Food Fact Friday

With a splash of no added sugar lemon squash and ice. How do you drink yours?

Admittedly the subject of the following post defeats its title, though whilst water doesn't exactly fit under the category of 'food', its beneficial properties are, more often than not, overlooked by the majority of the population (including myself).

Virtually all of our body's other nutrient requirements are impacted by the amount of water we consume. Considering our bodies are made of about 60% water (and our brain 90% water), that's not altogether surprising.

Here are some bodily functions and problems that can easily be alleviated by drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day, taken from this report composed by the NHS. Can you resonate with anything on the list?

Putting it into simple yet effective terms, the World's Healthiest Foods webstie has it summed up;

It's helpful to think about the health benefits of water in three basic categories. First is the fluid aspect of water. Water is a lubricant. It keeps things flowing and moving. While it lubricates, water also protects our body parts from damage by surrounding them in a shock-absorbing fluid. This aspect of water is especially important in our joints, and also in our skin. The second aspect of water is its role as a "solvent." Most nutrients dissolve in water. In our bodies, some of the most important dissolved nutrients are called "electrolytes." The electrolyte minerals like potassium and sodium stay dissolved in water, and the ability of water to dissolve electrolytes is a key reason why our bodies can conduct electricity. The third aspect of water involves its role as a thermostat. When we are too hot, water lets us shed heat through sweating. Water also helps us retain heat when we need to stay warm. - WHFoods.

So if you're not already getting the recommended dose of liquidation, perhaps today is the day to begin rehydrating your body, and reaping the benefits in turn. The Department of Health suggests we drink around 1.2 litres of water per day*, though this nifty online water calculator advises me to drink 1.8 litres today (based on various inputs including weight and length in time that I'll be exercising).

Whizzing up a Storm

Ever since our recent splurge on this Phillips super-juicer, my boyfriend and myself have been whizzing up some magnifique fruit/veg juices - which certainly have been going down a treat!

A couple of days ago we stocked up on our essential ingredients from the local fruit/veg market and Yate's trusty Tesco superstore, and came home armed with bags and hands full of apples, carrots, and not forgetting two giant pumpkins - staying true to upcoming occasions, and all.

Then comes the fun part - the juicing!

The machine is powerful enough to juice fruit and vegetables complete with their skin, which reduces the boring job of cutting, slicing and dicing significantly. The beauty of this kind of juicer is that it separates the pulp from the juice, so unlike your typical food processor/blender, you're just left with the pure juicy goodness that has been squeezed from your fruit/veg. Meanwhile, you can use the pulp to bulk up a soup (though of course you may find it's too dry and thus lacking in flavour).

Back to the topic at hand. We made a delicious blend of pure carrot, pumpkin and apple juice - as odd as it sounds, the taste is - for me - unbeatable! The flavour of the carrot is most notable, but the pumpkin adds a unusual twist and an extra health-kick, whilst the apple provides that necessary hit of natural sweetness (note: the majority of the sugar in apples is from fructose, for slow-releasing energy - enough brownie points yet?).

If you hadn't guessed already, this juice basically has healthy written all over it. Carrots contain the active ingredients of vitamins A, C, E, K, and thus are absolutely packed full of nutrients and antioxidants. According to my handy energy drink book, the orange colour is a result of the betacarotene content - just one carrot contains enough of the stuff for your body to convert into a day's supply of Vitamin A (a vital vitamin for healthy skin, night vision and disease resistant mucus membranes - ).



Meanwhile, pumpkins are also a storehouse of antioxidant vitamins and are loaded with magnesium, potassium, zinc and dietary fibre. Perhaps most significantly for the athletic minded, pumpkins have an anti-inflammatory effect, so regular consumption of this mostly unappreciated* vegetable (*not including the Halloween season) can protect against joint inflammation and arthritis. Pumpkins have been known to provide relief from inflammation quickly, so it's naturally a perfect accompaniment to a go-to, post-workout juice.

As I'm sure you're well-aware, I'd wholly reccommend a fruit juicer if you're looking for a bit of a powerpunch/pick-me-up style beverage, and an almost guaranteed cold-free Autumn/Winter (ok, I'm not sure on the reliability of that statement but I'm going along with the idea of being sans-'runny nose face' for the next few months).

Anyone else a bit of a juicing-addict? Have you any exciting juicing recipes for me to test-run? I'm more than willing to use an assortment of ingreds to create that perfect blend of fruityveggyjuice.

A Touch Personal

Happy and healthy, whilst still enjoying the occasional icecream!

I feel as if this blog doesn't delve much further than food and exercise - which is why (among other reasons that will become more apparent as you read on) I've decided to dedicate this post to something considerably more personal than the latest grub I've chosen to graze upon.

Let me start from the beginning. As I grew up, I was always an energetic and athletic girl. I was part of every after-school sports club you could possibly imagine, from rock-climbing to netball - I was always there, taking part in as much of the physical action as possible.

It was only when I moved to Southampton for University that I lost touch with my sporty side. None of my new friends were into exercise, and had never involved themselves with sports in or outside of school. As a result, I fell into a bit of a rut whereby I replaced my love of sporting activity, with a shameful love for alcohol and partying, alongside my friends and acquaintances at Uni (something I'd not really experienced at all prior to Uni).

This is something that is most definitely associated with university (though perhaps not so much now that students are paying 3x more for tuition fees!). 'Student' and 'alcohol' are two words that are sort of a match made in heaven, as sad as it may sound.

Inevitably, my first year at University took its toll on my body. I gained a lot of weight (so aptly labelled the 'Freshers Fifeteen') and became unhappy in my own skin, though I was still what would is generally considered a 'normal/average' female weight.

