant.com/_wsn/page2.html
(0 Canards ) full analysis...
Tribiza.com
http://kevgrant.com/_wsn/page3.html
(0 Canards ) full analysis...
Personal Training
http://kevgrant.com/_wsn/page2.html
(0 Canards ) full analysis...
My guess is that this person is not a Quack!
The quackometer is not perfect and there are good reasons why it may have made a mistake. You are advised to check out the above links and make up your own mind! The quackometer is giving you suggestions as to where to look for quackery.

Checking Website: "http://www.ibizapersonaltrainer.com
Fetching the web site...
Analysing Page...

Web site titled 'Ibiza Personal Trainer | Personal Training in Ibiza, Spain| Entrenador Personal en Ibiza Espagne'
The black duck says... This web site looks OK - but keep your guard up and don't rely on the black duck to spot all quackery!

This site has a has a currently measurable quackery content of 0 Canards
(The Canard is the internationally recognised SI unit for Quackery.)

Ibiza Map & Panoramics

2007-10-17T14:54:00.001+02:00

From the Comments on a previous Blog Post peterwatts said...

Hi, tried to use your send a message, but not sure it is working. Wanted to let you know about a interactive Map of Ibiza that shows 360 panoramas of various beaches and calas around the island. Thought it would interest you.

3:21 PM

This is excellent, featuring interactive panoramic pictures of many of Ibiza's secluded beaches all over the island, love it, thanks Peter.

Superfoods (2) A closer look, & the Definitive List.

2007-10-16T19:10:00.000+02:00

Ok remember the procedure, a quick wiki search please do click the link, it's important.

You will notice the list of superfoods starts "Alleged Superfoods" ..." Alleged"

Then please click this link and consider the message within. Remember, very often the people writing this stuff about superfoods are people with a vested interest in one way or another, so a dose healthy skepticism is always still in order.

"The first idea that is just plain wrong is that just because certain foods are bursting with a particular vitamin or nutrient then they will be especially healthy for you. The idea is that because Vitamin C stops you getting nasty illnesses, then lots of Vit C must be very, very healthy. The truth is that your body has a requirement for sufficient nutrients in order to work. Sufficient is the key word here. If it has an excess amount of these nutrients, and cannot store them, then they will essentially go to waste. So much food quackery is based around the canard that 'more good stuff is better'.

Next, there are certain woo-like beliefs that seeds and sprouts are 'bursting' with all the 'energy' that a plant will need for its life. Utter rot. Plants obtain their energy from photosynthesis and nutrients and water from soil. A seed's job is to produce a leaf or two and a small root so that it can start extracting the stuff from the environment that it will need to grow. In that sense, a seed is no more special than any other plant matter.

One last canard on display was that the colour of foods is very important. Superfoods are often brightly coloured. Somehow a food's nutritional value can be judged by its colour. Now, to be fair, getting people to eat a variety of different coloured foods may help in promoting variety and the use of fresh products - but that is it. Colour is not a flag for nutritional value, but might just liven up a damp salad."

Ok, ....now the Definitive List

On balance, its likely to still better to eat these foods than to not, so pick and remember the ones you like, as many as you can and work them into your daily nutrition as much as you can. Just don't buy into all the hype, especially to the point you start wasting money on supplements based on this new sales term

I have shamelessly plagirised, de-Americanised as much as possible, compiled and edited this from various sources including:

www.webmd.com/Superfoods

http://www.wildoats.com/u/Health/superfood_foods/

http://www.thesite.org/healthandwellbeing/fitnessanddiet/healthyeating/superfoodsuncovered

Superfoods

Are alleged to be natural foods rich in certain nutrients, with high levels of antioxidants that help the body fight cell damage from free radicals.

This is alleged to help keep the immune system in good shape, and may help reduce the risk of cancer and degenerative eye diseases whilst promoting cardiovascular health.

A "superfood explosion" ?

So, why have superfoods and their nutritional benefits only recently come to light? Zoe Firth, a registered nutritionist with The Nutrition Society, says it is due to advances in research. "We are finding out more about different nutrients as companies and PhD students are doing more research into health."

However, the idea that you can fill up on these superfoods and be protected from illnesses like cancer and heart disease is misleading, says Zoe Firth. "If you were having a lot of take-a-ways or deep-fried food and then having a blueberry everyday, you wouldn't necessarily be getting any benefit.

One food in isolation won't have an effect on your health," says Zoe. "Some people think there's some magic to it and they can get away with a bad diet if they just eat this one great superfood. It's all about getting the balance right, along with lifestyle factors. If you're having a healthy, balanced diet, which includes at least five fruit and vegetables a day to get vitamins and minerals, changing from bad fats to good fats, and increasing your fibre, this can have an effect on your heart health and living longer.

Eat a rainbow of coloured fruit and vegetables to beat a stroke," recommends Zoe. "Eat a rainbow of coloured fruit and vegetables to beat a stroke." ??

Whilst all fruit and vegetables contain vital vitamins and minerals, in order to get the best out of them, cooking techniques are important. "Grill instead of fry", says Zoe. "If you boil them, the nutrients and vitamins can come out in the water. Microwave your vegetables in a small amount of water or steam them to keep the nutrients locked in. Fresh, frozen, tinned or dried, they're all good," says Zoe. "Eat as much of a range as possible."

So, to enjoy optimum health, remember to stock up on a variety of fruit and vegetables, and watch your preparation methods. Whilst there's no definitive list of superfoods, ( Kev There is now!! :) ...the following list combines the 'up-and-coming' with 'old favourites' so you can eat your way to good health.

Top Superfoods allegedly offering Super Health Protection

Beans
Blueberries
Broccoli
Oats
Oranges
Pumpkin
Salmon/Oily Fish
Spinach
Tea (green or black)
Turkey
Walnuts/Almonds/Macadamia Nuts
Yogurt
Quinoa

Blueberries -- Antioxidant Superfood

Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them the top choice of doctors and nutritionists. Not only can they lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they are also anti-inflammatory.

Berries generally Whether you choose blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries or strawberries, your body benefits from these nutrition-packed gems. Deliciously tangy and sweet, berries contain antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins that reduce free-radicals in the body, which may help to slow the aging process.

“Inflammation is a key driver of all chronic diseases, so blueberries have a host of benefits,” says Ann Kulze, MD, of Charleston, S.C., author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet, A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss & Lifelong Vitality. When selecting berries, note that the darker they are, the more anti-oxidants they have. “I tell everyone to have a serving (about 1/2 cup) every day,” Dr. Kulze says. “Frozen are just as good as fresh.” Be sure to include lots of other fruits and vegetables in your diet as well. Remember too that, in general, the more color they have, the more antioxidants.

Other Interesting Berries

Goji berries: Pound for pound these berries contain more vitamin C than oranges, which is thought to help the immune system. They also contain more beta-carotene than carrots, which can help fight heart disease, defend against cancer and protect skin from sun damage. They are a good source of B vitamins and antioxidants, and contain 18 kinds of amino acids. Some people say they can even raise your libido.

Acai berries: Grown from an Amazon palm tree in the rainforests of Brazil, the acai pulp contains a high concentration of antioxidants, 10 times more than grapes, and the monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre and photosterols have been found to promote cardiovascular and digestive health. They also contain an essential amino acid complex and trace minerals, which can help muscle contraction and regeneration.

Apples Each apple provides five grams of fiber and an abundance of antioxidants, which may support cardiovascular health. Enjoy baked with cinnamon and granola or sliced into wedges.

Bananas Rich in magnesium (helps protect circulatory system), potassium and slowly-absorbed sugars. Good source of pectin (a soluble fiber). Prevents radical swings in blood sugar.

Cinnamon A USDA study shows that consuming a half teaspoon of cinnamon per day may significantly lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels. Sweet!

Citrus Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits and tangerines, contain flavonoids that are unique to the citrus family. Naringin produced in grapefruits and hesperidin found in oranges are both powerful antioxidants. Sweet, juicy and versatile, citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, folic acid and potassium.

Cruciferous vegetables Vibrant and crisp, broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are members of the Brassica oleracea italica family. Named for their resemblance to a Greek cross, cruciferous vegetables not only taste great steamed and saut�ed, they are also a good source of dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates. Some studies show that low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

Eggs (especially egg whites) provide an inexpensive source of high-quality protein. Eggs are not only low in carbohydrates and sodium, but they contain lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that support eye health. Whether you prefer brown or white eggs, be kind to your fine-feathered friends and always choose cage-free, organic eggs.

Green leafy vegetables Spinach, kale, Swiss chard and romaine lettuce each contain beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin that work together to support overall health. As good sources of vitamin B and minerals, adding a wide variety of leafy greens to your plate, every day, ensures that you will reap their healthy benefits.

Herbs and Spices Studies show that common herbs and spices, such as sage and rosemary, are rich in antioxidants and may support healthy digestive function and the nervous system. About a teaspoon per day added to your favorite recipes is all it takes!

Honey Full of B-complex vitamins, amino acids and enzymes, raw honey is tasty and a great substitute for refined sugars. Enjoy swirled into tea or drizzled over oatmeal.

Kiwifruit One little kiwifruit packs as much vitamin C as an orange. Since we are unable to create vitamin C in our bodies, it is important to replenish this essential vitamin each day. Enjoy kiwifruit in smoothies and fruit salads.

Legumes Beans and lentils, members of the legume family, are an excellent source of hearty, low-fat plant protein. Simmered in soups or blended into tangy spreads, legumes are a versatile and delicious introduction to superfoods. Soluble fiber from beans and lentils, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of legumes provides at least four grams of soluble fiber.

All beans contain lots of nutrients, but red beans have the greatest amount of antioxidants. Rich in vitamins C, D and A, believed to repair damaged cells in the body, which may avert the development of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Red beans are also packed with folic acid, which may help to prevent dementia.

Mushrooms Contain beta-glucan, which stimulates immune system. Shitake, enoki, zhuling and reishi all have anti-cancer and antiviral effects

Nuts & Seeds Roasted, toasted or raw, nuts and seeds are a delicious source of protein and fiber. A tasty snack, nuts and seeds pack a nutritious punch with heart-healthy monosaturated oils, vitamins and minerals. The lignans in seeds have been demonstrated to reduce cholesterol levels, and scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating one and a half ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

These are one of the best sources of good fats, fibre, protein, omega 3 and 6 oils and vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, copper, magnesium, folic acid and potassium. The plant sterols they contain help lower the absorption of cholesterol from food.

Flaxseeds have a high concentration of oils that help to keep skin looking youthful and are also rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and lignins, which have cancer-fighting properties.

Oats Simmered into a warm cereal, oatmeal provides a good source of complex carbohydrates. Soluble fiber from foods, such as oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A half-cup serving of oats supplies about nine grams of fiber.

Olives & olive oil Rich and fruity, olive oil stands out as a culinary staple in Mediterranean cultures. A good source of monounsaturated fat, adding two tablespoons of olive oil per day to your diet may support cardiovascular health.

Omega-3 fish Cold-water fish like wild salmon, tuna and trout contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Supportive, but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. While amounts may vary by species, origin and season, one serving of omega fish provides at least 0.5 grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

“We know that the omega 3s you get in fish lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, and may possibly help with memory loss and Alzheimer’s,” Somer says. “There is some evidence to show that it reduces depression as well.”

Omega-3s are most prevalent in fatty, cold-water fish: Look for wild (not farmed) salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Aim for two-to-three servings a week. Other forms of omega 3s are available in fortified eggs, flax seed, and walnuts. These superfoods have the added benefit of being high in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol.

Orange veggies Vibrant orange vegetables, such as pumpkins, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots contain high levels of beta-carotene. A beneficial nutrient found in fruits and vegetables, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, giving the body an antioxidant boost. Cooking vegetables also makes the nutrients easier to absorb. Enjoy roasted acorn squash or lightly steamed carrots.

Papaya & Pineapple High amounts of enzymes that help combat everything from autoimmune diseases, allergies, and cancer to AIDS.

Pomegranates Rich in powerful, free-radical fighting antioxidants called polyphenols, an eight-ounce serving of pomegranate juice enjoyed daily may support normal levels of cholesterol and healthy coronary artery function.

Quinoa Quinoa: This has the same nutritional content as the healthiest grains, but is actually a plant seed, containing high levels of protein, fibre, iron, B vitamins and minerals.
Strawberries Contain ellagic acid, which contains anti-cancer properties

Tea True teas, whether they are green, white, black or oolong, originate from the Camellia sinensis plant. Processing techniques differentiate each type of tea. With beneficial levels of flavonoids and only two calories per cup, drinking tea is a great way to support overall health.

The overall antioxidant power of black tea is the same as green tea, but green tea does have ECGC, a powerful antioxidant that we really do think is quite special. A recent Japanese study on green tea found that men who drank green tea regularly had lower cholesterol than those who didn’t. Researchers in Spain and the United Kingdom have also shown that ECGC can inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Turkey Versatile and low-fat, turkey breast is an excellent protein choice. Juicy, delicious and rich in zinc, turkey is best enjoyed in soups, salads and sandwiches.

Whole Grains Rich in complex carbohydrates, whole grains add beneficial phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet. Packed with nutrition, the germ or �heart� of the kernel adds essential B-vitamins, iron and zinc to your plate. Diets rich in whole-grain, plant-based foods may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.

Yogurt and kefir Creamy and cool, cultured dairy products, such as yogurt, kefir and buttermilk, contain probiotics. Also known as �friendly bacteria,� probiotics support the intestinal tract and the immune system. Maintain the overall health of your immune system and enjoy a cup of fruit yogurt, savor a tangy raspberry kefir or stir buttermilk into roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Other Interesting Foods

The Allium family: Consisting of garlic, onions, leeks and chives, the flavonoids in these foods stimulate the production of the liver's most powerful antioxidant, glutathione. This antioxidant helps toxins and carcinogens to be eliminated from the body, which may help protect against cancer.

Barley grass, wheat grass and other green foods: These contain carbohydrates, proteins, chlorophyll, lipids, vitamins and minerals, which are easily assimilated by the body. Barley grass contains potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorous, magnese, zinc, beta-carotene and vitamins B1, 2 and 6. It provides 11 times more calcium than cow's milk, five times more iron than spinach, and seven times more vitamin C than oranges.

Artichokes: Rich in vitamin C, fibre and potassium, particularly when cooked.

Finally ... Dark Chocolate

New research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. Kulze recommends that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better. In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content.

Enjoy :)

Please DON'T do it like this. :)

2007-10-15T15:27:00.000+02:00

Whilst we all know that we shouldn't really laugh at the misfortune of others, Youtube is full of videos of gym accidents, some that aren't really funny, however some of them just plain are.

I've picked a few of the ones that tickled me most :) ..no-one is seriously hurt in any of these, although I'm sure that doesnt apply to their pride.

If you can do this....

2007-10-13T18:09:00.000+02:00

then you probably don't need us ;)

One arm pullups. These are extremely difficult.

And a (hard)core strength exercise..

And finally, One Legged Squats. I watched a lot of people's video's of these and selected this one because it was the only one I saw showing correct form with regards to the knee not coming forwards of the toe during the exercise.

This is doubly important with one leg squats because of the extra loading on the single knee joint. Do not attempt these until you are squatting (2 leg barbell) with a loading of at least 2/3 of your bodyweight, as serious knee injuries can occur.

www.ibizapersonaltrainer.com

More Stupid Studies Stating the Obvious..

2007-10-13T12:44:00.000+02:00

Frankly I often wonder how a lot of these supposed "Scientists" who seem to spend so much time studying stuff we already know and understand pretty well, and coming up with entirely predictable results manage to justify their jobs, and funding for their ongoing "work"

This one really annoyed me today. Some of it is quoted here.

Moderate exercise may not do much to help you lose weight, research shows. But even intense exercise is no guarantee of weight loss, according to a new study from the University of Leeds in Britain.
Thirty-five overweight men and women took part in supervised exercise designed to burn 500 calories a day on treadmills, bikes and rowing machines. By the end of the 12-week study, some exercisers had lost a staggering 32 pounds. But five of them actually had gained weight — as much as four pounds, according to the researchers, who published their findings last month in the International Journal of Obesity.

Most volunteers fell somewhere in the middle, losing only a few pounds despite the regimen. Unsurprisingly, the data did suggest that the people who failed to lose much weight had slightly increased their calorie intake by the end of the study (by about 270 calories), while the people who lost more weight had slightly decreased their intake (about 130 calories). But the differences in how the subjects ate compared to the beginning of the study were not statistically significant, according to the report.

Again and again I have this conversation with people explaining that exercise alone will not necessarily induce their desired weight loss, and that although they think that they eat well and do not really want to have to think about that at the moment, if they are serious about wanting to lose weight, inconvenient though it may be, ultimately they will have to take charge of what they put into their mouths.

In the course of my daily activities I obviously see hear and converse on these topics far more than most, and it is my observation that overweight people usually don't like being told the truth when it come to exercise and weight management, ie. that moderate exercise only is a relatively small part of the picture, and that the only exercise that is really significant is the exercise you do with your right hand, and the fork.

Let me clarify this before the hate mail and abuse starts, :) I am talking with regards to weight management alone, not the myriad of other proven reasons we should all be exercising, but with regards to purely weight management, exercise is only one factor in only one half of the Energy Balance Equation. The other half of this equation also needs taking into account to get a reliable outcome.

The tone of the article almosts suggests it's not worth doing as it may not work anyway which is very irresponsible. Frankly this is not rocket science, and although there are smallish differences in the way people respond to exercise, trying to use them as excuses for failure is not helping anyone.

I would bet everything I own that if I am able to totally control and police a Client's exercise regime and nutrition, it will work without fail, in all cases. The differences in peoples responses will still be apparent as in whether they lost 18lbs or 20.

This is actually so simple, control the input, raise the output above the input, and off it comes, EVERY SINGLE TIME, that it annoys me intensely that stuff like this gets written.

Yes there are metabolism reactions, multiple better ways of exercising la la la, but you can also lose weight just as easily without doing any exercise at all, by purely controlling input.

Personally I think one of the most important roles exercise plays in the overall picture is to make people feel better about themselves, that feeling of having exercised, feeling the endorphins and sense of achievement, seeing the improvements which come quickly at the beginning, is one of the main drivers that make people continue, and even commit more deeply to their improvement regime, at which point they are also more likely to stick to the healthier eating plans etc.

But do not be fooled, it is very easy to exercise moderately on a regular basis, but continue to gain weight. Working weight off using calories is a slow laborious progress, you have to run a bloody long way to lose a pound of fat, approximately 35 miles for most people (dep on bodyweight) but could put that on by eating 5 king sized Mars Bars over and above your required calorific allowance, and I'm sure some could do that in a day easily.

A mere 100 cals per day over your requirements will see you gain a pound of fat (not weight, it will invariably more in weight) over a month. And 100 cals is frankly bugger all. One and a quarter digestive biscuits per day on top of what you should be having will do it.

Like with any maths equation you have to look at both sides of it to get the answer you want.

Adding a few hundred cals per week to output by exercise wont help you if you take a few hundred a day too much in.

There are multiple articles on all aspects of this on the articles page of my site www.ibizapersonaltrainer.com and a nutritional calculator I developed for use with athletes I have trained that is available for download.

It is adjustable in the formulae to allow you to program in your protein & carbs requirements to suit your own specific needs.

if anyone has any questions on how to use it please email me. Over and out.

kev

My 3 Favourite Fitness Blogs.

2007-10-10T12:31:00.000+02:00

I spend fair bit of time reading various Health & Fitness Articles, papers and the like, not as much as some, but more than most, and of it course it is my job, so to be expected. But it must be said, most of it is dull, dull, dull.

