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Handy hints etc

What is all the ‘rage’ about juicing?

Our digestive systems are our own natural juicing machines but years of overuse and abuse (too much sugar, bad fats, alcohol, chemicals and stress) have left many of us with a sluggish and lifeless digestive system. An inefficient digestive system means poor mineral and nutrient uptake and this affects both our energy levels and our mood.

We should be eating 8 portions of fruit and veg a day but most of us eat less than this or eat over-cooked and processed versions whose nutrients have been stripped away. The average person’s daily intake of raw food is under 5%, leaving many of us mineral and nutrient deficient, leading to energy, mood, weight and other health issues.

A fresh juice provides your body with an “express delivery” of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, carbohydrates, chlorophyll and phytonutrients, as well as antioxidants to fight the oxidants that contribute to cancer, heart disease and ageing. Fruits and vegetables are easy to digest and leave the stomach in about 30 minutes, travelling into the small intestine where the energy and nutrients are absorbed. But with a juice, they are absorbed in minutes!

A juice is made by using a juice extractor (juice machine) and is a fairly thin liquid as the fibre of the food is left behind in the machine. It’s best drunk straight away for the maximum nutrient hit and before oxygen gets to it and it starts to go off. This is why packaged fruit and veg juices cannot be compared to those you make yourself or those bought freshly-made in a juice bar.

To start juicing at home, you will need to buy a good quality juicer (try L’Equip Model 110.5 mini pulp-eject juicer from www.ukjuicers.com - the best for a small kitchen – or a champion masticator if you can afford it, plus a good knife and a large chopping board. You will also need to have some newspaper and a scrubbing brush. Quote FP01 when ordering for a 10% discount.
You don’t need to peel the fruit or veg (except citrus fruits).

For mess-free, easy-clean juicing, place your juicing machine on some newspaper. Place a plastic bag into the pulp section at the back of the machine and run a bowl of hot soapy water while you setup your machine. Once you have finished juicing, simply throw away the plastic bag full of pulp, place the blade and removable top part of the machine into the hot soapy water and gather up any pulp that escaped onto the newspaper and throw that away too. It will take about 30 seconds to scrub the blade and top parts that have been soaking in the hot water and then you can put the clean machine away – easy peasy!!

Juices

Zing a Ling Juice
½ stalk of celery
2 apples, chopped into 8
½ packet of fresh mint
Place all ingredients in a juicer and serve straight away
Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
3 carrots
2 apples
½ inch of ginger
Place all ingredients in a juicer and serve straight away

Hydration

The body is made up of around 70% water, so water is the most important nutrient
your body needs.

When your body is dehydrated your blood becomes thicker making oxygen, nutrient
and energy delivery to your muscles and mind much harder and much less.

When you are dehydrated your brain can’t distinguish between being hungry or thirsty so being dehydrated often leads to over eating.

When you are dehydrated your body can’t get rid of toxins properly, leading to
lethargy, bloating, and poisoning of your body.

When you are dehydrated your physical activity output decreases by around 30%
Everything you do, from thinking, digesting and moving is affected when you are
dehydrated.

Hair, skin, nails, mood and body shape can all be improved by being hydrated, so get
drinking!!!!

Aim to drink about 2-3l of water / water based drinks each day

What counts as water?

Still water (bottled or filtered)
Herbal teas
Jasmine tea
Hot water & lemon
Veg juice
Naturally carbonated water (avoid drinking regularly as can cause bloating)

What doesn’t count as water?

Tea
Coffee
Decaf drinks
Green tea
Fizzy drinks (inc diet drinks)

Healthy Snacks

You’re stuck in the office, you’ve got the afternoon hunger pangs and someone’s running along to Starbucks. You’re suddenly faced with the latte and lemon cake dilemma. Stop!!!!! Not only will a latte set you back around 300 calories and the cake around 400 but you will also get the biggest energy slump afterwards - not to mention a load of low-nutrient calories going into your body that can only be stored as fat, if you’re not running the 5 miles home.

So what are your options? Here’s 2 week’s worth – no excuses!!

Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice

Juice is perfect for a late-afternoon ‘pick me up’ or try having one on
the way to work for a real morning boost and to maximise mineral & vitamin uptake
((either make it yourself or buy it fresh from a juice bar).

Vegetable Soup

Home-made soup is a really low calorie, low fat and low sugar snack that will fill you up and give you slow releasing energy. It also has a high water content so is great for helping to flush out the toxins. Make a batch on a Sunday then before work in the week just reheat on the hob and put into a flask. Avoid reheating in the microwave because up to 95% of nutrients are killed off when cooked this way. Try Italian minestrone, autumn vegetable, chunky garden vegetable or tomato & herb - around 70 calories a mug!

