Top nutrition tips for 2012 - written by Richard Scrivener

Richard Scrivener, Health, Fitness and Nutrition Lecturer at Premier Training International, offers his must-know Nutritional Tips for 2012.

Finally it seems that we are coming around to the idea that there isn’t any one diet that helps us lose weight, boost energy, improve mood and keep muscles, bones and organs in tip-top shape! In fact, it would appear that rather than looking at new ideas, we are reverting to old tried and tested methods.

Back in the early 1900’s, diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes were a rarity (okay, granted we didn’t live as long), and so it seems prudent to ask: “What were we eating up until this point?” The answer, quite simply, is ‘REAL FOOD’; effectively anything that hasn’t been changed, altered or tampered with! Unfortunately, many of us are more likely to get our fuel from the same place our car does in modern times, and this will only spell disaster for health and weight loss.

Is it any wonder that diet plans such as Atkins and Dukan are so popular? At the heart of their approach is an emphasis on real food, in particular animal foods. Why? Because believe it or not, pound for pound or gram for gram these animal foods from organic sources contain more nutrients (in nearly all cases) than their plant based compatriots. For example 100g of olives contains 20 micrograms of pre-formed Vitamin A whereas Lamb's Liver provides 7,392 micrograms! This means eating either 3Kg’s of olives at 4,350 Kcals or 8g’s liver at 11 Kcal; you can see why these animal based food diets supplemented with some fruits and vegetables work when it comes to weight loss; but the bonus is they keep you feeling full and minimise cravings too because the body has exactly what it needs...nutrition!

So it's probably time to stop worrying now that animal foods (and in particular the fat they contain) will lead to heart disease and weight gain; the research suggests otherwise, and let’s face it, we can’t as a nation really do much worse now can we, when it comes to our health and obesity! So, the new hot nutritional trend for 2012 should be something we’ve actually been doing for the many thousands of years we’ve graced this planet; eat natural, nutrient dense, real food and don’t be afraid to chew the fat! You can do this easily by:

1. Throwing out your margarine and stocking back up on butter (who likes the taste of that stuff anyway, and if you knew how it was made, you’d be straight into the fridge with the bin bag). Butter also contains a number of anti-oxidants that protect against the kind of free radical d
2. amage that weakens the arteries. Butter is a very rich source of selenium, a vital anti-oxidant containing more per gram than herring or wheat germ.
3. Swap your cereal based breakfast for eggs (cereals aren’t real foods are they; when did you last see a cornflakes tree?!). All cereals provide a big hit of sugar, the number one way to ensure you won’t burn fat. Besides providing all eight essential protein building amino acids, a large whole, organic fresh egg offers about six to seven grams of protein and five grams of fat, which is actually going to help you absorb all of the egg’s fat-soluble vitamins... not many people know that!
4. Eat organ meats and ditch the pasta (okay, easier said than done, but at least reduce and replace with crunchy veg cooked in, you guessed it, butter!). Liver contains all of the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12 and is one of our best sources of folic acid. It also contains a highly usable form of iron and trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium.

Top ten tips on managing fitness alongside a hectic lifestyle

Steve Harrison, National Lead Tutor at Premier Training International, shares his top ten tips on managing fitness alongside a hectic lifestyle:

1. High Intensity interval training to make the most of your precious time
The post exercise effects on your metabolism are hugely dependant on the intensity you achieve during your workouts (not necessarily how long you work out for!); do short 1-2 minutes of very hard efforts (ideally 85% plus of your maximum effort) and have equal 1-2 minute easier rest periods between each exercise. Repeat this 5-10 times for 20 minutes to maximise both your results and your work vs. life balance.

2. Hit the weights! 
Weight training alongside a nourishing eating plan is a sure fire way to increase your muscle density, and your muscle density is directly related to your metabolic rate. In short, increase your muscle density with large compound (multiple joint) free weight exercises and you will improve your ability to shed your excess fat stores every minute of every day! For a good result try aiming at exhausting your muscles per exercise in about 8-10 reps and doing at least 2 or 3 sets per muscle group with 1 minute rest between each new set.

3. Using your legs as spot reduction is a myth! 
When your body starts to release its excess fat stores it does so from where it can afford to let it go (remember fat is a valuable commodity to your body so it won’t let go of it unless it is sure it can cope without it), therefore working your arms does not burn away arm fat. So, to have the greatest impact on your body’s fat burning, work the larger muscles as they have a greater overall impact, and will cause your body to lose the fat from where it decides it can afford to.

4. Get jumping! 
If you don’t have time to visit the gym or don’t like the heavy metal, you still want to be achieving muscular overload and creating a situation stressful enough to make sure your muscles are going to have to adapt to recovery effectively. This is where the jumping comes in; the speed and momentum achieved from jumps increases the exercise intensity exponentially, and, not only is it good for power, but the ability to safely and smoothly decelerate every jump before repeating ensures your muscles are being stressed greatly.

5. Get some home equipment so you can maximise your daily time schedules
Current highly effective pieces of kit that are brilliant and recommended for home use are TRX suspension training, ViPR functional training tool, Kettlebells, Hydrobags and Medicine Balls. These tools are all great for short sharp interval routines, which we know are great for us! Have a look at www.wolverson-fitness.co.uk to find out more about these products.

6. Stay supple 
Ensure that you stretch regularly, after every training session as a minimum, to keep your joints and skeleton from suffering aches and pains due to muscle tightness. Remember all muscular activity/workouts cause adaptive shortening and create tension in the muscles, so to avoid this and causing distress and injury to your body you must prioritise your stretching after every workout and add in extra sessions each week too, where possible.

Also, flexibility work will allow your muscles to adapt from every session faster and speed up your recovery rates; this means faster results and also more energy for you to feel happy and vibrant every day.

7. Eat! 
If you’ve used it you need to rebuild it; ensure you have enough fuel in your tank to perform the increased demands an exercise regime will demand upon your body. If you under eat and over train you are on a fast track to destruction, just ensure that your food intake is wholesome, and nutritious.

8. Keep a balanced diet
Avoid high sugars, limit any need for starchy carbohydrates, ensure you are receiving enough good quality fats and proteins, source your food locally and strive to know how it was farmed/produced as quality is everything in health eating; and last but not least ensure you truly are getting enough water at regular intervals throughout the day!

9. Set yourself goals
We are so busy in our lives meeting KPIs and targets at work, and then fail to utilise their effectiveness in our own lives. Truly and honestly ask yourself what you want from your body, create a top 5 objectives and then start to work towards achieving them one by one. You may need help on this route - through a personal trainer, a fitness website, or perhaps through some research.

10. Live to love your life everyday!
Perform a light 10 minutes exercise regime that is quite easy every morning to increase your energy levels for the day. A light jog or mini outdoor session is perfect to inject your lungs with fresh air, get your blood pumping, elevate your hormonal state and yet not cause any undue fatigue; it makes you feel great!

Remember if you feel great, you make other people feel great too, and then this spirals – it’s infectious!
Life takes its toll on us everyday; don’t let it beat you and get you down. Take everyday as a new challenge, look forward to each new obstacle and keep records of how you keep achieving, as it makes us all feel great!

It only takes a few minutes; the key to physical success is quality, intensity and unquestionable progression not quantity, duration or frequency. Every second counts, enjoy every one of them!