However, there are some Trainer's blogs which are both highly informative, and truly entertaining. The addition of humour to pretty much anything is in my opinion both desirable and in most cases absloutely necessary to keep people there, reading and coming back

I will be putting up a comprehensive list of my favourite blogs permanently at the side of mine shortly but in the meantime just wanted to share with you what I consider to be the cream of the fitness blogs I've encountered.

Whilst I dont always agree with every last thing written in these blogs these guys approaches and idealogies are similar enough to my own that I have every confidence recommending their writings without question, and more importantly (to me anyway, and I suspect anyone who reads very much of this sort of thing) you can rely on them to make it entertaining enough that you dont doze off before finishing the piece. Some are more outspoken than others, but all are well-written, well informed and entertaining, and give me something to aspire to with my own ramblings.

So here we are, in alphabetical order.

Alwyn Cosgrove is "one of the most in-demand and exciting coaches, writers and speakers in the fitness industry today. He currently spends his time lecturing, teaching, training and writing and as the owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, CA."

http://www.alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com

Andrew Heffernan is a Trainer / Writer / Presenter based in Los Angeles USA and has a particular gift with the written word.

http://dynamicfitness.blogspot.com

Neil McTeggart (NeilMCT) works as a Personal Trainer in Belfast and as the Online Fitness Editor for Men’s Health Magazine. He describes his ‘blog’ as "just another way for me to teach people how to transform their shape, with a little humour along the way."

Humour indeed, Neil regularly has me in fits of laughter at the stuff he finds to write about, and his take on fitness & the fitness industry in general, definitely check this one out, this is probably my personal fave.

http://wwwneilmctcom.blogspot.com

If anyone has any more of a similar ilk please do feel free leave them for me in comments, otherwise enjoy ;)

Kev

Carbophobia - More Low Carb Nonsense

2007-10-10T11:51:00.000+02:00

I saw this article in the NY Times today about a new book, which surprisingly enough is plugging the new "low carb renaissance" as one of my peers called it a little while ago. Please do read it until the end before making any judgements. I have highlighted in red what I consider the crucial facts to bear in mind before leaping onto this latest bandwagon as so many will without doubt do.... (....sigh!)

I have reproduced the article in full and also linked to the original site here NY Times

Carbophobia

By GINA KOLATA Published: October 7, 2007

Gary Taubes is a brave and bold science journalist who does not accept conventional wisdom. In “Good Calories, Bad Calories,” he says what he wants is a fair hearing and rigorous testing for ideas that might seem shocking.

GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES - Challenging the Conventional Wisdom on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease.

By Gary Taubes. 601 pp. Alfred A. Knopf. $27.95.

His thesis, first introduced in a much-debated article in The New York Times Magazine in 2002 challenging the low-fat diet orthodoxy, is that nutrition and public health research and policy have been driven by poor science and a sort of pigheaded insistence on failed hypotheses. As a result, people are confused and misinformed about the relationship between what they eat and their risk of growing fat. He expands that thesis in the new book, arguing that the same confused reasoning and poor science has led to misconceptions about the relation between diet and heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, dementia, diabetes and, again, obesity. When it comes to determining the ideal diet, he says, we have to “confront the strong possibility that much of what we’ve come to believe is wrong.” The best diet, he argues, is one loaded with protein and fat but very low in carbohydrates.

Taubes spent five years working on the book, which runs to more than 450 pages. The bibliography alone goes on for more than 60 pages. He also says he interviewed more than 600 doctors, researchers and administrators, though he adds that “the appearance of their names in the text ... does not imply that they agree with all or even part of the thesis set forth in this book.” Taubes does not bow to the current fashion for narrative nonfiction, instead building his argument case by case, considering the relationship between dietary fat and heart disease, carbohydrates and disease, diet and obesity. As a result, the book can be hard to read, tedious in many places and repetitious.

Yet much of what Taubes relates will be eye-opening to those who have not closely followed the science, or lack of science, in this area. (Disclosure: At one point he approvingly cites my articles on the lack of evidence that a high-fiber diet protects against colon cancer.) For example, he tells the amazing story of how the idea of a connection between dietary fat, cholesterol and heart disease got going and took on a life of its own, despite the minimal connection between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol for most people. He does not mince words. “From the inception of the diet-heart hypothesis in the early 1950s, those who argued that dietary fat caused heart disease accumulated the evidential equivalent of a mythology to support their belief. These myths are still passed on faithfully to the present day.” The story is similar for salt and high blood pressure, and for dietary fiber and cancer.

In fact, Taubes convincingly shows that much of what is believed about nutrition and health is based on the flimsiest science. To cite one minor example, there’s the notion that a tiny bit of extra food, 50 or 100 calories a day — a few bites of a hamburger, say — can gradually make you fat, and that eating a tiny bit less each day, or doing something as simple as walking a mile, can make the weight slowly disappear. This idea is based on a hypothesis put forth in a single scientific paper, published in 2003. And even then it was qualified, Taubes reports, by the statement that it was “theoretical and involves several assumptions” and that it “remains to be empirically tested.” Nonetheless, it has now become the basis for an official federal recommendation for obesity prevention.

But the problem with a book like this one, which goes on and on in great detail about experiments new and old in areas ranging from heart disease to cancer to diabetes, is that it can be hard to know what has been left out.

For example, Taubes argues at length that people get fat because carbohydrates in their diet drive up the insulin level in the blood, which in turn encourages the storage of fat. His conclusion: all calories are not alike. A calorie of fat is much less fattening than a calorie of sugar.

It’s known, though, that the body is not so easily fooled. Taubes ignores what diabetes researchers say is a body of published papers documenting a complex system of metabolic controls that, in the end, assure that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie.

He also ignores definitive studies done in the 1950s and ’60s by Jules Hirsch of Rockefeller University and Rudolph Leibel of Columbia, which tested whether calories from different sources have different effects. The investigators hospitalized their subjects and gave them controlled diets in which the carbohydrate content varied from zero to 85 percent, and the fat content varied inversely from 85 percent to zero. Protein was held steady at 15 percent.

They asked how many calories of what kind were needed to maintain the subjects’ weight. As it turned out, the composition of the diet made no difference.

As I read Taubes’s book, I kept wondering how he would deal with an obvious question. If low-carbohydrate diets are so wonderful, why is anyone fat? Most people who struggle with their weight have tried these diets and nearly all have regained everything they lost, as they do with other diets. What is the problem?

On Page 446, he finally tells us. Carbohydrates, he says, are addictive, and we’ve all gotten hooked. Those who try to break the habit start to crave them, just as an alcoholic craves a drink or a smoker craves a cigarette. But, he adds, if they are addictive, that “implies that the addiction can be overcome with sufficient time, effort and motivation.”

I’m sorry, but I’m not convinced. ( Kev Grant - Me either Gina, thank you.)

Gina Kolata is a medical reporter for The Times and the author of “Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss and the Myths and Realities of Dieting.”

Ibiza Summer 2007 - Times Online

2007-08-16T11:49:00.001+02:00

Page 1 of 4 Original Article here

Critics say the island is past its sell-by date - but Sam Lewis finds a thriving hotel and bar scene, and Sam Lyster hits the new clubs

Sam Lewis

With house music and monster DJs on the wane, and a police crackdown on clubs, Sam Lyster finds the new scene on Ibiza. Read her report here

Santa Eulalia, Ibiza’s third largest resort, has a thriving year-round community and is traditionally the island’s second gastronomic, shopping and cultural centre second only to Ibiza town. Highlights include a marina, fabulous restaurants - and recent developments suggest it’s becoming hipper. It recently hit the headlines with the opening of a five-star hotel and another one, Auditorio, is being developed. Big news on such a little island.

The Insotel Fenicia Prestige Thalasso Spa sits by the side of the Balearic’s only river commanding views across the sea and the bay of Santa Eulalia. Big and bold from the outside, the six or seven floored hotel isn’t the coolest on the island, but inside it’s modern and spacious with flat TVs, cool colours, deluxe bathrooms and balconies.

Less aimed at partygoers than discerning couples and families, facilities include several swanky pools but it’s the spa that is the big talk of town. However, you’ll pay a premium. While most hotels in Ibiza (on a bed-and-breakfast basis) are charged by room, this one charges per person (£137 in high season). OK, if you’re single I suppose.

My preference is to stay in one of the serene and slick villas on the hillside overlooking Santa Eulalia. I’ll never forget Finca Grande, a four-bed fancy villa with turrets, a kidney-shaped pool, manicured lawns and ornamented streams that spouted fountains when you walked around the garden. Alternatively, if there’s only two of you, agrotourism has gone from strength to strength with dilapidated old farmhouse fincas being neatly converted into charming character hillside hideaways for tourists. Nearby, the cool Les Terrasses was one of the first and offers around 10 rooms, an outdoor pool and restaurant.

Like Ibiza town, Santa Eulalia has an exclusive Yacht Marina, and in recent years it’s undergone a huge revival with trendy bars opening up alongside the more traditional eateries. Lounge clubs, bars and restaurants are synonymous with Ibiza and Santa Eulalia is beginning to get its fair share of them. The cool Guarana Club is now firmly established as a favourite for people who want to party but don’t want to pay a premium and visit one of the big clubs in Ibiza Town, San Antonio or the centre of the island.

We liked Es Rickshaw for its cool cocktail lounge with lounge music and visiting DJs, or to try its combination of Mediterranean and oriental cuisine. Or for something more Spanish, Entre Dos Aguas with its courtyard. Sit under pine trees and feast on Spanish cuisine including Iberian meats and cheeses, seafood paella, suckling pig or monkfish a la basque.

But when it comes to affordable local food you still can’t go wrong if you head to Calle San Vicente, often referred to as the Street of Restaurants. Wander down this road when it’s closed to traffic in the early evening when the restaurants have reclaimed the road with chairs and tables for guest to dine alfresco. For fresh fish, my father and stepmum (long time residents of the island) swear by Juanitos. Ran by Juanito and his wife it offers friendly service and is inexpensive at less than £25 per couple with house wine.

Nearby tree-lined Calle San Jaime was our preferred place to go late morning for an expresso and to people watch. My guide books says that the Royalty is preferred by local aristocracy, whereas the café opposite Bar Cosmi has a slightly younger crowd. I couldn’t notice the difference. For an evening drink as sun goes down, head for Sinatra’s on the promenade.

When the sun’s shining, slip on your flip flops and head for the beach. Forget Santa Eulalia’s sandy shores and head instead to some of the nearby stunning beaches and coves from Aqua Blanca in the north all the way down to Ibiza Town. New roads and underpasses means it’s now pretty easy to get anywhere on the island relatively quickly, even to the hippest beaches by the airport at Playa de Ses Salines where bronzed, half-naked bodies dance on the hot sand to the sounds of hip tunes from trendy the beach bars Jockey Club and Sa Trinxa.

Alternatively, throw caution to the wind and charter a boat for the day and head out from the marina to the nearby island of Formentera with its Caribbean-clear waters and soft white sands.

If you’re a partygoer on a short break, you might want to be closer to the action. The popular resorts of Antonio and Playa d’en Bossa can be a little overwhelming, and, quite simply, tacky. For something more upmarket stay in the Dalt Vila of Ibiza Town, around the marina or just on the outskirts in an agrotourism hotel or villa.

Page 1 of 4 Original Article here

Articles (Rants) for August..

2007-08-06T15:21:00.000+02:00

Hi all. ..OK we're properly into silly season here now (August) and I am training my arse off, along with everybody else's.

..As such Blog time is unfortunately bound to reduce over the next few weeks, happily however this also coincides with a couple of excellent articles, (they could also be called Rants) that I think you should read. I'm just going to link to thefirst two of them here and reproduce the 3rd below in Blue.

Please DO read them all, starting with Alwyn Cosgrove's rantings, which apart from his stronger than usual language is absolutely & totally brilliant. You can find it HERE

Next we have my favourite functional training coach bar none, Mike Boyle venting about various things that have been irritating him of late, including functional training. It would appear he has realised that not all functional training is equal, to the point where he would now like to disassociate himself with the name :)

It was actually Mike's work and books, and in particular the one he now wants to change the name of that fully switched me onto the functional approach in the first place, but thankfully he's not changing his line, so much as getting very irritated with the vast majority of PT's take on functional, as I must say, am I. You can find it here HERE

And lastly in direct contravention with some of the nutritional advice given in the prior two we have this article from Charles Remington on PPOnline, entitled:

"7 Reasons why a Low Carb Diet is Wrong"

As the previous two articles from distinguished trainers both lean towards a lowered carb approach, as does my blogfriend and debating partner Graeme Marsh, I thought I'd re-assert my views on this and hopefully add a little holistic balance to an otherwise very one-sided view on carbs. We do also have to remember that these articles are on T-Nation which is primarily a bodybuilding forum.

Whilst I still strongly disagree with the ethos behind cutting or banning any particular macro nutrient groups (Carbs, Fats, Proteins etc) in the long term, and indeed "diets" in general (which I'm defining as any eating pattern that is temporary and not a long term lifestyle shift) I do have little doubt that if also you restrict the energy (caloric value of intake) of your food, they will work.

You may want to do this for extra fast results depending on how much time you've left yourself between training and your holiday, but watch it all come piling back on the moment you relax on holiday, or once you get back home with that precious tan fading... ...you have been warned.

Over and Out

kev

I actually think that he should have included the words "Long Term" giving you:

"7 Reasons why a Long Term Low Carb Diet is Wrong"
Sports Performance Bulletin nutritional expert, Charles Remington, explains the health problems you may experience with a low carbohydrate diet.

Obesity is now the second leading cause of preventable deaths in America. The medical community used to see it as simply the result of poor eating habits or a lack of will power but now they are beginning to define obesity as a disease that poses a dire threat to our public health. Low carbohydrate diets have become popular as the solution in our battle to lose weight. Unfortunately the human body is equipped to use carbohydrate as its primary source of fuel.

Sadly the latest low carbohydrate fad diets are not the fuel the human body was designed to run on. Low carbohydrate diets can cause several health concerns over time. Here are my top seven.

1. Poor exercise performance and recovery
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for your muscles and brain. Eating a low carbohydrate diet prevents proper maintenance of muscle and liver glycogen (storage form of carbohydrate and water), thus decreasing muscle performance and increasing muscle fatigue. ATP is the main source of energy for all muscle contraction.
When a muscle is used, a chemical reaction breaks down ATP to produce energy. There is only enough ATP stored in the muscle for a few contractions. More ATP is needed. There are three enzyme systems that can create more ATP. The three sources of ATP for muscle contraction are carbohydrates, fatty acids and amino acid proteins. Carbohydrates metabolise efficiently and are therefore used first. If carbohydrates are not available, your muscles metabolise fatty acids and amino acids as secondary sources of ATP. These secondary sources are not efficient, which consequently cause your strength and endurance to drop drastically. It needs to be customised to your amount of muscle and exercise schedule. High-fibre, low-glycaemic (turn into blood sugar slowly) carbohydrates can provide up to 50% of your calories, which will lead to increases in strength and muscle endurance.

2. Gout
Gout is a form of arthritis that occurs when excessive uric acid levels start to crystallise in joints, leading to pain and inflammation. Uric acid is a waste product in the liver’s metabolism of protein. Excessive amounts of protein may lead to an inability to eliminate uric acid. I would recommend you should not exceed 1 to 1.25 grams of protein per lean pound of body weight.

3. Kidney stones
Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the kidneys when uric acid or calcium oxalate crystallise and over time form stones. Insoluble fibre found only in carbohydrates reduces the absorption of calcium, which cause urinary calcium levels to drop thereby preventing the formation of kidney stone. I would recommend the consumption of 30 or more grams of fibre daily. This is not attainable on low carbohydrate diets.

4. Constipation and poor intestinal health
To maintain good intestinal health our bodies require 30 or more grams of fibre daily. Fibre is divided into two types, soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fibre is vital in formation of stools and decreases the time process of waste elimination. Low carbohydrate diets are too low in insoluble fibre and increase risk of constipation. Poor transit time of waste material increases risk of certain colon cancers. Insoluble fibres prevent the build-up of mucus on intestinal walls which lead to poor absorption of nutrients into the body. Low carbohydrate diets are inadequate to maintain good intestinal wall health. I would recommend you use whole grains, oats, beans, fruits and vegetable which are rich in soluble and insoluble fibre. This lowers the risk for constipation, haemorrhoids, irritable bowel, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, and colon cancers.

5. Rise in cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease
The risk of heart disease increases on low carbohydrate, low fibre diets. These diets promote excessive amounts of animal protein, cholesterol and saturated fat. Exuberant amounts of protein increase homocysteine, which is a by-product of the amino acid methionine. Many experts believe that high homocysteine levels have many toxic effects which lead to increase risk of heart disease and hardening of arteries. Low carbohydrate, low fibre diets reduce the absorption and elimination of digestive bile in the intestines. Digestive bile is produced in the liver from cholesterol. A decrease in digestive bile production raises blood serum cholesterol levels which increases the risk of heart disease. Unlike low carbohydrate diets I would promote a nutritional balance providing 30% protein, 50% high fibre carbohydrates and 20% fat.

6. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the reduction of bone density, due to the loss of calcium over long periods of time. Several dietary factors increase the risk of osteoporosis. When dietary protein reaches excessive levels, so does the loss of calcium in the urine. Most studies show that a life-long high protein diet results in an increase of obsteoporosis. Poor intestinal health due to low fibre diets cause inadequate absorption of calcium in intestines contributing to poor bone formation. This would suggest that no low carbohydrate diets can become a life long lifestyle of eating. This is only one of many reasons why low carbohydrate diets provide poor long term weight control. Interestingly, a diet too low in protein can also increase risk of osteoporosis. There is no one size fits all when managing our weight so it has to be customised to the individual, providing the right balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat.

7. Loss of muscle and reduction of metabolism
Any diet that applies the restriction of calories less than the body’s daily requirements over long periods of time will result in the loss of lean muscle tissue and a decrease in the metabolism. All low carbohydrate diets are focused solely on weight loss. The loss of fat comes at a high cost, which is the loss of lean muscle. The loss of muscle reduces the resting metabolic rate, which is the major cause for rebound weight gain. Research shows 95% of all dieters will regain that weight . We do not fail at diets – diets fail us! The secret is not to try to lose fat every day as this will result in losing muscle and reducing metabolism.

Final thoughts
Long-term success in managing weight starts with the right approach. If you are overweight, the real problem is that you have too much body fat for how much muscle you possess. A body composition solution is needed, not just a weight loss diet. Your goal should be to lose fat without losing muscle or sacrificing your health in the process. To maintain your results your eating habits must develop life-long character. Low carbohydrate diets provide initial weight loss, but at the high cost of losing muscle and reducing metabolism. They are inadequate sources of fuel to support exercise activity, which is vital in maintaining good health. The risks to your health long term make low carbohydrate diets poor solutions for life-long weight management

Whole Body Vibration Training Revisited

2007-07-29T13:43:00.000+02:00

This is a new post based on an ongoing discussion from several posts back and associates comments with Graeme Marsh with regards to Whole body Vibration training. My latest comments are in red.

Graham said:

While I can see your point of view I strongly agree and both disagree with some of them. Let me explain... I'll try and respond in your style to individual comments :-)

K "I would also be very interested in what the Champion Power & Weight lifter’s thoughts and impressions on it all were?"

G - They loved it and both distribute and train on it. Not exclusively obviously but as part of their training.

K "Distribute" as in "stand to make money from it" ?