Nuts & Seeds

Although high in calories and fat, they contain good fats and provide
the body with good quality energy and protein, essential vitamins and minerals and give a slow release of energy. Avoid roasted or salted ones and make sure that you eat them slowly. As they can be quite more-ish you do need to be careful, so take a zip-lock bag containing just a small handful (about 10-12 nuts) to avoid over-consumption. By chewing them properly you will really get to taste the fantastic creamy rich flavours. Try a mix of cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, or create your own mixture.

Fruit

Fruits are packed full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as natural sugar - ideal when you have a craving for something sweet. You do, however, need to be careful of eating too much fruit because the calories do add up and the sugar content can lead to an energy slump or more sugar cravings, so do avoid snacking on fruit throughout the day. Also avoid eating fruit directly after a meal, as it ferments in the gut which may cause bloating and try not to mix fruits together. Invest in good quality fruit and try eating it with a knife to make it seem more appealing!

Crudités

Chopped carrot, celery, cucumber and peppers, raw broccoli, mange tout
and baby corn are great ways to fill up on low fat and low sugar nutrient-packed foods.

Many celebs follow a raw food diet because of this. For a more substantial snack, add
some hummus (although be careful as this is high in calories and fat) or home-made
salsa (very low calorie). Again always eat slowly and chew properly.

Avocados

A mini avocado late afternoon when you think you want something sweet
can really re-boot your day with its good fat and protein content. They are also great for your skin and because of their creamy texture feel like a treat snack. Cut a mini avocado in half, take out the stone and eat with a teaspoon, add some lemon juice for extra flavour.

Chopped Salads

A cross between a salsa and a salad, they can be made with any of your favourite veggies. Try sweet corn kernels, chopped tomatoes, sunflower seeds, coriander & lime juice or grated carrot, diced yellow peppers, chopped celery, a few chick peas, parsley & lemon juice. These are great water- and nutrient-packed foods that will fill you up, without piling on the pounds.

Peanut Butter

Organic, no added-sugar, whole nut, peanut butter is a great way to have a nutritious snack without the energy slump. 2 teaspoons as a mid-afternoon energiser by itself (or if you are really hungry on a couple of oatcakes or a slice of rye bread) can feel like a real treat. Do be careful of eating too much though as it is high in calories and fat.

Hummus

Hummus contains protein and carbohydrate as well as having a good dose of essential fats. For those wanting a lower cal snack, have with steamed (hot or cold) veg such as broccoli or carrots. But for a really tasty substantial snack have on a hot piece of rye bread with some sliced tomatoes….. Yummy!

Chocolate

Come on! We all love it, dream about it all the time and wish that it was calorie-free! Well, don’t fear, a strip of good quality dark or high cocoa content (70%) chocolate won’t kill you and contains cancer fighting antioxidants. Just make sure it’s a once- a-week treat and that you eat it slowly - savour every mouthful - and really enjoy it.
Avoid chemical ridden, ‘sexy’ milk confectionary that is higher in fat and sugar. It will only leave you feeling tired and wanting more!

Pre/post Natal

Posture After Pregnancy

During and after pregnancy it is important to try and maintain good posture. Here are some tips:

• Shoulders back and down. Imagine you are trying to draw your shoulder blades together. This opens out   the chest and relaxes the shoulders.
• Chin up. Try not to let the head and neck hunch forwards. Keep the chin and head upright. Imagine a piece of string attached to the top of your head being pulled up.
• Hips forwards. Locate the bony part at the front of your hip bone. Imagine these are your headlights pointing forwards. Next look at yourself sideways on in the mirror. Is your lower back showing an exaggerated arch? If so the front of your hips need to come forwards more. There will still be some arch, just less exaggerated.
•  Stomach activated. You have several sets of stomach muscles. The ones you want to work are the Transversus Abdominus. These act like a corset as they wrap around your trunk. Activate these by imagining you are drawing your belly button towards your spine. Try and engage these muscles throughout the day as they will support your back, strengthen your stomach and improve your posture.

How do I do Pelvic Floor Exercises?

• Imagine you are holding in a wee. Hold that contraction.
• Imagine you are trying not to break wind. Hold that contraction. Don't clench the buttocks.
• Contract and draw the vaginal muscles up towards the centre of the body.
• Hold all three of these contracted areas for about 6-10 seconds.
• Keep breathing all the time and do not hold your breath!
• Repeat 10 times and work up to being able to perform 100 contractions per day.
• There should be no external movement. All muscle contractions should be internal.

Abdominal Exercises

Pregnancy causes the abdominal muscles to stretch significantly causing them to become very weak. It is important that you give the abdomen time to recover properly before embarking on vigorous tummy toning exercises. Total recovery can take six weeks or longer depending on the individual case.

You should start with basic pelvic tilts and general posture correction.

When you are sure the muscles have fused back together you can start to do some shoulder raises whilst lying on the floor with your knees bent.