K."stand by JREF absolutely, its basically populated by the people who write the reports you pore over on PubMed and their colleagues."

G - Not likely to be honest. I'll keep to leading journals, read the papers and make my own decisions.

K. Of course, and as always, each to their own Graeme, I personally would prefer to leave it in the hands of well informed like-minded people to with analysis skills & training to assess it for me. I just dont have time to all the research and analysis, nor the medical training or degrees required. Plus if something has passed "The Skeptical Test" it usually means you can state it with relative confidence.

K. "I am personally of the opinion that the fitness industry in general suffers hugely from the business side of things, who are always looking for the next big thing, and that this is mostly based on the idea of finding ways of losing weight / getting fit etc using some miracle machine that removes most (or ideally all) of the effort of the part of the client. This is fundamentally wrong IMO."

G - Mate, I couldn't agree more and if you saw my gym you would see that in effect. The industry is driven by trends and concepts ever since the advent of aerobics in the late 70's - Jane Fonda and The Green Goddess....However, there is a fundamental difference between unscrupulous and often uneducated people who SELL the products/methods versus the ones who have genuine knowledge and experience of them. IMO Pilates and many other similar systems have been using scientifically incorrect and inappropriate sales techniques for a long time already.

K. Glad to hear it. :) out of interest will you be installing a powerplate or similar device in there?

K "I also think that an awful lot of Personal Trainers are in grave danger of trying to hugely overcomplicate their jobs (and some have actually missed their vocation and should have become doctors instead) for whatever reasons, whether staying ahead of the competition, feeling like an expert with clients, whatever."

G - I have just wrote a piece to this exact effect for Fitpro magazine that will be on my blog in the future. I couldn't agree with you more. The science has got in the way. However, I will also tell you that my education, learning and development has been central to me providing a better level or service, helping more challenged clients, staying motivated, and earning more money (which is important living in London...its not cheap!!)..

Mate, whatever works for you, and it all seems to be working alright for you ;)

G. I focus my main efforts on learning how to make people stronger and leaner - simple. I also believe a lot of trainers lack the ability to really do that...they all faff around with BOSU's, Swiss Balls etc but don't actually get people faster, stronger, or fitter. They have become victims of their own fads. So, the true power in my mind is being able to effectively apply all this knowledge to get better results, faster and easier. Anyone who has heard me present will testify that my main philosophy is keeping things simple - hence my next workshop in October called 'Train don't Treat' covering simple assessment and programme design for the typical modern client.

K. This all sounds like good stuff, no problem with any of that, it could almost be me talking. :)

K "You mention new discoveries and changing paradigms, I do not believe that is the role of a PT. That is the role of clinical research and development departments, statisticians and the like, and even they get it hugely wrong sometimes. Remember the “miracle drug” thalidomide?"

G- I think this is a poor analogy -just about every trainer I know is working to return people to health using natural methods based around healthy living, good nutrition, and exercise. It's hardly thalidomide.

K. An extreme example perhaps, but you yourself said that its still in the experimental stages, it does look promising etc, but hardly proven in action as yet in any way G? I'm sure the consequences wont be as bad, but who really knows?

Once again, I don't believe discovery of knowledge to be the issue - rather the application of it. That certainly is the role of the PT.

K. agreed.

K. "Regarding hormonal effects my view on that is that our bodies have evolved over millions of years and are quite good at producing the required hormones as and when we need them, and that trying to trick the body into different hormonal reactions is also wrong, you may as well be injecting them."

G - This is a long way off the mark mate. One look around tells us we certainly aren't producing hormones as we should!! Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Cushings Syndrome, Addisons Disease, Chronic Fatigue, Stress, its ALL directly related to hormone dysfunction....and these are almost exclusively 20th century problems....Type 2 Diabetes for example used to be known as Adult Onset, not any more...!! And thats just the tip of the iceberg!! I think it is naive to think that our bodies are functioning the same as ever or are subject to the same stresses and demands. They just aren't...period.

K. No, clearly theyre not. but do you think that embracing new hi-tech & unproven equipment is a better approach to this than personal growth & lifestyle shift?

Do you think that the training YOU do with your clients doesn't have a positive effect on their hormones?? How else do you think they build muscle and lose weight???

K. Of course it does, but it will have been achieved all-naturally and as such comes with the all natural endorphin highs as well. And it fosters no reliance on hi-tech gadgetry, gyms or anything else, the client is made aware that they can and hopefully will end up doing this themselves without any expensive machinary, or indeed my help, and that hopefully one day, they will be loving it enough to do just that, and loving themselves for achieving it.

There is an immeasurable difference between injecting large amounts of synthetically produced hormones into the body for performance, rather than using a training modality to encourage the body to have a favourable hormonal response...I would of thought this to be basic physiology and think it is erroneous to compare the two.

Well I kind of take your point but where do you draw the line? theoretically say that one day someone builds a really good one, and it becomes known that WBV used in the right way can make a huge increase in performance for say TDF cyclists, but that ultimately it's likely bad for their bodies long term (as they will obviously abuse it's use for performance :) ..ethically, should it not then be included in the same category as doping? what would be the difference? technology messing with nature in both cases? oxygen tents overnight etc?

I see you train an Ironman Triathlete - an athletic population group for whom overtraining is a serious concern....guess what causes that??? Yup - hormones... either through the running down of the adrenals or hyperactivity of the thyroid. In short I think you should reconsider your position on the relevance of hormones. An awareness is very useful for training athletes or executives, of which you have both on your list.

Of course awareness is important, but it just comes back to personal choice I suppose, we try to steer people away from non-natural means as much as possible and don't really even advocate supplements unless there is clear and specific need.

K "However building machines to exercise us without doing any exercise, and trick our bodies into hormonal responses that are not natural is I believe wrong in principle, whether it works or not"

G - Again, I think you should try it before you are so dismissive. 'Trick' is a loaded word in this sentence that implies something different to the reality. It is no different to the hormonal 'trickery' produced by any other exercise session.

K. Possibly, possibly not. We dont really know for sure yet what it does, do we?

K. "And as an afterthought, if you’ve ever used any heavy vibro-machinery, jackhammers and the like, or even ridden a large single cylinder motorbike very far you would also be well aware of some of the negative effects vibration can cause."

G - This is best left as an afterthough. Closer inspection would reveal again a signficant difference between type/duration/frequency/amplitude/direction of the vibration. These have not been arrived at by accident. This again is a cynical argument used by those who wish to dismiss something before actually considering that there may be a rationale for it that seems to parallel with something detrimental. While they may share commonality, they do NOT share causality.

K. "In ten years time these people will quite likely be facing group action lawsuits over unforeseen side effects, for something that is basically unnecessary"

G - Highly unlikely, if for no other reason than the sheer impossibility of proof. I believe in presenting the evidence more objectively and letting people make their choices and then standing by your results.

K. If nothing else it will certainly be interesting to watch the evolution and debate over the subject as it explodes into the scene with all it's Celeb endorsements, see link MADONNA ..some interesting reading and wildly differing views in the comments on that article btw.

G. While I have stated over and over in previous posts and articles that I am all for simplicity of approach etc - if there is a modality that may significantly enhance ASPECTS of performance, or help SELECT population groups achieve comparable results in less time and with reduced joint loading, then this is worthy of consideration, if nothing else.

Just my thoughts on the issue mate.

6:58 PM

Graeme Marsh said...

Just one thing i thought I would add before dinner.

'Whole body vibration has the effect of enhancing gravitational load cues for muscle training and targeting of the local and weightbearing muscles and could be used as a 'warm-up' type activity prior to high load activities to heighten the response of the muscles.

There would likely be a reduced response of the non-weightbearing muscles to the stimulus that would have advantages for prevention and treatment of LOW BACK PAIN. In summary WBV would likely produce a positive effect from a motor control perspective for the prevention and treatment of LBP.'

G. Carloyn Richardson and Julie Hides -in Therapeutic Exercise for Lumbopelvic Stabilisation p232

G. Just because something doesn't have an entry on Wikipedia or The Healthy Skeptic, doesn't mean that many people aren't already using it with success, or that there is not a good reason for employing it.

K. Sorry have to disagree Graham, it means exactly that for me. As I'm not a medical specialist, nor working in research on the thing, if it's not in Wiki and doesnt pass the Skeptical test that's pretty much exactly what it means for me for the moment unless some radical new information should appear, when it may be time to re-assess.

I've met plenty of fat people who did a lot of jogging and crunches. I've also met people with severe back pain from an overzealous approach to abdominal work.

K. Of course, no-ones saying that jogging and crunches are the panacea for all ailments, just an indicator of a different mindset & approach

G. There is often more than one way to get results and I'm not sure you should be quite so dismissive of something that you haven't used, trained on, researched on, or physiologically experienced???

K. I suppose I've always been fairly outspoken about things I'm passionate about but that's also why I lean towards the skepticals approach as time has taught me that a healthy skeptiscm in life along with a positive attitude seems to be the winning approach.

and yes there are often many ways to get results, we have to choose our own path.

G. I think your sentiments are in many ways totally on the money, but in other ways are quite cynical and negative. :-))

K. Hehe, so, kind of totally on the money, in a cautious, skeptical kind of way? :) ..that's good because that's exactly what I'm aiming for ;)

Thanks as always for taking the time to contribute, your thoughts are most welcome. I'm sure the 3 people who read my blog have learnt absolutely loads :)

Kev

Live Chat

2007-07-23T12:33:00.000+02:00

We are demo-ing a new Live Chat Help facility for the Ibiza Personal Trainer / Tribiza company websites currently, and have also added it to the blog for increased user interactivity.

Please do feel free to try it out with all your questions & queries.

you'll see it over to the right above the pictures, and if it says "Chat Live", we are online this end. If it says Leave Message we are away but will receive any messages immediately we log in, and so you will queue jump the long lists of emails I usually find your messages in ;)

kevsta

Superfoods (1)

2007-07-23T11:17:00.000+02:00

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to run through a list of "Superfoods" for those of you not familiar with them already.

Those of you who know me and have worked under my guidance on your diets will know I am not an advocate of banning any specific food groups, just education, moderation & sensible choices. As far as I am concerned this is the only way to ensure long term success, i.e. by sticking to realistic sustainable eating patterns.

One easy way of doing this is to take something you currently eat, (say Pasta) and replace the main ingredient with a superfood. Today we are looking at Quinoa (pronounced Kin wah)

This is a true superfood in every way, and was what the Incas & Mayans built entire civilisations on. Its a rice-like kind of dish, (prepared the same way, only quicker)

"Quinoa is a true wonder food," says Daniel Fairbanks, Ph.D., a professor of plant and animal science at Brigham Young University. "It has about twice the protein of regular cereal grains, fewer carbohydrates, and even a dose of healthy fats." Plus, it's considered a "complete" protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle."

seek it out and replace your rice / pasta in your cooking with this immediately. The last great thing about it is, that with a little seasoning it actually tastes great too.

**on a personal note I was introduced to Quinoa last year whilst I was covering up to 100 miles a day on my (pedal) bike and up to 6 Client sessions a day, running with most if not all of them, doing up to 7 hours exercise myself per day, and can totally backup it's superfood status as during that 4 month period I had hardly an ache or pain at all, and when I did it was always gone by the next day. Obviously I cant attribute that entirely to the Quinoa, but it certainly didnt hurt :)

Vibration Training, & Healthy Skepticism, Real Benefits or Just Expensive Gimmick?

2007-07-22T15:33:00.000+02:00

Obviously as fitness professionals it's every Personal Trainer's job to keep abreast of trends & developments in the Fitness Industry, and to give responsible advice about said trends to our clients as necessary.

If you read magazines or visit Holmes Place type gyms & the like, you cannot fail to have heard more and more hype building, surrounding Vibration Training, ad seen Powerplates and the like being installed.

I've heard the claims regarding this supposed miraculous results available from vibration training, developed by NASA* ...blah blah blah and having been asked what I thought about it all last week decided to look into it.

So remembering the Healthy Skeptic's Standard Operating Procedures from 3 or 4 blog entries ago,

1) wiki it. and nothing much there.. only entry I can find is from a company who manufacture them and citations are still needed in the article to back up their claims.. uh oh...

2) JREF - consensus is thats it's mainly a gimmick, but that vibration is useful for people who cannot exercise. See JREF Post

so that would usually be the end of it for me. however, still curious & not wanting to miss out on anything new and good I dug a bit further.

and found what has now become the 3rd part of my research procedures This Article, along with several more from this excellent site, with the same name as my article (I honestly had no idea when I penned that) The Healthy Skeptic, which along with www.quackwatch.com (definitive register of "dodgy" practioners of "contraversial" medicine shall we say.. ) are excellent resources for people wanting to be able to find out the truth and see through all the new marketing hype and bullpoo.

The Healthy Skeptic finished the article with..

"Just like any fad or gimmick, there will always be people who are willing to sell these WBV gadgets to unsuspecting members of the buying public. This equipment is very expensive and ineffective and has been marketed in a dishonest manner. When it comes to WBV equipment the phrase “buyer beware” should be modified to “buyer stay away.”

Ok, so thats the final nail in the lid as far as I'm concerned but I'm very glad I gave it a final lookover as the 2 sites I discovered are absloute gems. :)

Ok, vibration training, over and out ;)

kevsta

please excuse the skepticism over the NASA claims it's an old favourite from people trying to push something dodgy, i.e. "that it was developed for astronauts etc, as though this is in anyway relevant to training here on earth.. - "specific adaptation" rule anyone?

This Week..

2007-07-20T14:48:00.000+02:00

Hi all.

...Ok, this week has been one of those hectic ones that's left me feeling quite drained, mainly, because if I'm honest Monday was one of my best friend's birthdays and this individual is known for partying pretty hard. Those of you who know us will know who I'm talking about here.

So we got started with his b'day celebrations in earnest last Saturday at an all day villa party where he lives in San Joan, followed by the Portinatx Festival (Full blown rave on the beach with huge sound system, lasers & 2000+ attendees) where we stayed until 5am.

I then had 2 sessions on Sunday afternoon and afterwards we all went to Space in the early evening and were there until 4am Monday.

Monday daytime I had sessions from 8am all day until about 4pm where I met back up with the guys at Atzaro and we sauna-d, swam and generally lazed about until Penelope Cruz's new fashion launch party started up all around us at 9pm.

The Fashion TV Presenter & pro model hosting the event came over to say Hi (she's a friend, my girlfriend works with her and models for Ibiza Angels along with her) and filled us in on the goings on.

Tempted as we were to just stay there all night, (because there was no way you'd get back in past all the security & press at the front once we left) we werent dressed for it at all and so after a couple of hours of enjoying being inside one of the most talked about events of the month in swimming shorts and vests, and surrounded by the world's fashion elite, we eventually conceded and left.

Tuesday Sessions all day and sleep at every opportunity inbetween.

Wednesday we were up and at Santa Eulalia Marina at 7am to go out on a friend's boat, waterski-ing. Unfortunately I seem to have picked up a slight injury to my left knee so I thought better of ski-ing myself and just stuck to driving the boat for the experts, and frankly that was enough fun for me at 7am tbh :) It was absolutely beautiful out there with the sea dead calm and flat, apart from our charging around and splashing it up, hopefully this is to be a regular thing from now on though, so watch out for spectacular wipeout videos from next week onwards...

Then sessions from 10am to 4pm where when I promptly flaked out cold on the sofa with an icepack on my knee for a couple of hours, pretty much until bedtime.

Thursday up for early sessions and then on and off all day again, barbecue at another fabulous villa belonging to a friend but left early because of a 5am airport run on Friday morning to drop a friend and superb (tri) athlete off who has been staying with us, training in Ibiza etc on his way back home to the Caribbean, St Croix in the Virgin Islands to be precise.

Exercise-wise this week I'm at:

approx 4 & 1/2 hours running with clients
6 hours cycling (one of it with aforementioned triathlete friend who totally annihilated me)
4 boxing kickboxing sessions on pads with clients
the usual assortment of demo-ing, core work etc

the knee's nearly back to full strength with just the occasional twinge now and next week is even busier with 2 more travelling clients returning.

PS. Can I say to Hi to all my clients who've made this week a good one (you know who you are ;) and encourage you to confirm session times ASAP from now until end August because it's pretty manic now and late-comers are unfortunately going to be disappointed.

See you all soon :)

kevsta

Ten Reasons to Fire your Personal Trainer

2007-07-17T16:22:00.000+02:00

I liked this article, originally published here all valid points. my comments in red

1. Your trainer frequently cancels appointments or is chronically late

Emergencies happen to everyone and it's inevitable that some appointments may get cancelled. But if you've noticed your trainer cancelling more appointments than he's keeping or is always late (without making up the time), have a talk with him and tell him your concerns. If he doesn't make some changes or acknowledge his mistakes, it may be time to move on.

in Ibiza life is hectic particularly during the summer, and often things change or happen beyond your control. I generally run with one of two systems with them, I'll ask clients on first meeting if cancellations / changes etc are likely, and can be relaxed about it as long as they reciprocate in return when things arent going my way.

If they need me to be there on time every time, thats fine and I can commit to that (excepting acts of god, car breakdowns in the mountains etc) however I will expect the same from them and cancellation fees apply.

2. Your trainer doesn't return phone calls or emails

Your trainer isn't just supposed to be there during your sessions, she should also be there if you have questions or problems outside of your scheduled appointments. Communication is key, whether you're setting appointments or asking questions about workouts. If your trainer isn't responding, talk to her and ask for a reasonable response time (say 24-48 hours). If you're still not getting what you need, it might be time to move on.

absolutely, this is rude and unprofessional, dont tolerate it, full stop.

3. Your trainer doesn't give you his full attention

If your trainer interrupts your workouts to talk to his buddies in the gym, take random phone calls or just doesn't pay attention to you during workouts, that's an issue that needs to be discussed right away. Sometimes interruptions are inevitable and not every trainer is going to be at his best all the time...but, if you feel like you're being ignored, talk to him about it. He may not be aware there's a problem. If he doesn't change his behavior, you may need to find another trainer.

4. Your trainer doesn't respond to your feedback

A personal training relationship is really a collaboration - she sets up workouts and then changes them according to what you need and how things feel. If your trainer isn't doing that or has you doing suspiciously harebrained workouts (like working the same one or two muscle groups every session or never changing anything), tell her your concerns. Giving feedback is the only way she can change things. If she doesn't make those changes, it may be time to find a new trainer.

I have often watched other trainers working the same routines with wildly different clients, taking no notice of clients requests or feedback whatsoever. In fairness, some of our job is to get clients to do things they may not like much, but refusal to take your views on board, adapt and modify progams etc is not personal training, its an exercise class. you may as well get a video to do it to

5. Your trainer pushes questionable supplements

You may find that some health clubs and their trainers sell supplements and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, you should always talk to your doctor about any supplements before taking them, especially if you're on any other medication which may be affected by other supplements. If your trainer pushes you to buy something you're not sure about, let him know your concerns. This may not be a firing offense, but make sure he understands where you're coming from.

we try not to use supplements generally, as if everythings going well you don't really need them, and should ideally be able to obtain the nutrients you need though your natural diet. however there may be certain circumstances where they may be beneficial, we would always discuss the subject neutrally and leave the decision to the client.

6. Your trainer diagnoses injuries or illnesses

Your trainer can do a lot of things - set up workouts, teach you how to exercise and even listen to you vent about your crazy boss. What she can't do is diagnose any injuries or illnesses (unless she's also a doctor). It's fine to talk to your trainer about any problems you're having and she may be able to give you general advice, but she should always refer you to a doctor. And if she urges you to work through any pain that doesn't feel right, that's a no-no as well.

depending on your trainer's particular experience we may well be able to tell you what in all liklihood you have injured and good rest / rehab practices etc, but illnesses and serious enough injuries would always be referred to the relevant experts.

7. You don't get along

Much of a good personal training relationship is about personalities, so it won't always be a match made in heaven. If you prefer a more vocal trainer who will push you very hard but end up with a more laid-back trainer, it's fine to tell him what you're looking for. He may be able to give you what you need or, if not, recommend a trainer that will better fit your needs.

absolutely.

if I were ever to find myself in this situation, I would be discussing it with the client, and work on ways to address the issues, otherwise this may become one of the few reasons where I would consider firing a client. To get the best from this relationship for you, the client, there needs to be an understanding and trust. if it's not there, you would be better of with a trainer with which you can develop an effective working relationship.

8. Your trainer acts inappropriately

Personal training can be an intimate relationship. Your trainer knows your measurements, your weight, your food fears...that can create an open environment, which is good. But you should always feel comfortable around your trainer. If he makes a pass at you or she flirts a little too much, make your feelings known and ask that you keep the relationship professional. If it's too uncomfortable, you may need to move on.

again, agreed absolutely. you and your trainer will have a close working relationship, and if you are not comfortable with their manner or professionalism, find another.

9. You feel you're being taken advantage of

Most trainers are good, decent people but there will always be a few out there looking to make a quick buck. If you feel your trainer cuts your workouts short on a regular basis or is charging you more than you agreed on, sit down and discuss the problem...it may be a simple misunderstanding. If it isn't, you may want to find another trainer.

10. You're ready to go out on your own

Of course, not all personal training relationship have to end because of bad things. At some point, most clients do decide to try things on their own and that's actually a good thing. Don't be afraid to tell your trainer when you're ready to move on...if she's an experienced trainer, she'll respect that and help you figure out how to make the transition to exercising on your own.

If a client wants me to train them purely to make sure that it definitely gets done, I have no real objection to long term training, as long as theyre putting in the committment.

mostly however, we do recognise that using a trainer can be a significant cost, and with that in mind our ideal clients would usually just borrow our motivation and expertise until they have grown to love it enough themselves to continue alone.

this is usually somewhere between 3 & 9 months and nothing pleases me more than to see a client catch the bug and progress to training themselves effectively. its the ultimate satisfaction of a job well done.

and after all we're always only a phone call away if they want to progress or overcome a plateau further down the line.

over and out.

kev

Health & Skepticism

2007-07-14T14:04:00.000+02:00

Lately we have been discussing various subjects that can cause controversy and I quite often state things with strong confidence. I would like to clarify how I come to my sometimes seemingly opinionated conclusions if not based on personal experience of the matter.

Standard Skeptical Procedures.

1) Wikipaedia it. although not the be-all-and-end-all Wikipaedia is pretty good for a quick and generally accurate overview on the subject matter.

2) if still not convinced either way, firstly search on, and then post on the subject at the acknowledged expert skeptics forum JREF or the James Randi Educational Foundation, http://forums.randi.org

for anyone not aware of James Randi's work he is a scientist who runs an educational foundation, which amongst other things offer an open challenge and $1million reward for anyone who can prove any paranormal skills whatsoever. Please see text below from their website..

At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event.

The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place.

All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test.

Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the "applicant" becomes a "claimant."

To date, no one has ever passed the preliminary tests.

The JREF forums however cover almost all aspects of science and pseudo-science and will likely have discussed your topic in great detail at some point. Bear in mind that the majority of regular posters on the forum are from the highest level of academia and are usually experts in their fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, biology & philosophy, this is not your average forum.

3) in the unlikely event you are not able to get a satisfactory answer from these two sources, then consider any other research available. However, as always, please do always bear in mind that "new research" is nearly always sponsored by a commercial interest, and that if it hasnt make Wiki or JREF yet, it is unlikely to be of much substance.

Example...

BodyTalk™ (Sales blurb..) What is BodyTalk™?

BodyTalk™ is an exciting and effective form of energy medicine fusing the best of eastern and western medicine and the ancient and most cutting edge.

The Benefits

BodyTalk™ has proven to be very effective in addressing many common diseases such as:

arthritis and general musculo-skeletal disorders
emotional and psychological problems
poor immune system functioning
sugar metabolism disorders
allergies
chronic viruses and infections
dyslexia

How Does BodyTalk™ Work?

Our energy systems can become unsynchronized as the result of stress, viruses, bacteria, parasites, environmental factors, emotional and physical trauma.

The BodyTalk™ System is a holistic therapy that uses resynchronization of energy flow and communication to enable the body's systems to function at optimum levels. By focusing the brain's attention and the immune system on the areas that are a health priority, the body’s natural healing process is rapidly accelerated.

The BodyTalk™ System is a combination of advanced hatha yoga, advaitic philosophy, modern physics, mathematics, the energy dynamics of acupuncture, the clinical findings of applied kinesiology and Western medical expertise

The BodyTalk™ System uses information from the body's innate wisdom (intuitive awareness, inner knowledge), accessed through neuromuscular biofeedback and follows a scientific questioning protocol, to locate areas of the body that are a health priority. Various BodyTalk™ re-synchronizing techniques are then used to balance the areas specified by the body as a health priority.

How can BodyTalk™ help you?

The BodyTalk™ System resynchronizes communication within the body-mind complex. It is simple, safe, non-invasive and fast. It is effective. It will change the way you look at health care forever. It is a form of therapy that allows the body’s energy systems to be synchronized so they can operate as nature intended.

Sounds pretty good doesnt it? :)

1) Wikipaedia - NO ENTRY. uh oh.

2) JREF http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=43703&highlight=bodytalk

"Notice how the first lines of a woowoo website always look similar to this:

Quote: WHAT IS BODYTALK? The BodyTalk System is a revolutionary new health care paradigm being used by thousands of people around the world.

You will never see genuine medical practices being "advertised" like that.

i.e. What is Insulin? It's a healthcare treatment used by millions of people around the world.

Instead you'll actually see explained what insuline really is, how it works, etc... instead of a typical vague and empty but impressive sounding sales pitch quietly urging you not to look to deep."

ok, yet more salesy fad bullshit designed to get your money from you. my interpretation of this would be stay well clear, it's fundamentally a wallet draining exercise.

as always comments experiences welcome by all the usual channels

Metabolic Types & Metabolic Typing Diets

2007-07-14T12:28:00.001+02:00

Hi all. I've been asked 3 times this week what I think of "metabolic typing" diets.

I'm not an expert on this, but always apply my usual brand of scepticism to anything that requires you to pay a hefty consultation fee to begin with, and haven't as yet been able to find anyone offering to do the consultation without asking for upwards of £200 for the privilege.

From the perspective of a working Personal Trainer I can see why many are looking for some individual USP (unique Selling Point) or "edge" over their competition, and often go to great length & cost to get themselves certified in something other trainers don't have. To me this would appear to be one of those scenarios.

In principle, as with so many fad type diets it sounds reasonable enough. in practise however a few things ring alarm bells about this with me. Firstly please have a look at the wikipaedia entry for it, shown in the link, and below http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_typing as always I have highlighted what I feel to be the important factors to consider as well as their "evidence" in red.

Metabolic typing - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Metabolic typing is the term for a diet based upon the concept that people have unique metabolisms, and that therefore the nutrients and their balance which are appropriate for one person may be inappropriate for a second, and detrimental for a third.

Proponents of metabolic typing claim that different populations have different types of metabolism, and that diets should be tailored to reflect these purported differences. Metabolic typing claims to use common visible symptoms related to the skin, eyes, and other superficial parts of the body to assess different aspects of a persons metabolism and categorize them into broad metabolic types. In addition, some proponents of metabolic typing use controversial or unproven tests such as hair analysis to determine a person's "metabolic type".[1]

A number of somewhat different "metabolic typing" diet plans are currently marketed by a number of entrepreneurs. The validity and effectiveness of metabolic typing have not been established.[2]

Background

Metabolic typing was introduced by William Donald Kelly, a dentist, in the 1960's. Kelley advocated basing dietary choices on the activity of one's sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. In 1970, Kelley was convicted of practicing medicine without a license, as he had diagnosed a patient with lung cancer based on a fingerstick blood test and prescribed nutritional therapy. He continued to promote a metabolic typing diet through the 1980's.[3]

Effectiveness

Although metabolic typing diets have been promoted to patients with cancer, the American Cancer Society states that:

There is no convincing clinical evidence that supports the claims made for metabolic therapy or any of its components. Some aspects of metabolic therapy may in fact be harmful.[4]

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center website notes that "...retrospective reviews of the Gerson, Kelley, and Contreras metabolic therapies show no evidence of efficacy."[5]

Some metabolic typing companies use a battery of established blood and urine tests performed by reputable laboratories, but interpret the results in an unconventional and medically unsound fashion.[2] During a 1985 investigation into one such firm, an investigator sent 2 separate samples of blood and urine for analysis; he received 2 drastically different "metabolic typing" reports and dietary plans. Both plans involved the purchase of dietary supplements costing several dollars per day.[2]

So clearly, with this, and anything else that involves special tests costing lots of money, skeptisicm would appear to be the healthy way forwards, for both your body & your wallet.

As always, few Trainers looking for some edge over their competition will jump in head-first and start spouting it as fact, ..from the website of one, and stated as such...

"The Benefits of Metabolic Typing:

Achieve and maintain your ideal weight
Eliminate sugar cravings
Enjoy sustained energy and endurance
Conquer indigestion, fatigue and allergies
Bolster your immune system
Overcome anxiety, depression and mood swings"

a) The same tired old fad diet promises you get with every new book or system trying to sell their product. It must also be remembered that this is not new, but was once. These diests tend to swing in and out of fashion and can re-emerge decades later for another go at your money.

b) The tests are based on "an online-questionaire" which then generates a 25 page report about your metabolism and requires several coaching sessions to then explain to you the results of the software.

c) this particular trainer only appears to offer the service as part of a course of treatments costing £130 per month, for a minimum of 6 months.

hmm. 3 distinct warnings to me. my skeptical nature sounds warnings whenever I hear something proposed as the magical answer to all your problems, both perceived and real, as rarely in life is this the case. Very occasionally t'is true, but rarely in practice. An online questionaire. ...hmm. no blood tests, and results based purely on subjective answers given by client. not exactly reliable? High cost.

In summary I would advise that as with all faddy type approaches, a healthy suspicion and /or wide berth is required. These things always sound reasonable enough, but I always think you have to look at the motives behind them, and although it may sound like it could be grounded in common sense, so many of the fad diets do, what would make this one any more correct than the Blood Type Diet for example? similar principles and reasoning?

You always have to remember that in order to make themselves stand out and have a strong new sales point for their gimmick, they have to make it sound reasonable in order to get your hard-earned off you..

If anyone has had amazing success with this, when all other approaches have failed, please do let me know? ..And if you could also let me know why in your opinion the other approaches have failed where this one succeeded, I would be very grateful.

thats all for now, enjoy your weekend...

kevsta

VIDEO - functional strength at it's best. wow!

2007-07-11T22:25:00.000+02:00

if you can do this, you probably dont need our services. its not me in the video unfortunately but I'm working on it ;)

the great debate ..approaching resolution?

2007-07-11T11:38:00.000+02:00

The debate continued. My latest comments in red, Graeme Marsh's in white. The white italics are my previous comments Graeme is responding to.

I am always one for debate....and the latest one I am enjoying is on the issues of diet and food...this entertaining and enjoyable discussion actually highlights to me the great confusion that the public at large must feel when trying to work out what the heck to actually put in their mouths!! Bombarded by low-fat this and 'omega-enriched' that, it must be a perplexing situation to try and work out what is good for you and what is not...

So, while trying to counter a few of my colleagues comments - I hope that we can clear the waters rather than muddy them...

Firstly, i must say that humour and amusement are important - it seems too many fitness professionals are trying to make a buck out of putting others down - belittling their methodology and challenging their results from their ivory towers...

Secondly, the guiding principle in fitness is that there is always more than one way to go about things - the research doesn't help either - for every study refuting "high-protein diets there is another supporting them...

agreement reached, absolutely, about both humour in life, the internet, there being multiple ways to kill cats and putting too much faith in the latest studies.. a landmark, surely.. ? :)

The truth is that a lot of us are arguing over the same thing - we just go about it in different ways...I am not an adovocate of energy balance equations or calorie counting - too rigid for long-term adherence (do you count everything you eat everyday?? man, where do you get the time???), anyway - i shop online so checking the packets is out the window as well! It's a miracle if the right stuff turns up!!

this is a little simplified IMO, the packets will all have their nutritional content written on them. If you are ale to choose the right, healthy choices online you are definitely able to see what it is you're eating when it gets there. But more importantly you would likely already know approximately from your "learning curve" period.

So, lets look at some of my blog posters comments and see if we can't reach an agreement for those of you who are getting more confused by the minute....

" K. Thermic effect is of course a relatively insignificant amount in comparison to overall consumption, and I would still maintain that if you consumed those 100 calories from chicken breast, over and above your actual calorific expenditure every day for a month, you would be approx 1lb of fat heavier at the end of the month. The point being that ultimately what you eat may well make it easier for you to cope, and to not over-eat, but that the underlying reason you succeed with this approach is that you do not overeat above your energy requirements. Would you agree?"

hehe well I've had a cheeky look at your blog and wouldn't be surprised if you had a low subscapular skinfold as it seems from your argument that you might be someone who tolerates carbohydrate fairly easily...personally a bowl of porridge in the morning for breakfast will have me asleep at 9a.m and rob me of all energy needed to train!!!

A Slight exageration surely Graeme? :) otherwise i'd get yourself checked for narcolepsy

Porridge would have some protein from the milk, plenty of fibre and about 4 hours worth of tricklefeed energy. wars have been fought & countries have been built on it.

It isn't just about thermic effect though, the point is that we all differ in our ability to deal with different types of food and although i agree that the energy balance situation still remains fundamentally correct - we can sway the equation hugely by our choice of foods...We must also consider that when I want someone to lose weight (or reduce calories) I need to combat their urge to eat more and the constant hunger that comes from a high-carb/low-cal diet....Now, as for the 1lb argument, I think if you took 100 people and fed them with 100 extra calories of protein and then took 100 people and fed them 100 extra calories of sugar over a month you would see some fairly interesting results and my money would be on the chicken breast people to be on the up side of those...

I personally would bet on equal results, given the same intake figures, as if its easier for the body to use the overfed protein & not convert it to excess energy, then the excess would just be stored from energy from food eaten before the 100cals of chicken?

..or are you saying that protein cannot be deposited as excess energy in the form of adipose fat? ..My understanding is that it can, even it is if a little more inconvenient for the body. If you simply excrete it through then that would be an answer, but surely cardboard would do much the same thing, without making you try to digest too much of it either? ..much cheaper than buying protein, so perhaps there's a solution for low income obesity cases? :)

to take it one step further, what if you fed 200 NIDDM patients on a restricted diet, one low-carb and one high-carb??? Well guess what, studies show that although they might both lose weight, the low-carb group showed significantly better results in blood chemistry and other measures....here is what they said in their discussion alone....

The short-term effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets for weight reduction is well established [2-6]. Weight reduction is primarily caused by decreased caloric intake [2-6] although decreased energy efficiency has also been found [7]. A high-starch, high-carbohydrate diet excessively stimulates appetite and disturbs energy balance in patients with the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes [8]. A reduction of carbohydrates normalises the balance, reduces insulin concentrations and favours utilization of stored fat as fuel as well as significantly reducing insulin resistance [8]. Weight loss in overweight persons is improved by a higher proportion of protein, presumably due to protein's effect on satiety and/or metabolic efficiency [7,9-11]. A reduction in carbohydrates for patients with type 2 diabetes effectively reduces both fasting and postprandial glucose as well as HbA1c. These effects can be independent of weight loss [8,12,13].

Nielsen JV, Jonsson E, Nilsson AK: Lasting improvement of hyperglycaemia and bodyweight: low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes.
Ups J Med Sci 2005, 110(2):179-83.

Agreed, however this study is a special group of people who already have diabetes and or blood sugar level maintenance problems.

I would counter with this from Charles Remington via PPOnline & Sports Injury Bulletin. Charles actually uses reduced carbs on cycles to lose weight but always from a position of knowing your figures, and hence exactly how much reduce by..

Cycle fat-burning days with recovery days

The secret to losing fat without losing muscle starts with not being too aggressive or extreme with your reduction of carbohydrates. You need carbohydrate management, not carbohydrate elimination. Over the last 12 years, with more than 10,000 clients, I have found that by reducing carbohydrates by 20% of daily needs and within 48 hours replenishing the glycogen in the muscle by eating 100% of daily carbohydrate requirements, allows for fat loss,without muscle loss. In essence you have two fat burning days, then a recovery day. By doing this you will have the best of both worlds. You will experience fat loss that averages between 1 to 2 pounds weekly, while muscles are being well fed. You never drastically deplete the glycogen stores in the muscle, so athletic performance is not affected like it would be on a low carbohydrate diet.

he summarises with..
Final thoughts
Long-term success at managing weight starts with the right approach. If you are overweight, the real problem is that you have too much body fat for how much muscle you possess. A body composition solution is needed, not just a weight-loss diet. Your goal should be to lose fat without losing muscle or sacrificing your health in the process.
To maintain your results, your eating habits must develop lifelong character. Low carbohydrate diets provide initial weight loss, but at the cost of losing muscle and reducing metabolism. They are inadequate sources of fuel to support exercise activity, which is vital in maintaining good health. The risks to your long-term health make low carbohydrate diets poor solutions for lifelong weight management.

Just another view I know, but based on long experience, and not any banning of specific foodgroups, as is my own.

So, while your point may ring true in principle, it is a little redundant as an appreciation of what we eat is central to understanding its effects on the body. So, calorie counting in my mind is less needed on a lower carb diet as it is significantly harder to overeat, helps balance blood sugar better, improves insulin sensitivity, lowers triglycerides, and is better suited to the larger share of the population.

Now I'm too tired to trawl for more research on the matter, but you can see from the recent above study where I am coming from and why the CONTENT of a diet is SO SO IMPORTANT!!

Graham I have never disputed that content is not important?

My own diet is finely tuned on hard training weeks, and made up much like yours, except I would also have bread, pasta, rice etc and wouldn't dream of banning entire food sources, only instead choosing the healthier options from them. I dont need to count calories either, as I now have a fundamental awareness of whether I am ontrack, over or under that day, and can balance it out over the week if required because I am relaxed enough about it to go over when social conditions leave no alternative.

The only point I am set on making is that after all else, there is no escape from the energy balance equation, so better we learn to live in harmony with it than always be guessing.

This is not a difficult thing to do long term (4+ years now for me, and many successful convertees as far as at their 3+ year point) and to someone who likes carbs, long-term I would assert that it's much harder to ban them altogether, than to accept you are going to eat them and build them into your balanced diet?

However, I have seen great results from clients of mine who go to WeightWatchers so as Donald 'Duck" Dunn says in the Blues Brothers - "If the shit fits, wear it!!!"

yea, again, agreed. some people are always going to be too lazy to do their own work and would rather pay a company £5 per week to be weighed than sit down and get to grips with the simple fundamental principles of how their body works, and how to fuel it. ..after all it's not important to understand it, is it? ..we've got several more when we've wrecked this one..? ;)

So, onto the next point....are you enjoying it so far?? LOL

very much so.. :)

"K. I’m certainly not here to defend huge piles of calorie-rich creamy pasta or pizzas, only to point out that whether it is a calorie of carbs from an apple, or from white sugar, it is just a glucose molecule when it crosses into the gut. The main factor apart from its energy value then is it’s GI value and how fast it gets to the bloodstream and how that then affects the rest of your activity & consumption that day. It is still just a calorie however, and if you need it for energy because you haven’t had quite enough that day, it will also be burnt just the same. If that one isn’t, another fat molecule somewhere will be. I am aware of no other way out of the physics for it to go."