Once you start to feel stronger take more of your back off the floor and over time progress to a full sit up. When doing any of these exercises make sure your abdominal muscles do not dome as you lift up i.e. On the upward movement your abdominal muscles should not raise up, they should contract and remain flat – try putting your hand on your abdominal area to feel it contract.

Three Trimesters of Pregnancy

1st Trimester (0-14 wks)

Early signs of pregnancy:

• Missed period
• Tiredness
• Tender breasts
• Breathlessness (body needs 20% more oxygen now)
• Nausea/sickness (blood sugar level down, eat little and often).

Shell of the egg is controlling the hormone release as the placenta grows.
300 calories extra needed a day.

2nd Trimester (15-27 wks)

Placenta begins to take over the hormone release (12-14wks).
Change in the centre of gravity affects posture and sense of balance.
Sickness will start to pass, you’ll feel and look better! However some women will feel sick throughout pregnancy.
A fetus born towards the end of the 2nd trimester is able to survive, but will be on the critical list for some time.

3rd Trimester (28-40/42 wks)

Increased size and weight of mother and baby.
Continued changes in centre of gravity affecting posture (increased discomfort).
Fluid retention.
Breathlessness returns.
Baby engages (baby drops and mother feels relived of the pressure under ribs and bladder).
Tiredness returns: Clumsy, loss of concentration, emotional.
Aches and pains.
Working women don’t have to leave work until their expected date of delivery but may leave at 30/34 wks.
Weight gain can be expected to be approximately 1-1.5 stone, sometimes more, up to 3 stone.

Abdominal Muscles

The 4 Layers of Abdominals

• Rectus abdominals
• External oblique
• Internal oblique
• Transverse abdominals

They all insert into an aponeurosis which eventually connects to the linea alba.
During pregnancy the muscles have to stretch with the size of the baby. Some women stretch so far that doming will occur (they stretch so far that they separate) which is known as Diastasis Recti. This will make the muscles so weak that there is not much stability for the spine.
Only 66% of women have this during pregnancy!

Diastasis recti can be caused by the following:

• Large baby
• Multiple babies
• Pregnancy close together
• Lack of care for abdominals pregnancy

Common Question – What abdominal exercises can be done in pregnancy?

Before doming you can do all the abdominal exercises
(Toe drops, knee to side, lie on front pulling belly button in, hip raises, etc)
Once you have seen doming the recommended exercises are:

1. Transverse abs
2. Pelvic tilts
3. Posture correction and control

Keep away from any oblique exercises!

If you continue with abdominal work it can increase separation.

Diastasis Recti Test

1. Lay on your back on a hard surface, bend the knees to place both feet flat on the floor

2. Place two fingers on or above the belly button, with the palm of your hand facing you

3. Hold the abdominals in tight

4. Lift the head and shoulders off the floor

5. Push down on the stomach between the muscles, see how many fingers you can fit in the hole (if any)

6. Only once two fingers fit in the space, abdominal work ca be started again

The easiest way to do this is to for the women to check it herself with the trainer present. If there is more than a two finger space, continue with the pregnancy abdominal work.

Common effects during pregnancy

Supine Hypotensive syndrome

(From 16-20 wks any floor work should be stopped. If you lay on the floor too long the uterus can press on the inferior vena cava which can reduce the cardiac output that may lead to dizziness and sometimes loss of consciousness)

Postural Hypotensive syndrome

(Venus return can also be reduced if stood still for too long. Always try to keep moving to promote Venus return, again to prevent dizziness)

Nausea/Sickness

(The true reason for morning sickness is not explained, it could be a hormone that is present until 18 wks of pregnancy. The sickness is not always in the morning, it can occur anytime during the day or night. It can be aggravated by hunger)

Hypoglycemia

(Low blood sugar level during exercise. Eat something before coming to exercise. If pregnant and insulin dependent, they advise no exercise at all. Consult doctor if determined to exercise)

Carpal tunnel syndrome

(Oestrogen promotes water retention that can cause swelling of the ankles and fingers. Carpal tunnel is a result of the retention that restricts the blood flow to the hands and fingers, to make them numb)

Slight increase in heart rate

(Mother and baby circulation are inter-related by the placenta)

Increase body temperature

(Body temperature is raised by 0.5 °C. So there will be reduced ability to regulate body temperature)

Others:

• Tiredness
• Emotional, clumsy, loss of concentration
• Lose sense of balance
• Change in centre of gravity
• Vaginal discharge
• Indigestion
• Oxygen uptake by 20%
• Brain becomes more sensitive to carbon dioxide (breathlessness)

• Stretch marks
• Urinary tract infection
• Water retention
• Varicose veins
• Heartburn
• Constipation

• Improve posture
• Faster postnatal recovery
• Increased body awareness
• Some find it helps with labour and child birth
• Enhanced psychological well being
• Reduction of symptoms, constipation, varicose veins and leg cramps
• Possible control of weight gain