O.K I am going to use your own analogy here of the bank account...saying that a calorie is just a calorie is a bit like saying money is just money. Only problem is that last time I checked they don't accept Rubels down at my local Tesco's....you got to get the right currency to match the body's needs....

hehe, well yes, but what does the body actually need? sorry to labour the point, but we basically need enough protein for the physical demands we make on our bodies, some essential fats, and all the important vitamins and minerals. assume that's all supplied, then all the rest is just an energy requirement? surely a nice slow trickle-feed on energy from wholegrain type carbs, with plenty fibre etc will do just fine? - just as long as there's not too much of it, everything will be hunk dory.

I could go on for some time on this line but will keep it straightforward. Reduce calories and you stand a good shout of someone losing weight, but by ignoring the actual content you have a whole load of knock on effects on the rest of the factors such as retention of muscle mass, insulin metabolism (this is a major concern as nearly everyone overweight has problems with their blood sugar), feed candida and other fungal growth, cravings and hunger, and many other problems....

You keep saying "ignoring content", I have never once said that G. All I am in strong disagreement with really is the outright banning of any healthy foodgroup, unless it's something the individual cannot digest or deal with ok.

Rather than just looking at GI , I prefer to look at the glycemic load, for example if something is low on the Glycemic Index, but contains almost exclusively carbs (ie wholewheat spaghetti) then it is likely to have a higher glycemic load and affect blood sugar negatively. Lets not forget the other nutritional needs here such as Fibre, B-Vitamins, minerals, and EFA's...all essential for metabolism and long-term health.

Would not your wholegrain pasta almost always also include some protein, (milk in sauces, meat, fish etc) some fats, butter milk etc? ..It certainly wouldnt be very hard for me to give up just plain boiled pasta

So, conclusion....ignore the content of your food at your peril....watch calories but for weight loss, but for promoting better health and a better physique, watching what you eat is EQUALLY as important. in regards to your previous email on what athletes eat - I'm pretty sure the content of their meals is higher up the agenda than the actual calorie count. in fact, many athletes eat terribly and benefit hugely from finding the right kind of foods to improve their performance. So, onto the next one....hope you are still all awake there...

In conclusion, agreed with provisos. always look to eat healthier, natural, less processed and refined etc. Preferably raw foods if possible. If carbs dont actually agree with you, then reducing them is a way to reduce overall calories, which is the only real way to guarantee weight loss.

re Athletes nutrition some of the hardest core mofos I know eat everything and anything in their quest to actually get enough down to sustain their output rates. healthy, unhealthy whatever. "bugger, i only got to 4250 today, am supposed to be on 5250, that's another 1/3 of a lb gone." :) ...This is not what I would / do advise them to do btw, just a matter of living in the real world and eating whats there at the time.

"K. Do you disagree that if done properly, calorie counting would work for all? IME the reason it doesn’t work for some is that they do take a too obsessive approach, fail a few times and then it all goes out the window. far from lifelong, it should not be an obsessive thing at all, just an awareness of what you should be having, and what you are. You only need to take a close-ish look for a couple of weeks max, and then you can pretty much forget all about it, because you then know your own parameters."

Hmmmmmmm correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't this exactly my point???? An awareness of what you're having doesn't come from memorising the calorie count of everything in your friendly neighbourhood Costcutters! It comes from understanding what TYPES of food you can eat a plenty and stay at a healthy weight with.

we are again getting close to agreement again here but with important distinctions. If you were to do my 2 week process, analyse exactly the content (including all protein, fats, carbs & fibres) as well as the energy, you would have an even better understanding of your exact situation, and in that time it would become so second nature that youre able to both know what youre eating is both healthy, and also leaves room for another 1000 cals (or whatever) spread across the rest of your daily input.

personally i would never have been happy taking blanket advice about cutting carbs to lose weight, because it would not have worked long term for me, however educating myself as to both content & energy of food works extremely well.

btw I had a similar discussion with my g/friend a few weeks ago, about how counting is neurotic as she eats very well (lifetime veggie) etc. she bit the bullet, did it for 2 weeks, ascertained that her cals were as we thought pretty much bang on (you can tell this from looking at her) however, only close analysis of what & how much she was eating revealed what is possibly a lifelong protein deficiency. (I advised her to eat much more protein Graham, you'll be happy to know :)

This would never have come up if we hadnt looked in detail, and she'd been just trying to "cut out carbs" ? do you see my point that only close analysis of your actual habits until you understand fully, is the only way to be sure?

This is why people like WeightWatchers, no calories, just points. It is a bit of a halfway house between dedicated calorie counting and simply eating the right foods for your body...I do in fact disagree because of the practicalities of counting calories and matching them to an ESTIMATED figure..

well, with the right formulae and operator input the estimation will be pretty accurate, and importantly highlight the low limits, so as not to be putting yourself in starvation mode, which you could easily do by randomly cutting out your usual carb based meals and substituting various random healthy things. How do you know you've replaced adequately?

..although i do agree that total food/calorie content does need to be monitored to be either sufficient for weight loss, or equally for weight gain.

hehe, ... Finally....

Right, so onto the next one......damn this is looking like a late night....

"K. I’m also sure you’re aware just how rife the use of steroids has now become by bodybuilders and indeed the public to some extent in gyms in the UK, and we’re talking about the mainstream high street chain gyms there too, not just the old bouncer’s & bodybuilder’s gyms where it’s always been the practice. You will have course have come across some very un,healthy bodybuilders in your time Graham? ..as have I.All I meant was that given your average bodybuilder, or your average 100m sprinter, who would you expect to be in better health and a better role model for public nutrition?"

Well given the level of steroid and general substance abuse in top sport - I'd say neither. Naming no names but Ben Johnson, Dwain Chambers, Marion Jones, Linford Christie, Justin Gatlin etc (just off the top of my head as couldn't remember the name of that Greek chap) are a few 100m sprinters who do not echo the sentiment in your point.....at least bodybuilders admit to it!! I am SO sick of fitness 'gurus, experts etc' citing some steroid taking genetic freak as a justification for their latest exercise programme and I think it is incredibly naive and unfair to think that bodybuilding is the only sport where there is substance abuse...I don't see people on the stationary bikes in the gym getting lampooned for the drug abuse in that sport!!!!

yea, ok, fair point I suppose. theyre all at it. I suppose my gripe with bodybulders is a more fundamental problem with them calling :

a) it a "sport"
b) themselves "athletes"

anything they do which is for appearances only (everything) and blatent and unapologetic use of steriods, in the full knowledge of the problems it will cause later in life for what is essentially vanity. good examples for our young and easily influenced.. NOT.

it could all be solved if instead of "poses" they had to compete at high output levels on stage. oh that's powerlifting isnt it? :) have no problem at all with that.

As for good role models for public health, well in between the Size Zero debate and everything else it is a little hard to tell so I'm going to take the fifth amendment on that one and move on....

"K. Would you not agree that a balanced athlete’s diet is formulated soley for optimum health & performance and that this is also a good general model to aim at for the general public, clients etc?"

Yes, of course, but aren't you making a bit of an assumption that every top athlete eats a 60/30/10 diet rich in carbohydrates and low in protein and fat, such as that you advocate???? I'd say you are my friend....I'd also say that just about any fitness competitor, who is a professional at getting lean and usually lives incredibly healthy lives, would take issue with the claim that calorie counting is more important than actual food content....next!

I think I covered this in the last one, of course they would take issue. no-ones saying it's the only important thing, just that if you get everything else healthy, but get that wrong, you wont lose weight. as i said before, unfortunately, and ultimately, the buck does stop there.

"K. some (many) years ago I was also consuming too much protein for a while, it made my hair greasy, my skin horribly spotty, it also gave me constipation & bad breath. That seemed research enough for me at the time, as obviously these were just the visible effects. And because there have been no real scientific papers published into the various health effects of too much protein consumption surely that does not mean it’s a good thing? Is not too much of anything wrong? ..surely "everything in moderation" is the better way forward? Also to my slightly sceptical mind proving this would be a bad thing for the huge supplements industry? Hence I doubt there’s too much interest in doing & publishing that."

Hmmmm what about the agriculture industry then??? Or are they all sweet and innocent??

No, of course, theyre all at it too, and we have to really try to do our best to see through all the murk.

Hard to be selectively sceptical....Hell , the food pyramid was devised by the US Department of Agriculture not that of health!! Yes, I agree with you again....I DO NOT advocate Atkins type approaches please know this....you will notice in my very first post the words fruit and unlimited Veg in my "IN" column!! So, moving on, nearly done now....

"K. You see, personally I have a deep mistrust of “intolerances”, as it would seem do a lot of the medical profession. There are certainly some real cases, but there are an awful lot more who are jumping on the latest bandwagon (and charging or getting charged handsomely for the privilege) to allow them to point the finger at something else for their nutritional failures to date. A lot of medical opinion also seems to agree."

I agree Kev, and am equally sceptical of those who seem to blame everything on some sort of intolerance. However, the society we live in is changing and we also have to be open that new problems are being caused in our bodies by the food we eat and the ground it comes from. This is a new but not unfounded point of view led by some incredibly sharp medical minds. Now, when you say medical I assume you mean doctors, or national health type practitioners. Unfortunately I feel strongly that we should no further invest our trust in these people (given the 6000 people who died in hospital of MRSA last year) than we should holistic health practitioners, many of whom are in better health than the average doctor! I have seen first hand how doctors deal with nutritional problems, in an environment that was both heart breaking and totally devastating for me personally, so please do not tell me that the medical industry are any closer to solving the problems!

"K. Anita Bean’s book, it’s obviously not the forefront of scientific research, it’s just a very well written, very easy to read and a good balanced overview of the generally accepted approach to nutrition, which is equally applicable to the general public as it's based supplying on your own individual needs correctly."

I'll conceed it is a good read, but as Mike Boyle told me "Do not read only what you believe or believe only what you read".......food for thought.....

"K. I am sure he is, he looks the picture of health, but I would also be relatively confident that whatever his dietary makeup, to look and perform at high output Luke consumes daily, approximately his calorific requirements, or just slightly less, on average. is this incorrect?

Of course, but he doesn't do it by counting calories, and most certainly does not maintain his physique and training without a healthy regard for WHAT he eats, in comparison to HOW MANY calories he eats. He is a perfect example of how 60% carbohydrates are TOTALLY NOT NECESSARY for people to be lean and healthy.

"K. some years ago I was also consuming too much protein for a while, it made my hair greasy, my skin horribly spotty, it also gave me constipation & bad breath. That seemed research enough for me at the time, as obviously these were just the visible effects"

Well thats hardly enough to get me back on the high carb bandwagon mate, you'll notice my piece is not called "no carb" or "high protein" simply "low carb" and thats exactly what it is.....a way of eating based on cutting out large amounts of carbohydrate in my diet.....grains have little nutritional value and once refined into their typical forms such as 'wholegrain' bread have typically lost a lot of fibre and goodness. Sounds like you had digestive issues rather than protein issues...or were doing too many of the protein shakes and not enough REAL food....higher protein food combined with plenty of green veg is the way to better digestive health and rarely causes those kind of problems.....I eat protein regularly, at every meal in fact including breakfast and have good skin, what little hair I have is good, and am happily regular although the tuna can be murder on the breath, it is often high sugar that feeds the bacteria in the mouth that causes bad breath!

"K. I do also understand that this is your blog, but it’s also a public internet site by a world famous Personal Trainer, and this line of reasoning isn’t really valid. Of course people are going to read and act on your words. It’s like saying I published the instructions to make the bombs, because that’s how I do it, not for anybody else to use?"

World Famous???? I am truly flattered to think so, although I am not so sure you aren't just sugar coating your comments here!!

Well, in comparison to say, me, you are Graham. Hi profile London trainer who writes for The Daily Express amongst others, i could put anything on my website and affect relatively few people with it, I suspect your writings would be far more widely read?

There is a lot of misinformation on the net for sure, from many who claim to train top athletes or celebrities, most of whom are frauds. i do however find your argument a little.....well stupid basically...and here is why....

1) Reread what I stated and ask yourself if it is really irresponsible? I advocate less refined carbohydrates (such as bread, rice, pasta), and increasing vegetables, nuts, seeds, essential fats, fish, and natural foods....there are many people more qualified in nutrition than me who are offering similar advice....

all good advice, except I dont think you wrote "refined" see your list below?

OUT
Bread (excpet for one piece of wholemeal toast in the morning)
Pasta
Potatoes
Rice
Mangos, Pineapple, banana, and other sweet thick skinned fruit
Cereals/Grains

IN
Meat and eggs for breakfast

To me this screamed blanket banning of healthy foodgroups, and in fact fast approaching Atkins. Eggs & Bacon every morning ( ..not fried, surely? :) over a low GI high fibre breakfast with a little protein from milk or yogurt? I think the research would mainly side with my approach on this one?

2) People SHOULD have their eyes opened to the fact that there is more than one way to go about things....For every person you might have helped with your approach there are many others who would struggle with such an approach, particularly long-term. Then what of those without personal trainers, who simply want to eat better and aren't bothered about calories??? Advising them to eat more sugar than anything else is not what I call responsible health advice....as I said before, thats how cows and sumo wrestlers get fat!!

Yea, I wanted to tackle the cows things. Cows are indeed supplemented grain (animal protein added in most cases, along with growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics and god knows what else besides) to put on weight when approaching slaughter. However fat cows are worth less, so the industry does not feed their cows to make them fat. People want lean cows, not fat ones, so possibly it's you who needs to think a little deeper with this one,?

I just hope your 70% protein-based diet isnt coming from too much steak, because you'd have potentially far more wide-ranging issues than a few carbs on your plate.

3) Make your own choices based on what you read, believe, try, and what works for you. I do hope that people don't just blindly follow whatever someone on the internet TELLS them to do without some kind of soul searching. If they do then that who is really to blame for that??? That is what is called ignorance and as i like to quote people here is one from M.L King Jnr - "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"

"K. There are of course many ways to lose weight, some healthier than others, but, as far as I know, no one has yet been able to disprove the Laws of Thermodynamics and hence the Energy Balance Equation? The point is, that after all else, the buck stops there."
"If I were to take a group of people, imprison them to restrict their behaviour to my parameters, feed them 90% of their daily calorific needs based on a balanced nutritious diet with enough protein, high-ish carbs, enough healthy fats, and exercise them correctly, they would all lose body fat at roughly the rates calculated by their own figures. Would you disagree?"

Tell me if it is this simple, why is everyone still so fat?????? By ignoring completely WHAT you eat you are throwing the proverbial baby out with bathwater. Plus it sounds to me like a bit of a back track there??? high-ish???? healthy fats???? Enough protein???? Starting to sound more and more like what I was advising :-)))

Absolutely no back-tracking. My approach would always be calculate correct protein, correct carbs for energy requirements, and then aim to ensure that the rest of the intake was from fats, with as high as poss good fats etc and as low as poss saturates etc.

Crucially however, this would then also add up to the correct amount of overall energy required, and not just have lowered carbs but still have no idea whether I was in positive or negative balance that day, or any other.

Ok then last one and then I am going to wrap this up....

" K. Some people will always find it more difficult than others through circumstance or will power (or deficiency thereof) to implement a good balanced diet than others, and experimenting with makeup of food can sometimes alleviate and help, but the basics facts still remain. In my youth (some 23 years ago) I also actually did lose weight over one particular period by just sometimes just eating 3 or 4 mars bars per day, a few times per week to try it out, and it definitely works. Hence my confidence in stating it. Obviously I don’t recommend doing this for health reasons but I remain convinced the principle is true. After all we’re not talking about theories or the latest medical research paper, just basic scientific fact.
I am not disputing that your personal diet is healthy and if it works for you, then good. But I just couldn’t help but chirp up when I spend the majority of my time trying to re-educate people about the word “carbs” due to the massive volume of misinformation out there about them, it just didn’t seem right you jumping in on the other side with an unclear message."

Well done, well we only have to look at Africa to see that famine is successful at destroying health while achieving weight loss....come on, its a given that eating 3 mars bars a day won't hit your nutritional needs, but i'm willing to stake money that by your argument if you were to eat 2000 calories a day from Mars Bars and I eat 2000 calories a day through a high protein (i would say I get about 70% of my kcal from Protein if I had to guess...) diet that my blood biochemistry, muscle mass, strength, energy, and just about everything else would be superior.....do you agree??? Careful because if you answer yes, then you prove that a calorie is not just a calorie....

I do agree Graham but would now also ask you to look more carefully at what I've written.

A calorie is ultimately a calorie in terms of weight loss. ..not health, wellbeing or whatever, but just weight loss. You can eat as healthily as you like, if you have too many calories you will put on weight. If you do not under consume calories against your output, you will not lose weight.

The mars bar thing was only ever to prove the principle as outright & ultimate. Of course I would never advise it, but it makes the point very well I feel.

Is my message unclear? Well many of you don't seem to think so....like you I spend a lot of time trying to educate people about carbs, trying to tell them to stop shovelling pasta and bread down their throat or buying processed high sugar foods that are sold to them as "Low-Fat" because they have been brainwashed into thinking "carbs are good, fats are bad, what the hell is protein?"

I would say the majority of clients and people I talk to on this subject are in the "carbs are bad" frame of mind which personally I think is as bad if not worse. A lot of them are also underconsuming by maybe 50% and still struggling.

I REPEAT there is an ABUNDANCE of supporting research on this!!!! Really, there is....and my reference earlier is only the tip of the iceberg to supporting the worth of an approach other than that of high-carb, low-fat......

So, while it may seem we are at loggerheads on this issue, we aren't really....We are all trying to improve our clients ways of eating and living. You choose one way, I choose another. Clearly we have also both enjoyed success with what we do and that is only beneficial for our clients...I commend you on that.

When it comes to how to eat, I PREFER not to dwell on calories but instead on simply cutting out the shit and replacing it with good stuff....and so far that seems to work pretty well....please remember though that as stated before, this low carb approach only tends to be effective for around 75% of the population, the rest will need slightly higher levels to maintain strength...

Fair comment. I personally prefer to firstly know the full story with regards to input / output, and then build a healthy & realistic approach based around cutting out the crap, replacing with the good stuff and not getting too carried away with any one macronutrient group in particular, preferably ever again..

I suppose it depends if you are happy with cutting out things you like, trying that for a while, it might work etc.. ..or would prefer to be able to eat things you like too, and still have a nutrition program engineered to produce your exact results required. each to their own.

From PT point of view however, my job would be very much easier and simplified if I didn't feel its essential to make people understand, and take responsibility for their intakes.

An awful lot put up some level of objection to it initially, and it would certainly be much easier to just tell them to cut various things they like out and leave them to it.

It would however also be very vague and ultimately doomed to failure through ignorance & through banning things that people like, in my opinion.

So, will it ever get any clearer for the general public??? Well hopefully for those of you reading this you can see the commonalities that each approach shares and will be able to find what works for you...Thanks to those of you that take the time to read this and make comments, it is appreciated and is a valuable learning tool for me also....

Agreed. have greatly enjoyed our intercourse :) and hope that anyone reading it has benefitted.

Kev, I look forward to catching up when I come to Ibiza in September with a client...!!

Are you doing the inspa thing this year, or is this something else? either way email me and we should definitely hook up while youre here.

Signing off for tonight!!

Graeme

and for today

Kevsta ;)

My Response..

2007-07-10T15:12:00.000+02:00

My comments are in red

Hi Graham & thanks for taking the time to respond and clarify. I'm glad you took it in the spirit in which it was intended :)

I will admit to possibly being slightly more forthright & flippant in my comment than I had perhaps meant to, and apologise for that, and should now address your clarification seriously as you've taken the time to respond to what basically amounted to little more than (hopefully humorous) heckling from me :) I will attempt to respond without as much of my usual brand of cheeky humour as much as possible.

Point 1. A calorie being a calorie...., it should be fairly obvious to everyone reading this that 100 calories of sugar is going to have a different effect on the body to 100 calories of organic chicken breast?? The thermic effect of these foods alone goes to show that protein based foods are less likely to make you fat, let alone trigger large insulin surges that lead to rebound hypoglycemia and energy crashes...

Agreed in part. Thermic effect is of course a relatively insignificant amount in comparison to overall consumption, and I would still maintain that if you consumed those 100 calories from chicken breast, over and above your normal intake, and if this amounted to 100 cals over your actual calorific expenditure every day for a month, you would be approx 1lb of fat heavier at the end of the month. The point being that ultimately what you eat may make it easier for you to cope, and not over-eat, and that that is the underlying reason you are successful with this approach? Would you agree?

Point 2. However, I also have come to learn that many people have big problems with refined carbohydrates and eat them in excess in their diet.

Indeed many people do, and I’m certainly not here to defend huge piles of calorie-rich creamy pasta or pizzas, only to point out that whether it is a calorie of carbs from an apple, or from white sugar, it is just a glucose molecule when it crosses into the gut. The main factor apart from its energy value then is it’s GI value and how fast it gets to the bloodstream and how that then affects the rest of your activity & consumption that day. It is still just a calorie however, and if you need it for energy because you haven’t had quite enough that day, it will also be burnt just the same. If that one isn’t, another fat molecule somewhere will be. I am aware of no other way out of the physics for it to go.

Point 3. Blaming certain food groups instead of just calories.....Well again point 1 covers this but to be honest this is the guiding principle of just about ANY and every nutritional therapist that I have met or read. I recently heard a 'dietician' arguing with Charles Poliquin over this, and while the dietician was all about the calories - Poliquin advocated an approach based on getting the right nutrients into the body to optimise hormonal function and therefore improve health and body composition.

Polequin's approach is of course also correct, but the right nutrients for the individual would likely also present the right calorific value of the food?

While calorie counting can work for some (in particular the neurotic and obsessive types who like to weigh themselves five times a day and are on the fast track to eating disorders) it is not a great strategy lifelong and I for one can't be bothered trying to figure out how many Kcal I just ate and how many I have left for the day..

Do you disagree that if done properly, calorie counting would work for all? IME the reason it doesn’t work for some is that they do take a too obsessive approach, fail a few times and then it all goes out the window. far from lifelong, it should not be an obsessive thing at all, just an awareness of what you should be having, and what you are. You only need to take a close-ish look for a couple of weeks max, and then you can pretty much forget all about it, because you then know your parameters.

To me, not knowing your own figures and how roughly much you actually consume against that figure, seems as alien as not ever looking at my bank account? I know there are people out there who never do, they just have money going in, money going out, and don’t know what their balance is from one month to the next, but would you be surprised when they end up broke and in trouble because of it? How is this really any different? after all surely its just numbers, maths & laziness?

The point is that coming from an understanding your own figures takes away the need for neuroticism and having to avoid certain foods by being able to take a balanced long term view and not beat yourself up about having a baked potato at lunchtime because that’s all they had. Guilt is not an appropriate response to over-eating and banning of certain food groups often leads to guilt when you inevitably fail, and a blame culture rather than a responsibility culture when looking at eating habits.

Point 4. Bodybuilders are ill etc etc and have terrible eating habits....Well i'm sorry Kev, but i think you'll find many many natural bodybuilders who would probably have an apoplexy reading your comment. Indeed Anita Bean who you recommend as a resource was herself a natural bodybuilding champion. Check out Tom Venuto's stuff on nutrition for example of someone who can build muscle and get people lean. While there are some less scrupulous approaches taken by some, the example I was using was to illustrate my thought process on how changing 'what' you eat can have a significant effect on how you improve body composition. Many fitness competitors are highly skilled at staying lean and they do it through a diet based around similar principles.

Of course I’m well aware of Anita’s past and thought I had highlighted this myself ..? :) I am also familiar with Tom Venuto’s work and a good deal more besides. And of course, what you eat will have a significant effect on your body composition. I would not pass judgement on natural bodybuilders, but do think that is an extremely important distinction to draw, and whilst you & I may take it for granted, others reading your blog may not understand the difference.

I’m also sure you’re aware just how rife the use of steroids has now become in gyms in the UK, and we’re talking about the mainstream high street chain gyms there too, not just the old bouncer’s & bodybuilder’s gyms where it’s always been the practice. You will have course have come across some very un,healthy bodybuilders in your time Graham, as have I?

All I meant was that given your average bodybuilder, or your average 100m sprinter, who would you expect to be in better health and a better role model for nutrition?

Point 5. How many athletes are on this type of diet....Well athletes are a bit different you see due to an increased need for carbohydrate after strenous exercise and let me clarify here - I am not advocating a NO carb diet!!!! Nowhere do I say that...MY and I'll reitterate - MY diet - simply works around cutting down the carbs in an effort to reduce my bodyfat. however, I think you'll find that most if not all athletes eat a diet rich in protein and vegetables....and generally without alcohol, refined sugars, and highly processed food. i cut my carbs by eliminating bread (except for slice of wholemeal in the a.m with my eggs), cutting down the booze, and getting rid of the pasta and rices that made up my evening meals in favour of vegetables, salads and healthy meat and fish

Admittedly endurance athletes are a little different in their needing higher than average carbohydrate requirements, but this is calculated in to fit their energy expended. On rest days though, the basic model of correct protein, 40-65% of diet as carbs, with (good) fats making up the difference doesn’t change.
Would you not agree that a balanced athlete’s diet is formulated soley for optimum health & performance and that this is also a good general model to aim at for the general public, clients etc?

Point 6. Ill through excessive protein?? There is absolutely NO proof of high-protein diets causing ill health and I assume we are talking about kidney damage here??? Sorry, but do your research....

some years ago I was also consuming too much protein for a while, it made my hair greasy, my skin horribly spotty, it also gave me constipation & bad breath. That seemed research enough for me at the time, as obviously these were just the visible effects.

And because there have been no real scientific papers published into the various health effects of too much protein consumption surely that does not mean it’s a good thing? Is not too much of anything wrong? ..everything in moderation is the better way forward.

Also to my slightly sceptical mind proving this would be a bad thing for the huge supplements industry? Hence I doubt there’s too much interest in doing & publishing that.

Point 7. Anita Beans complete guide to Sports Nutrition....yup, read it and a long time ago. I even wrote articles on energy balance for weight loss...!! But there are plenty of other dietary people I'll also listen to and we are not talking about sports nutrition here, we are talking about getting people leaner and healthier. The foods your comment mentions as natural - GRAINS!!??? Come on, most peoples diets are completely devoid of any wholly natural foods and instead are highly refined and processed. Why else would we have so many fat and ill people walking around today??? Indeed wheat intolerances are a major food allergy and responsible for a lot of ill health.

You see, I have a deep mistrust of “intolerances”, as it would seem do a lot of the medical profession. There are certainly a few real cases, but there are an awful lot more people jumping on the latest bandwagon(and charging or getting charged handsomely for the privilege) to allow them to blame something else for their nutritional failure to date. A lot of medical opinion also seem to agree Links

Grains are indeed a natural & healthy food-source. The processing and refining, no, but wholegrain variants yes. It’s not the fault of the grain, but as always of human intervention.

From the British Nutrition Foundation, a very interestig read.

“Wheat has also been linked with gastrointestinal symptoms (people experiencing these symptoms are likely to have other intolerances such as a reaction to cows’ milk protein), asthma, urticaria (skin rash) and eczema. There is no evidence to show wheat is a causal agent in such conditions. In some cases, a psychological aversion to wheat may be responsible for the reported symptoms. Such an aversion can have a powerful impact on both perceived symptoms and perceived relief of symptoms when wheat is avoided.”

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/intolerances ...an interesting read.

re Anita Bean’s book, it’s obviously not the forefront of scientific research, it’s just a very well written, very easy to read and a good balanced overview of the generally accepted approach to nutrition, which is equally applicable to the general public as it's based supplying on your own individual needs correctly.

I still think if I could get someone to read one book, that would be a much better recommendation for the uninitiated to start with rather than the latest dietary best seller?

Point 8. Diet pills.....I have never and would NEVER recommend these. Full stop and nowhere in my post did it state that. However, many supplements can help with blood sugar control and general health. Fenugreek seeds for example have shown to be highly effective in helping diabetics control their blood sugar levels, while many other supplements such as Omega 3 have been shown to have positive effects on blood sugar balance and insulin resistance.

Apologies I misunderstood, I took your “experimenting with stimulants and six months on ethedrine” to mean this? Could you clarify what you did mean by this please?

My friend and Powerlifter Luke Leaman is living proof that you can be an athlete in both great shape and supreme health, while eating a low-carbohydrate diet.

I am sure he is, he looks the picture of health, but I would also be relatively confident that whatever his dietary makeup, to look and perform at high output Luke consumes daily, approximately his calorific requirements, or just slightly less, on average. is this incorrect?

So, to summarise.... Challenging dogmatic beliefs is always going to be controversial. I do not write apathetic posts, but please remember this is my blog and NOT an advice site for all and sundry. In the same way as I wouldn't expect others to all follow my strength training programme, I wouldn't expect them to follow my diet either.

What beliefs are you challenging exactly? Not that a calorie is always a calorie I hope? Career suicide imminent…. :) (i did also wonder if the post was just SEO linkbait to start with, but couldnt let it go anyway)

I do also understand that this is your blog, but it’s also a public internet site by a world famous Personal Trainer, and this line of reasoning isn’t really valid. Of course people are going to read and act on your words. It’s like saying I published the instructions to make the bombs, because that’s how I do it, not for anybody else to use?

This is the reason I wouldn’t publish my own strength & power training routines, they would be dangerous to most of the general public, but significantly I do practise exactly what I preach nutritionally, and not only does it work for me, and allow me to have 2 croissants for breakfast in the morning should I fancy a break from my special homemade muesli, without any feelings of guilt or regret about food-types, it also works for everyone else I’ve ever put onto it, who adopts the principles, goes through their short (usually 1-2 weeks) education learning curve and gets to grips with something so simple it should really be taught at schools to allow kids to take control of their bodies should they wish to.

IMO that’s what would start to address the UK’s obesity problems, kids knowing exactly how much they should eat, and how many mars bars makes another pound of fat on their bellies.

An open mind to different nutritional approaches is necessary and I can list ten or twenty books far more progressive than Anita's also by people with not only athletic experience but also PhD's in Nutrition for whom the study of it is a way of life. Their work and approaches warrants respect and investigation rather than dismissal.

Of course, an open mind is always good, and there are always more progressive views and books etc.I don’t dismiss anything off-hand but do find that a healthy skepticism towards the latest findings goes a long way, especially when we already know pretty well how it works.

There are of course many ways to lose weight, some healthier than others, but, as far as I know, no one has yet been able to disprove the Laws of Thermodynamics and hence the Energy Balance Equation? The point is, that after all else, the buck stops there.

If I were to take a group of people, imprison them to restrict their behaviour to my parameters, feed them 90% of their daily calorific needs based on a balanced nutritious diet with enough protein, high-ish carbs, enough healthy fats, and exercise them correctly, they would all lose body fat at roughly the rates calculated by their own figures. Would you disagree?

In summary, the points I wanted to make re: the first post come down to:

1. Don’t blame carbs per se, they are a fundamental part of good nutrition, fruit & vegetables are carbs too. Instead look to eat healthier and better carbs and educate the masses that carbs alone are not the problem, it’s their calorie-rich part in overconsumption that may be contributing to the problem.

2. Ultimately, a calorie is just a calorie especially when it’s over and above your required daily intake.

3. Some people will always find it more difficult than others through circumstance or will power (or deficiency thereof) to implement a good balanced diet than others, and experimenting with makeup of food can sometimes alleviate and help, but the basics facts still remain. In my youth (some 23 years ago) I also actually did lose weight over one particular period by just sometimes just eating 3 or 4 mars bars per day, a few times per week to try it out, and it definitely works. Hence my confidence in stating it.

Obviously I don’t recommend doing this for health reasons but I remain convinced the principle is true. After all we’re not talking about theories or the latest medical research paper, just basic scientific fact.

4. I am not disputing that your personal diet is healthy and if it works for you, then good. But I just couldn’t help but chirp up when I spend the majority of my time trying to re-educate people about the word “carbs” due to the massive volume of misinformation out there about them, it just didn’t seem right you jumping in on the other side with an unclear message.

..Generally I have a good deal of respect for you Graham and so obviously wanted clarification that you weren't just drunk or having a breakdown or something with this one. :)

regards

kev grant.

Debate Continued

2007-07-10T15:07:00.000+02:00

Graeme posted this on his blog in reply to my previous comment regarding his Post "Low carb Renaissance"

Graeme Marsh wrote

Carbohydrate Pt 2 - Clarifying the Message

Hi all,

I was really pleased to see a comment on my blog from a trainer called Kev and am always excited to see that something has inspired someone to write to me - whether for good or bad reasons....

I am concerned that a few of the things I wrote may have been misintepreted and rather than post a reply to a comment I am going to pick up on the issues raised by the comment (published on the previous post) and go from there...

Point 1. A calorie being a calorie....An amusing bit of rhetoric about new research from my friend in Ibiza that points to a lack of scientific evidence on this subject. However, it should be fairly obvious to everyone reading this that 100 calories of sugar is going to have a different effect on the body to 100 calories of organic chicken breast?? If it isn't then it is probably best you don't operate heavy machinery or attempt to cross the road without assistance. The thermic effect of these foods alone goes to show that protein based foods are less likely to make you fat, let alone trigger large insulin surges that lead to rebound hypoglycemia and energy crashes...

Point 2. Fad diets...At first glance this may appear to you very pseudo Atkins, and in a way it is. However, look at what I am recommending (or more correctly, what I am talking about ME eating) and you will see that it is not really a fad diet rather than it is a simple approach based around simple basic foods, such as cruciferous vegetables, meat, and some fruit. It is high in protein, nutrients, and fibre, along with essential fats in contrast to the average diet that is generally deficient in all those departments. I don't believe in 'diets' per se and I have wrote this in many places before, including my book. However, I also have come to learn that many people have big problems with refined carbohydrates and eat them in excess in their diet.
If anyone out there feels that cutting out alcohol, processed meals, sugar, and large amounts of pasta is either excessive or 'fad' like then again refer to the machinery comment above.

Point 3. Blaming certain food groups instead of just calories.....Well again point 1 covers this but to be honest this is the guiding principle of just about ANY and every nutritional therapist that I have met or read. I recently heard a 'dietician' arguing with Charles Poliquin over this, and while the dietician was all about the calories - Poliquin advocated an approach based on getting the right nutrients into the body to optimise hormonal function and therefore improve health and body composition. While calorie counting can work for some (in particular the neurotic and obsessive types who like to weigh themselves five times a day and are on the fast track to eating disorders) it is not a great strategy lifelong and I for one can't be bothered trying to figure out how many Kcal I just ate and how many I have left for the day...

Point 4. Bodybuilders are ill etc etc and have terrible eating habits....Well i'm sorry Kev, but i think you'll find many many natural bodybuilders who would probably have an apoplexy reading your comment. Indeed Anita Bean who you recommend as a resource was herself a natural bodybuilding champion. Check out Tom Venuto's stuff on nutrition for example of someone who can build muscle and get people lean. While there are some less scrupulous approaches taken by some, the example I was using was to illustrate my thought process on how changing 'what' you eat can have a significant effect on how you improve body composition. Many fitness competitors are highly skilled at staying lean and they do it through a diet based around similar principles.

Point 5. How many athletes are on this type of diet....Well athletes are a bit different you see due to an increased need for carbohydrate after strenous exercise and let me clarify here - I am not advocating a NO carb diet!!!! Nowhere do I say that...MY and I'll reitterate - MY diet - simply works around cutting down the carbs in an effort to reduce my bodyfat. however, I think you'll find that most if not all athletes eat a diet rich in protein and vegetables....and generally without alcohol, refined sugars, and highly processed food. i cut my carbs by eliminating bread (except for slice of wholemeal in the a.m with my eggs), cutting down the booze, and getting rid of the pasta and rices that made up my evening meals in favour of vegetables, salads and healthy meat and fish.

Point 6. Ill through excessive protein?? There is absolutely NO proof of high-protein diets causing ill health and I assume we are talking about kidney damage here??? Sorry, but do your research....

Point 7. Anita Beans complete guide to Sports Nutrition....yup, read it and a long time ago. I even wrote articles on energy balance for weight loss...!! But there are plenty of other dietary people I'll also listen to and we are not talking about sports nutrition here, we are talking about getting people leaner and healthier. The foods your comment mentions as natural - GRAINS!!??? Come on, most peoples diets are completely devoid of any wholly natural foods and instead are highly refined and processed. Why else would we have so many fat and ill people walking around today??? Indeed wheat intolerances are a major food allergy and responsible for a lot of ill health.

Point 8. Diet pills.....I have never and would NEVER recommend these. Full stop and nowhere in my post did it state that. However, many supplements can help with blood sugar control and general health. Fenugreek seeds for example have shown to be highly effective in helping diabetics control their blood sugar levels, while many other supplements such as Omega 3 have been shown to have positive effects on blood sugar balance and insulin resistance.

My friend and Powerlifter Luke Leaman is living proof that you can be an athlete in both great shape and supreme health, while eating a low-carbohydrate diet.

So, to summarise....

Challenging dogmatic beliefs is always going to be controversial. I do not write apathetic posts, but please remember this is my blog and NOT an advice site for all and sundry. In the same way as I wouldn't expect others to all follow my strength training programme, I wouldn't expect them to follow my diet either.

Far from being a 'fad diet' I felt I needed to change how I ate. I still ate as if I was on the hill all day or in the military when my energy requirements were far higher and as such suffered from terrible energy crashes and mood swings. This has improved noticeably since altering my meal content.

My typical cereal or bread based breakfast left me hungry an hour later and reaching for more food, while lunch had a similar effect. This has now also changed.

Lastly -I do NOT write anything or try anything based on spurious advice. Everything is research based and guided by that. An open mind to different nutritional approaches is necessary and I can list ten or twenty books far more progressive than Anita's also by people with not only athletic experience but also PhD's in Nutrition for whom the study of it is a way of life. Their work and approaches warrants respect and investigation rather than dismissal.

Take a look at what I have written again and you will see it actually simply advocates eliminating things that cause problems with health and weight (refined sugars, alcohol, etc) along with a sharp drop in carbs, which most people do NOT need in the amounts they currently take in. While doing that it encourages the consumption of healthy desserts, fruit (yes it does!! but berries and apples over mango and pineapple), fibre, and vegetables!

All this is PROVEN with a dearth of research on the subject. If you can influence the hormonal system of the body then you can greatly improve health and body composition. While five hormones in the body RAISE blood sugar only Insulin lowers it. Hmmmm can we see why there are over a million people in this country undiagnosed with Diabetes??? A condition that will raise your biological age and increase chances of Stroke 3 times over!!

Sometimes you need to look beyond the dogma to find the answer. Eating a lot of carbs is tolerable for those athletes training 3-4 hours a day....I have an unrestricted carb day 1 in 7 for that exact reason.

Interestingly I had another email today from someone about this post whose nutritionist had advised reducing carbs and they have had great success and I also have a good friend in Dallas who eats very similar, maintains 9% bodyfat and is in superb shape and health. It is difficult to challenge those kinds of results, especially with an approach based on the USDA Food Pyramid!

So, it goes to show, what is good for one isn't always good for all and opinions are still divided passionately on the subject. Good, that is cathartic and hopefully leads to more investigation and development of knowledge. I thank you for the comment and hope this post goes a way to giving you an answer. For some great info and sources on Low Carb science and evidence check out jonnybowden.com !

Stay strong G

Some lively debate..

2007-07-10T14:53:00.000+02:00

I'm in currently the middle of some lively debate with one of London's top Personal Trainers regarding his blog posts and views on low carb diets.

Low Carb Renaissance - by Graeme Marsh

"My diet has been one of a few ups and downs over the past few years and along the way i am fairly much ashamed to admit I have committed some heinous eating crimes - including having a terrible addiction to HP sauce and a virtual refusal to eat anything not covered in it.

However, I have spent more and more time over the past couple of years looking at nutrition and trying to work out the best approach for my clients and how people came to be overweight in the first place. I have read lots of books and experimented with my own diet to try and find a few of the answers.

One of the problems I used to suffer from even after having lost weight from years of a high-fat, high-sugar, high-protein diet (cheese, beer, and steak a lot of the time giving me great insight into how so many Americans got so fat!) were terrible energy crashes. Despite having cut a lot of the junk from my diet and having got a lot leaner I still didn't feel my food was setting me up for good health. As a result I experimented with various stimulants to find some energy and spent a fairly jittery six months using ephedrine before I moved to London.

So I started looking harder at various dietary approaches and found the key to be firmly rooted in what it is i was actually putting in my mouth, rather than a simple matter of calories as touted by people all over the place. Now, although it seems strange to have had such a late epiphany on this subject it has in fact been a steady journey from when I first started learning about nutrition years ago, when we told people it was all a matter of energy balance - calories in equals calories out. This soon seemed to be a bit of a false economy to me as I firstly I found calorie counting to be the most neurotic of activities, as well as implying that a calorie is a calorie in any form.

That of course is far from the truth....a calorie is simply a unit of measurement of energy. In fact, did you know that it represents the energy required to raise a litre of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees centigrade?? Well now you do.....

you see simply counting calories would imply that as long as you ate 1500 calories a day you will lose weight and be more healthy irrespective if that comes from a diet of meat, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, fruit or if it comes from 10 Mars Bars...

so, despite years of being a carbohydrate junkie, I decided to change how I eat so that I could see if the advice I had been giving my clients would work for me...I cut my carbohydrates and fairly drastically, specifically restricting my bread and pasta consumption....my daily energy consumption had dropped with more time spent at a computer writing compared to spending 7 hours out on the mountain skiing so it was always going to be tricky staying lean while eating a diet for someone highly active 6/7 days a week...

Now, I had endless arguments (including a bizarre one with a girl I met that night in a club in Soho) about this approach - typically people like me who were shown the food pyramid when they got into the industry and have never bothered to question it...they are full of misunderstandings about nutrition yet still advise people to eat unneeded carbs 24/7...

I even have a very close friend of mine who has been recently told he is pre-diabetic that has been advised by doctors to eat MORE carbohydrates such as pasta and potatoes...like his beta cells aren't screaming out for a break as it is!! Instead they should have advised him on how better to control his blood sugar through limiting his already excessive intake of carbs!!

Then I started thinking back to what the bodybuilders i used to chat with in Fitness First would change most about their diets to shed bodyfat - they dropped their carbs and kept protein high to maintain muscle mass. I also recently met several guys who are quite clear visual proof that lower carb intakes does not equate to a loss of muscle. In fact to cut a long story short (as this is becoming a long story) it became clear to me that for 3/4 of the population that carbohydrates are the place to start when addressing peoples diets.

I have been on a lowered carb approach for a while now and guess what? Better energy levels, no loss of muscles mass, reduced body fat, and a host of benefits including a reduced craving for sugary foods that was at times insatiable!

So, my conclusions? If you want to start losing body fat, improve insulin sensitivity, have more energy, stay full for longer, and feel better all round then it may be time to start looking at your carb intake.

Here's how it worked for me....

OUT
Bread (excpet for one piece of wholemeal toast in the morning)
Pasta
Potatoes
Rice
Mangos, Pineapple, banana, and other sweet thick skinned fruit
Alcohol (well just about)
ANY processed meals at all
Sauces/ketchups
Sugar (moved to using Splenda in my tea, an aspartame free substitute)
Cereals/grains
Some dairy

IN
Meat and eggs for breakfast
Unlimited veg
bio natural yoghurt instead of sweet desserts
berries
Cruciferous veg
Beans - especially kidney beans
Fish
Red wine (a glass every other night)
Some cheese (which I love)

guess what , i'm leaner than i have been in a long time and that is with only doing basic shoulder rehab at the gym!! If I could olympic lift then I am confident that I'd be on fire right now!!!

So thats it for todays post....hope you enjoyed it.

If you are keen to find out more about life on a low carb approach I can highly recommend 'Living the Low Carb Life' by Jonny Bowden....check it out!

Laters all,

g"

my initial comment, which given the somewhat defensive posts in response, I do now feel, may have been, in hindsight, been a little too forthright, flippant and possibly sarcastic. Apologies for that, :)

Hi Graham

As an occasional reader and fellow preacher of the functional gospel I was most surprised to find you espousing the virtues of what at first glance seems basically a pared down version of Atkins, (or any fad diet at all, tbh)

what interested me most though is this new discovery that a calorie is no longer a calorie?

I did remember where the unit came from from my 1st year physics, but understood it to be just an arbitary unit for energy measurement, and in actual fact technically we use kcal these days to represent the chemical energy in our food.

I would be very grateful if you could point me to this exciting new research please as I've always found it most inconvenient trying to get clients to take overall responsibility for the total energy in the food they consume and am obviously very happy to now be able to blame certain rogue foodgroups for making my clients overweight. :)

with regards to bodybuilder's eating habits I would be very cautious about basing your nutritional behaviour on theirs unless you want a body built purely for (freak)shows. after all bodybuilding is the only "sport", where the "athletes" are in such a dreadful state by the time of the competition, what with dehydration, malnourished and basically poisoned by constant massive overdoses of excess protein that their skin is often oozing pus, and the enormous effort of flexing their ridiculously unfunctional biceps against air often has them on the verge of passing out.

a much better book to be recommending would be Anita Beans' "Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition" Anita was a British Natural Bodybuilding champion in the 80's and has long history of working with top athletes to maximise their performance through correct nutrition, based on a position of knowing and understanding your own nutritional needs, and ensuring that you're fueled for them.

what percentage of atheletes do you think are on the Atkins, sorry "Living the Loca Lifestyle"?

some may consider calorie counting neurotic, but I'm sure others would think that taking diet pills and banning certain wholly natural and fundamental food sources such as grains, potatoes, rice & fruits equally neurotic, and an irresponsible message for a fitness professional to be touting?

I understand should you choose not to publish this comment, and if you wanted to reply personally you can get me on kev@ibizapersonaltrainer.com

regards

kev grant.

Exercise is actually medicine!

2007-07-03T16:52:00.000+02:00

Doctors in the USA are being told to prescribe exercise as medicine to overweight people to prevent the newly coined "Sedentary Death Syndrome" or the obesity epidemic.

studies have just shown that it is one of the most effective treatments ailing humans can undertake and helps with just about everything. Read the Full Report here

By Sally Squires

Tuesday, June 26, 2007; Page HE01

"Walk two miles and call me in the morning."

That's the kind of prescription doctors could soon write if the new leaders of two major medical groups get their way.

"We're trying to get every physician to prescribe exercise at every visit," says Robert Sallis, a California physician who recently became president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Physicians "have a moral responsibility to inform patients of the danger of inactivity and the health benefits of being more active," Sallis says.

The new head of the American Medical Association plans to deliver the same message today at his inaugural address before the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago.

"We are in lock step with them on that concept," says incoming AMA president Ronald M. Davis, who is also the director of the Henry Ford Health System's Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in Detroit. "We need to get doctors to prescribe exercise more, and we need to get patients to follow that advice."

More than half of Americans fail to get the 30 minutes of physical activity recommended daily to provide health benefits, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cars, elevators, remote controls and other modern devices all help to engineer physical activity out of daily life. Extended work days and long commutes add to the problem.

So many people are inactive that some experts have coined a new term for the epidemic: sedentary death syndrome. The condition helps cut short an estimated 250,000 lives in the United States annually, according to Frank Booth, professor of physiology at the University of Missouri. Research suggests that people who are sedentary spend on average about $1,500 more annually on medical bills than do their more-active counterparts.

"There are also studies to show that they miss more work and are not as productive," Sallis notes.

Research also shows that regular physical activity improves health by cutting the risk of heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Even bouts of activity as short as 10 minutes at a time can help control weight and relieve arthritis, anxiety and depression.

"Exercise is medicine," Sallis says. "We know that it works very well. We just don't have the proper way to administer it."

That's where the doctors come in. Sallis is leading the charge to get doctors and other health professionals to ask every patient about his or her exercise habits at every office visit.

"We know all the benefits of exercise and that it has very few side effects," he says. "We know that even the sickest patients in the hospital get out quicker if they get out of bed and walk during their hospital stay. There's no doubt that with any disease, exercise benefits it."

Personal Training Holidays in Ibiza

A Good Article

2007-06-29T15:23:00.001+02:00

I believe this man to be correct on virtually all counts so have reprinted it verbatim.

highlighted the critical points as I see them in RED

By Vince DelMonte

How would you feel if you discovered that almost everything you were doing with building muscle was dead wrong? Imagine all the time, money and effort you have spent in the gym was contributing to building muscle – the wrong way! Everything you have read on building muscle has left you with little to show for your hard earned efforts…

There are dozens of muscle building mistakes that we all fall victim to which results in bringing you progress to a complete halt. Don’t be too hard on yourself, because like all things in life, building muscle is a learning process. That does not mean you must forfeit years of personal trail and error when we can learn the mistakes of seasoned trainers who walked before us.

If Your Still Stuck With The Same Weak and Skinny Body…
It’s Not Your Fault

You have been mislead and down right lied to by some of the most successful masters of deception alive today. You are probably not even aware that the bodybuilding industry is robbing you of your hard-earned efforts, it’s embarrassing your commitment and motivation, and most importantly, it’s stealing your money, and crushing the results you should be getting at the gym.

In my search for honest, unbiased, time-tested muscle building information I discovered some hard-to-accept information. Looking back, I now realize that this information was a major turning point in my journey to building muscle the right way. BUT…I had to reprogram my belief system.

Here are the first three biggest and baddest ways to building muscle the wrong way. Erase these mistakes from your thought process and you will be one step closer to earning beach body worthy status:

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #1 – Skipping Out On Your Cardio…Before you disagree take note that I was once a long distance triathlon and running champion so my cardiovascular standards and perceptions of ‘fit’ are much higher than your local trainers or expert bodybuilding author. It drives me crazy when I hear fitness experts preaching that weight training is just as good for keeping your heart and lungs in prime condition. Who are they kidding?

Weight training, designed for bodybuilding, is almost useless for stimulating your cardiovascular system. Bodybuilding style weight training for your cardio is just about as good as spending the day playing video games. Sure, I know your leg training workouts and super sets make you feel like you sprinted up the street for 100 m but this is far cry from a optimal cardio system.

Do not buy into the latest fad that cardio will kill any chance of building muscle. Cardio must be in your program even if your goal is maximal muscle gain and you are the skinniest of skinny. Aerobics plays a vital role in building muscle and has been shown to speed up recovery from weight training by transporting oxygen and blood flow to the muscles.

The circulatory system is developed because more oxygen is pushed through your blood resulting in a greater number and size of blood vessels. Since there is a greater cardiovascular density of blood vessels, your circulatory system has more ’supply routes’ to shuttle oxygen and nutrients to the body tissues, including muscles, and shuttle away waste products that can slow muscle growth, repair and recovery. In the end, this means you will create a more optimal environment for building muscle!

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #2 – Overtraining The Biceps And Triceps

Interestingly, every time I ‘m at my gym, I see small and weak dudes spending a full hour doing every bicep and tricep exercise imaginable. They do set-after-set, week-after-week with nothing to show but the same skinny noodle arms. What they fail to realize is that for maximum muscle growth and strength, the biceps and triceps require very little direct stimulation!Do me a favor and take a close close at the size of your thigh. Now compare the size of your thigh to the size of your bicep. Does it make sense to spend the same amount of time training arms versus your legs when your legs are over four times as big? Of course not! Now compare the overall size of your back to the overall size of your arms. Now compare the size of your overall chest to the size of your overall arms. You should now realize that a larger muscle group should be trained differently than a smaller muscle group.

Focus the majority of your training on the large muscle groups – that is chest, back, shoulders and legs. Focus on increasing the strength and size in these big muscle groups and rest assured, building muscle in your arms will become easier.

Now hear me out. I’m not saying that direct arm training is a waste. I’m simply leading you to discover that less is often more when training small muscle groups such as your bi’s and tri’s.

I’ll bet any money that you would do almost anything for a set of sleeve-stretching set of arms. Any money that you would do almost anything for a pair of bulging biceps and rock-hard triceps!

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #3 – Not Focusing On Getting Stronger

I get his short attention span back by stating, “Building muscle will almost always follow if you simply focus on getting stronger, I mean getting really stronger.” Unfortunately, training to get stronger seems to no longer be apart of the average trainees training regime.

Since the fitness industry has become more commercialized with balls, balance pads, fancy selectorized equipment and ridiculous infomercials, people have neglected the necessary time building requirements to build a solid foundation for long term success. Including bodybuilders.

Consider that the stronger you become the more sets and reps you will be able to lift for more specialized movements. The better your technique. The faster your recovery. The longer and harder you will be able to train. And rest assured, when you get stronger from week to week, the muscle mass will follow!

Don’t believe me? Next time you go to your gym check out who the biggest guys are. Don’t be surprised if they are also the strongest. Have you ever seen anybody will a small frame who can deadlift four plates, squat three plates, bench press two plates or c.url 1 plate (per side respectively). I didn’t think so.

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #4 – Reading Bodybuilding Magazines !! Did your last bodybuilding magazine promised 2 inches on your arms in 2 weeks? Did it tell you could increase your strength by 40% in one week? Did it show you the latest ‘arm program’ which looked the exact same as last months arm workout? I know this sounds extreme, but almost 90% of the information you see in bodybuilding magazines is dead wrong and only works for guys who are using steroids.

The modern mainstream bodybuilding magazines are really just muscle comic books written at a 6th grade level. They glorify drug-using bodybuilders and portray them as the picture of health. The cleverly combine two or three rehashed articles, a lot of pictures, gimmicks, sex and hype to sell this nonsense to millions. These magazines may have inspired millions by the pictures but they have also mislead millions.

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #5 – Taking Advice From A Guy Who Uses Drugs

Drugs allow you to train more often because of one’s increased ability to recover, but they also speed up normal physiological processes that normally would not occur, i.e. increased hormonal levels. Not only do bodybuilders take an ENORMOUS amount of drugs; they are also known to inject various substances into their bodies to give selected body parts that enhanced look.

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #6 – Trusting The Supplement Ads

Most are unaware that bodybuilding magazines are owned by million dollar supplement companies that use the magazine as a vehicle to sell their supplements. They intentionally get professional bodybuilders to make programs that will cause the Average Joe with average genetics to literally fail. Because the programs are printed in black and white, the trusting consumer believes the advice must be right, and resorts to the latest cutting edge supplement promoted on the next page! The sale has been made.

Building Muscle The Wrong Way #7 – Following The Bodybuilding Programs

How would you also like to know that many of the articles in the popular muscle magazines are ghost written! Yep, many times the staff writers of a certain magazine will simply get the approval of a certain bodybuilder to use their name in an article they write. So, sometimes you will not even be reading an article that was actually written by your favorite bodybuilder.

Stop Taking Advice From Bodybuiding Magazines…

Once skinny guys discover there are no short-cuts or secrets, just time-tested, universal muscle building principles that are not as complicated as perceived, but work for anyone who applies them - then they will begin to build an impressive physquie and conquer their perceived unfriendly genes. You must learn to train smarter and not harder.

The training programs in these magazines are heavily influenced by professional bodybuilders who are on a lot of drugs, let us not pretend otherwise. Yes, other sports also are guilty of using drugs to enhance performance, but possibly no other sport is so dependent on the use of drugs than bodybuilding.

Your Solution : Take Advice From Someone Like You…

If you goal is to become huge and ripped naturally - you need to get advice from someone who has been in your own shoes. Would you take money advice from someone who inherited a million dollars? Probably not. So why would you take muscle building advice from someone who inherited genetics that makes him grow muscle even when he sneezes?

I have no idea either!

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://vincedelmontefitness.atozfitness.com

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.

© 2006-2007, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.

fraudulant, dangerous & utterly hilarious!

2007-06-27T21:54:00.000+02:00

I came across this this week, and just couldnt help share it with you all.

This is the ROM, from www.fastexercise.com and this amazing piece of kit will apparently whip you into superb shape, in just 4 minutes per day. ...the way it does this is by using as much oxygen in 4 minutes as you would normally in an hour or something. and it only costs (this is where it gets truly surreal) $14600 odd dollars. or a 30 day rental is $1500!!

I have as yet been unable to get the proprieters to answer my queries but will keep trying, be assured ;) ahahahahaha.... ..when i can stop laughing!! ..it reminds me of mr Garrison's invention on South Park a little too much also.

all your questions will likely be answered in here http://www.fastexercise.com/QandA.asp

quite how it can be any different to a rowing machine which we can pretty much all finish ourselves off on, in 30-60 seconds or so of full power rowing is beyond me, and the Concept II or III is only a couple of grand.

Its the emails from people that have paid $15000 for the contraption that I like most..

enjoy ;)

Weights & Metabolism

2007-06-23T15:30:00.000+02:00

Last week I had the pleasure of working with a really cool guy on a One-Week Intensive Personal Training Holiday Course of 6 Sessions. The client in question is a top Mayfair Salon & Fashion Stylist and is in fair shape and health already, and is motivated and capable, with both realistic goals and timescales to achieve them in. He also eats extremely well most of the time.

But despite a lot of hard work, and often up to 6 sessions a week, and a lot of Personal Training Sessions from various Trainers in London he has not been able to achieve and maintain the results he wants, neither in appearance, nor in performance as his upper body strength in particular could be a lot better.

We covered a lot of ground during the week, with sessions including running, cycling, kickboxing and a good grounding in functional resistance work, and working to understand why, with so much gym-going and training, he didnt have the body he wants.

His 6 sessions a week usually include up to 3 spinning sessions a week as well as his gym work so should have been taking the right sort of approach, but on closer scrutiny of his programs and his nutrition the answer became clear.

a) the gym work has always been relatively light weights and highish reps, and
b) he's not eating enough. See are you eating enough to lose weight for more information.

His high amounts of (steady rate) cardio , endurance style of weight lifting and undernutrition have been ensuring that he loses as much muscle fibre as he does fat tissue, thereby further lowering his metabolism and making his body try to conserve it's fat energy reserves.

Over the course of the week we re-aligned his thinking regarding muscle bulk, upped his weights well into his overload range, and told him to back off with the cardio for a few weeks and concentrate on heavy lifting, low reps, high weights and always pushing forwards his progression on a bi-weekly basis. Once we have the musculature we want then we can gradually ease in a little cardio more if required.

Nutritionally he was consistently 3-400 calories under his Low Limit Threshold which is already 15% lower than his daily maintenance requirements, putting him firmly into reduced metabolism land, which along with loads of cardio & endurance work also plumps him squarely into catabolism (muscle reducing) world.

He's gone home now to crack on with a functional resistance program, with interval work in his much reduced cardio, that will given time totally redefine his looks, I cant wait to hear his results, as he has a 9 week deadline for a trip in mind and 9 solid weeks of that will have him looking fantastic. :)

Anyway the point of this rambling blog post is to say that this finally galvanised me into action regarding an article I've had in mind to write for months.

It's here Weights Exercise Intensity & Metabolism

Does Your Personal Trainer Look like He Even Trains Himself?

2007-06-14T17:10:00.000+02:00

Ok, ...now I try never to judge another Trainer until I've at least met them properly, (as obviously we all think we're the best :) ..but I do feel very strongly that it should be another part of the rigourous qualifications we all have to do, to pass stringent high level fitness & appearance tests. Now I do also know not all of us are blessed with the genetics for fantastic adonis-style appearance, but as a Trainer you should have made the absolute best of yourself given your starting point, just as you are promising to be able to do for others.

i.e. someone offering PT to the public at large should not only know his stuff, but actually do it too! is this an unfair request?

Recently I'm seeing untold adverts and websites for Personal Trainers who brandish some very grand claims about being "The UK's Premiere Personal Trainer" and much of the same tired, old grandiose sales-speak.

What usually strikes me first, apart from their arrogance, is the fact that the majority of these people whilst usually looking averagely healthy, dont look to be in particularly outstanding condition at all, i.e do not like theyre promising they can get their clients to look.

Am I being overly fussy here asking that a Personal Trainer should first and foremost be practising what they know and preach so much of, on themselves?

Last night I was looking at another very well-known London-based Personal Trainer's company website and blog, and nearly fell off my chair when I noticed pictures of two of their training team doing the exercises they espouse.

Not only did neither of the two (again) look like they would inspire much confidence in their Clients due to "walking the walk" themselves, but almost criminally, their form shown in the exercises theyre demonstrating on camera was so bad it's verging on dangerous. - In fact not "verging on" but actually dangerous if an unconditioned member of the public tried to copy it.

I refrained from pointing this out on the Blogger comments as clearly it would be taken as an attack by the organisation, but it baffles me how Trainer A and trainer B could have such poor demo photos taken in the first instance, and then a 3rd trainer, Trainer C (and their Boss) could fail to notice the appalling form demonstrated and then go on to publish the pictures as examples of the right exercises. ( ..if you want links to this site to see for yourself please email me on kev@ibizapersonaltrainer.com )

Other than that, their philosophy & ethos towards training seemed in alignment with my own, as so many do, but am I so wrong in thinking that a Personal Trainer's own body should be his walking advertisement for his expertise?

And conversely I cant help thinking that if he's not able to get himself to that condition, why would he be able to do it for you? Could it be he's just after your £50 per hour?

As a PT you are supposed to be educating and motivating people, and inspiring them to take themselves to new heights. How can they have any trust in you, or what you're saying if you can't firstly do this to yourself?

Knowledge and spouting out all your REPS training blurb and stuff you read somewhere is all very well and good, but surely the proof is in the actual doing? After all most people know what they need to do, and the main reason they use a PT is to make them actually do it.

All these smiling, slightly chubby trainers telling you how they are "the Premier this and that" sticks in my throat a little when they look as though they need a few months intensive Personal Training themselves.

"The UK's Premiere Personal Trainer" also gives you tips on what to say should you come across "other so-called functional practitioners". ...I couldnt help but chuckle, because apart from clearly being able to understand principles the rest of us just pretend to, he certainly doesnt look like he practitions too much of it on himself. :)

My own ethos with this is that I try to inspire by "if I can do it, you can do it", leading from the front when necessary, and always able to demonstrate whatever the exercise at significantly higher output than I'm asking for from my Clients.

Obviously I cannot always outperform the athletes I train with, but I can happily outperform 95% of my general public clients, exercise for exercise, in session after session, sometimes 6 or 7 times per day, and I would frankly feel like a fraud if I could not.

Personal Trainer Olympics anyone? :) I'd be up for Running, Cycling, Boxing & Muay Thai workouts, Core and Resistance training & beastings till the cows come home, because that's basically just my working week.

I wonder how many other of these "Premier" Trainers can say that?

48 Hours in Ibiza

2007-06-01T13:51:00.000+02:00

Full article available here taken from the Independent Online

48 Hours in Ibiza

Europe may be scorching now, but this renowned clubbers' paradise is always chilled. And if the dance scene isn't your thing, the beaches, food, villages and pine forests are perfect for a traditional holiday, writes Rhiannon Batten

WHY GO NOW?

For holidaymakers, Ibiza is the showgirl of the Balearics: whether you're a dedicated clubber, a family of culture vultures, a resolute hippie or a boho princess, it will entertain you. Midsummer may be when all of the abovevisit, but that's because they know the bars are at their liveliest, the atmosphere at its best and the sun just about guaranteed. Fortunately, there's room for everyone. If you're nifty with a football, head for the village of Sant Agusti on 24 August; each year, it holds a match between bachelors and married men to mark Sant Bartomeu's day.

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Ibiza is roughly oval in shape, with the tiny capital, Ibiza Town and airport in the south, the huge Sant Antoni resort in the west, rural villages in the east and a good variety of beaches circling the whole thing. There are tourist information offices at the airport and in several towns but the main one, albeit tiny, is in the marina area of Ibiza Town at 2 Placa d'Antoni Riquer (00 34 971 301 900; www.visitbalears.com). For general information before you go, get the new Rough Guide to Ibiza (£6.99).

CHECK IN

Ibiza Town is the sensible place to stay if you're here for a few days, because it has the best transport links and, in the Old Town (Dalt Vila) and marina area, it's very pretty. At the top end is La Torre del Canonigo at 8 Calle Mayor in Dalt Vila (00 34 971 303 884; www.elcanonigo.com), a converted priest's house within the Old Town walls. Rooms currently start at €210 (£148) without breakfast. Cheaper but atmospheric is the Hotel La Ventana at 13 Sa Carossa (00 34 971 303 537; www.laventanaibiza.com); doubles from €146 (£104) in summer, without breakfast. The Vara de Rey guest house, at 7 Vara de Rey (00 34 971 301 376), has doubles from €77 (£55), again without breakfast. Out of town, splash out at Es Cucons , a stylish converted farmhouse (00 34 971 80 55 01; www.escucons.com); doubles from €204 (£145) in summer.

TAKE A VIEW

From the top of Sa Talaiassa , the highest peak, the views across southern Ibiza are stunning. Looking down over the pine forests and coves among the clusters of white apartment blocks reminds you that there's still plenty of green space on the island, especially if you've come straight from nearby Sant Antoni . To get there, it's about 20 minutes' drive from Sant Josep , the nearest village, up a badly pot-holed and rock-strewn dirt track. You could walk it but it's a steep and very hot climb at this time of year.

TAKE A HIKE

Around Dalt Vila in Ibiza Town . A picturesque tangle of cobbled lanes, cafés and boutiques, it will persuade you there's more to Ibiza than clubs and beaches. Most people head straight to the cathedral and ruined castle at the top, but it's more fun to wander up the streets behind the marina through Dalt Vila's massive gates and into the lanes, gradually aiming for the higher ground - and more great views.

TAKE A RIDE

The island is just 40km tip to toe, and it's easy to get around. Buses between the towns and resorts cost €1.05 (70p) to €2.50 (£1.80) per trip. Books of 20 tickets cost €13 (£9). The tourist centres have bus timetables. Boats ply between the towns and beaches, usually for about €5 (£3.60) per hop; Ibiza Town marina is the main hub. To rent a car, try Avis (0870 606 0100; ww.avis.com): it has a special summer rate of £22.45 a day. Autos Mari (00 34 971 33 02 36) has similar rates.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

At Bar Costa, just off the Plaza de la Iglesia in Sant Gertrudis (00 34 971 197 021) you can get delicious fresh bread, manchego cheese, Iberian ham or, if you're feeling brave, some dried venison sausage (€2.25-8.25/£1.60-£5.90 per portion). There's a shady terrace outside and cosy bench seating inside, and it's very friendly.

WINDOW SHOPPING

There isn't a lot in Ibiza that you won't find elsewhere (probably cheaper) but, if you're in the market for spangly flip-flops, elaborate leather belts or massive straw baskets (the item to have on the beach), the marina area in Ibiza Town is a fun place to shop. Bear in mind that most of the shops close from 1.30pm to 5pm for the siesta, although some then stay open until 1am.

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

You can't come to Ibiza without enjoying some beach culture. From tiny Gracioneta and family-oriented Cala d'Hort , with its dramatic view out on to the huge, offshore rock of Es Vedra in the west; to the party beach of Ses Salines in the south, hippie-ish Benirras in the north and the black sands of Cala Boix in the east, there's a beach to suit just about every taste. My own favourite was Cala Carbo , a quiet, pebbly beach in the west, with good swimming and two good beach- restaurants delivering huge pans of paella and jugs of sangria to white tablecloth-covered tables.

AN APERITIF

The 'sunset strip' at the end of Calle Vara de Rey in Sant Antoni is the traditional place to be as the sun goes down over the sea, with ambient music easing from the speakers at Cafe del Mar (00 34 971 342 516, 6pm-4am). These days it's a scrum to get to the bar, though. For something more chilled - in the literalsense - head for the sun-dappled patio at Anita's, behind the church in Sant Carles (00 34 971 33 50 90) for a cold glass of hierbas, the local tipple (€1.45/£1).

DINNER WITH THE LOCALS

La Scala in Ibiza Town , at 7 Sa Carossa, Dalt Vila (00 34 971 300 383), is on a patio surrounded by old shuttered houses. It serves skewers of prawns for €11.50 (£8.20) and grouper fillets in saffron for €14.90 (£10.60). At Comida Bar San Juan, 8 Carrer de Guillem Montgri, near the marina, you'll get simple grilled fish and meat served up on marble-topped tables (€8/£5.60 for a main course, €3.50/£2.50 for tapas). Or book an upstairs table at Can Berri Vell in Sant Agusti (Placa Major, 00 34 971 344 321), and make sure you arrive in time for the sunset.

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

The small whitewashed church of Nostra Mare de Jesus, in the appropriately-named village of Jesus , has an elaborate altar painting inside and a new park being built outside. There's nothing grand about it, but that's what's special. It's open for Mass at noon on Sundays and from 9.30am-12.30pm and 4-6pm on other days.

OUT TO BRUNCH

Opposite the lane that takes you down to the church in Jesus is La Croissanteria Jesus (Centro Commercial Local 11; 00 34 971 310 373). This posh bakery with outside tables sells everything from pastries, croissants and the local flaky pastry, ensaimadas, (€0.85-2.60/60p-£1.80) to cheese, ham and bread platters (€5/£3.60) and bowls of muesli with fresh fruit (€6/£4.30). It's open every day except Tuesday, from 6.30am to 3pm.

A WALK IN THE PARK

The entrance to Can Pere Mosson Country Park , a woodland park with picnic areas, barbecue pits and paths through the pine trees, is next to the church in Sant Llorenc . Entrance is free, and it's open from 8am to 7pm in summer, and 8am to 6pm in winter. Carry on to the pretty village of Sant Joan and the Eco shop and café at 5 Plaza de Espana (00 34 971 333 029; www.eco-ibiza.com).

WRITE A POSTCARD

From the traditional Bar Tabac at 7 Carrer de Missa in Sant Miguel (00 34 971 334 638, open 9.30am-2pm and 5-10pm). Right next to the white church at the top of the village - and a pretty gallery - the bar's two outside tables look out over sun-soaked hills. If you haven't got cards already, get them here for €0.40 (28p).

THE ICING ON THE CAKE

Even if you haven't come for the clubbing - there's probably the highest concentration of top-class clubs in the world - it's worth going to one for the experience. The choice may seem boggling at first, but each club has its well publicised "best" day: Mondays for Circo Loco; daytime clubbing at the end of the airport runway at DC10, on the Salines to Sant Jordi road (22); Tuesdays and Saturdays for the water parties at Es Paradis in Sant Antoni ; Wednesdays for hippyish Namaste at Las Dalias in Sant Carles ; and just about any night for clubbing's grande dame, Pacha, in Ibiza Town . Beware the prices: the cheapest, DC10, is about €15 (£10), and the most expensive, Pacha, up to €50 (£35).

Outdoors Therapy Continued...

2007-05-31T18:07:00.000+02:00

Again, it seems like stating the obvious to me, but its always nice when the scientists go ahead and prove something you absolutely know already ;)

from an article in TheTimesOnline

i couldnt help insert a few comments (in red) sorry... :)

"Alternative therapies for depression – such as country walks and care farms, where patients are prescribed agricultural work – are being ignored as Britain becomes ever more reliant on chemical treatments, campaigners say.

Findings from two studies released today suggest that “ecotherapy” – which includes such simple exercises as outdoor walks – can improve a person’s poor mental health dramatically. The studies have prompted calls for the approach to become a recognised frontline treatment.

Ecotherapy: The Green Agenda for Mental Health, in which the studies are published, is the first report to look at how “green” exercise affects those suffering from depression.

Researchers from the University of Essex compared the benefits of a 30-minute walk in a country park with a walk in an indoor shopping centre on 20 people affected by depression.

After the country walk, 71 per cent said that they felt less depressed and tense while 90 per cent reported increased self-esteem. And this was in ESSEX!! After the walk in the shopping centre only 45 per cent felt less depressed and 22 per cent actually felt more depressed. About 50 per cent felt more tense and 44 per cent said that their self-esteem had dropped.

The researchers conducted another study in which they asked 108 people with various mental health problems about their experiences of ecotherapy. Ninety-four per cent said that green activities had benefited their mental health and lifted depression and 90 per cent said that the combination of nature and exercise had the greatest effect.

The mental health charity Mind described ecotherapy as “getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental wellbeing”.

..again seems fairly obvious stuff to me. biologically we evolved to be OUTSIDE!!

The charity said that if it was prescribed as part of main-stream practice, ecotherapy could potentially help millions of people. It would also be vastly cheaper than antidepressant drugs."

I knew it..!

2007-05-28T10:57:00.001+02:00

The theraputic effect of the sea and the beach is a well known, if not very well understood effect. Jogging along the beach with clients in the mornings leaves me with a deep feeling of peace for the rest of the day. Strange possibly, but true. this article may go some way to explaining this effect, but if if just going to the beach can do all this for you, imagine what integrating it into your health & fitness routine over the long term can do for you..

Researchers Say Going to the Beach Is Good for Your Health. It calms the nerves. It boosts serotonin levels. It may even fulfill a deep genetic longing. The beach, it turns out, is good for you. This lengthy and somewhat persuasive piece in the LA Times reports that new research shows that simply being in nature is good for the mind and body — and the beach may be particularly healthful. Not only have studies found that most people are drawn to water, but simply looking at water appears to help alleviate anxiety and calm agitated nerves.

QUOTE "Psyche and the sea... The sights, the scents, the sounds, the sand -- a day at the beach is packed with stress relief and overall rejuvenation. Waves crash, gulls cry, wind whispers and sun warms skin. At the same time, worries seem to fade, the mind clears, the heart slows and the lungs breathe deep of the clean, salty air. There's something, it seems, inherently therapeutic about the beach. Increasingly, evidence backs up that intuition. Research shows that simply being in nature is good for the mind and body — and the beach may be particularly healthful. Not only have studies found that most people are drawn to water, but simply looking at water appears to help alleviate anxiety and calm agitated nerves." Read more.

if you would like some help to fit more beaches into your life, and maybe some extra motivation to make sure it happens and continues to happen, you know the numbers..

Personal Training on the Beach

www.ibizapersonaltrainer.com - please check out the new look website. comments welcome by all the usual channels. thanks kev

A Success Story & Please Help.

2007-05-18T12:34:00.000+02:00

Kelly is one of my lovely clients :) please help out & sponsor her.

*** Kelly wrote: ***

I still can't quite believe I am running in my very 1st charity race this Sunday. I have never been a runner, until last summer when a fellow named "Mad Kev" showed me the way. (It's all in the breathing...) This Sunday I am running in the Cancer Research UK "Race For Life" and on my back I will be wearing the name of my dad, who died of cancer 15 years ago.

Please dig deep and sponsor me online. Events like Race for Life are an important way in which Cancer Research UK is able to fund its life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me now you could help more people survive cancer. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. Many thanks for your support. Lots of love, Kelly x

Thanks and best wishes,

Kelly xxx

*** About donating online ***

It's very easy to support Kelly online - just go to their page at the web address below where you can make a donation.

Web Address: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/superkel

Donating takes a matter of minutes and is totally secure. You can leave a message with your donation too.

If you pay UK tax, Justgiving will automatically reclaim and add 28% Gift Aid to your donation at no cost to you, so it's even better for the charity.

good luck Kells!! :)

Summer

2007-05-11T12:36:00.000+02:00

it's official. summer has definitely started in Ibiza, the hotels are all open and the trickle of visitors is turning into a torrent of mainly unhealthy looking visitors, largely Uk & teutonic. I was observing he general state of health, and in particular the poor posture of the vast majority on the beach yesterday, and so its timely that I stumbled across this today.

Click the image for a larger view.

Bad posture is usually entirely & easily correctable and is possibly the most important single thing you can do to help your general health & wellbeing.

Personal Training in Ibiza Baleares, Spain

Calorie Burning for Weight Loss using Exercise

2007-02-17T13:05:00.000+01:00

This is not a particularly complex subject nor activity, despite the industry's frequent attempts to make it so. I found the article linked below this morning and thought it may be worth looking at it in more detail. Please have a read of the article it's quite good, and then we'll expand and try to clarify a couple of points.

Men's Health Articles

Ok, got that? It's pretty simple stuff.

Firstly, calories burnt during exercise should be extra calories, over and above what you would normally burn in your usual daily activities. This is taken account of in both the spreadsheet overview which calculates both usual daily activity cals burnt, and exercise as a separate figure, and it's also borne in mind by the fact the HR monitor used shows zero cals burnt at RHR (Rest Heart Rate) and so any calories shown as burnt are extra calories over and above the Clients usual.

Obviously the article mentions the inaccuracy of the calorie counter on the running machine. ...Well duh! of course. The machine neither knows your HR, age, sex or weight and so can only ever be a random guess.

Secondly, we're not overly concerned with weight as a figure. The only time I ask my clients their weight is in their initial consultation, and then only so the body fat % calculations are reasonably accurate. This doesn't need to be accurate to 2 decimal points anyway, its just a benchmark start point, and as long as the figure comes down, we're going the right way.

as for exercising, obviously upping intensity burns more calories. If you're not an athlete in training this tenet applies fairly standardly. don't go subscribing to this fat-burning zone nonsense

However if you are in training proper, and by this I mean the goal is to get better at your sport, rather than to lose weight, then make sure you're training in your right HR zone, for serious training this is far more important than how many calories you burn.

...In fact, if in serious training, youre actually looking to minimise calories burnt for a specific activity, by doing it as efficiently as possible.