I desperately needed to regain the confidence in myself to exercise, and to return to my normal, pre-uni eating habits - not to mention detoxifying my body of all the alcoholic poison I'd wrecklessly filled it with over the past year.

This was a gradual process, but I took matters into my own hands and began to make those gradual changes in order to feel better about myself. And it worked.

Over the course of my second year at uni, I was armed with a more health-conscious attitude; I joined various group exercise classes at Uni and made time for myself, cooking decent meals rather than sticking a pizza in the over or grazing on empty calories.

By my third year, I was confident to attend those exercise classes on my own. This is when my body really started to tone up. I loved the variety on offer, and took part in pilates, circuits, and legs, bums and tums on a weekly basis. I became increasingly interested in health and fitness, which - over the course of a year - resulted in me losing all of the weight I'd put on over my University years.

I can't really input the figures in terms of how much weight I gained/lost over the years. As a teenager, I went through a phase of obsessive calorie counting and weighing myself, which saw my periods stopping for a few years, and so I now tend to avoid the scales as much as possible. However, I'd guesstimate at 140lb being my heaviest weight, and my current weight hovering around the 120lb mark.

But now I come more onto the matter at hand. It's currently mid-October, and my parents have just arrived home after living in France for the past 5 months (alright for some, huh?). Since their arrival, I've been subjected to various comments about my weight, the worst probably being my Dad suggesting I needed help to walk around Tesco due to my apparent frailty (!).

I understand their standpoint. They've been away for a long time, over which time I've changed my eating and exercising habits considerably, my awareness of health and fitness being acute to my interests and hobbies. It's completely understandable that they're worried about me, and they're open to comment (as opposed to taunt) if they so wish.

Though that should give me a free-pass to negatively comment on my Mum's weight-gain, too, surely? It's exactly the same situation, but reversed. But hold on a sec - of course, this would be completely inappropriate and, moreover, insulting towards my Mum.

As it stands, my diet is akin to that of a fitnessista (was that a new word I just created right there, or does it already exist?!) - or, alternatively, a female athlete (minus a fair few calories taking into account the difference in training intensity/time).

Yet, the story unfolds; I am merely a young twenty-something. I guess that must mean I have to follow the eating habits of the average young English woman, and have the body to match - a body that, by Western standards, would be considered acceptable.

So I guess I'll return to eating crisps, chocolate, and large portion sizes, right? After all, that will result in my body returning to what my parent's think is a 'natural' or normal weight. Clearly, my conscious choice to eat a clean diet is unhealthy by their standards.

This must mean that all of those celebrities, actresses and TV stars that we aspire to look like (to no avail, on the mostpart) must also be unhealthy. The bodies that we envy on screen are considered unachievable in 'real-life', and anyone who manages to achieve a similar body shape (like myself) must therefore be labelled as 'too skinny'.

I've finally realised the problem of the Western mindset in relation to food and diet. Fact is, you cannot possibly please everyone. Whether you're overweight, underweight, or the exact same weight that you were 5 years ago, there is no getting away from the labels that people will put on you.

We're all judgemental to a certain extent, and everyone has different ideals as to what is the desired or 'ideal' size to be. We're also all akin to bouts of jealousy, which is also an interfering factor in the matter.

My opinion follows that you should aim to make yourself happy before you start thinking about what everyone else thinks. I'm more happy in my body than I've ever been before, and I don't want to lose that feeling just because my parents tell me I'm 'too thin'. I've merely lost the layer of body fat that most women struggle to rid themselves of; my muscles are still very strong, and I consider my body as fit and toned, as opposed to thin and frail.

I have a strong opinion on this subject because I honestly hate the contradictory Western mentality on weight. It is certainly a 'weighty' subject, to say the least!

What's your opinion on the points I've made in this post? Do you similarly feel like a bit of a Western misfit when it comes to your diet/exercise habits? Please share your thoughts with me, I'd love to hear other points of view on the matter. :)

Monday Motivation

Bambi Northwood-Blythe by Alex Franco, for Russh Australia Oct/Nov 2012. Styling by Gillian Wilkins.

Bambi is a model whose face I envy. A lot. I also love the sportwear-inspired styling on this shoot for Russh magazine. Bambi clearly has a naturally slender and toned frame, though to me she doesn't appear to have a lot of muscle definition, so she looks a tad skinny as a result. Even so, nobody could deny her appeal in these images!

Sunday Energizer

Having worked 25 hours over the last two days, I have welcomed a stress-free Sunday with open arms (and an empty tum).

Lacking in energy and motivation, I just whizzed up a delish mix of overly-ripe banana (1 and a half - the other half was a tad too far on the brown and gross side) and leftover kefir that needed to be used up. Perhaps it doesn't sound so appealing written in words, but it was the perfect pick-me-up for today! Nutritional values of this smoothie can be found here.

I've steered away from my daily banana fix recently, alongside a momentary lapse in my regular fitness routine. I haven't exercised in about 5 days, which for me is almost unheard of!

Anyway. I tend to choose bananas as my fruit-of-choice when it comes to pre-exercise snacking, given the fact that, compared to other fruits, they naturally have a higher calorie count due to their high sugar and carb content, with a medium sized banana totalling around 105cals.

This, of course, is what makes bananas so appealing prior to exercising, or as a quick morning sugar fix. They are also rich in potassium, a mineral that is necessary for nerve and muscle functioning (massive pro when it comes to exercising!). Potassium is also an essential nutrient to alleviate stress; combined with mood-boosting tryptophan and vitamin B6 (a vitamin for glucose regulation), bananas can also help to ease the pain of PMS, and sub-SAD (as discussed in a previous post).

I have promised to myself that I will make the time to exercise today. I have the day off, and my body is now prepared with a lining of bananany-goodness - thus, no excuses!

Monday Motivation

Healthy = happy! And if only exercise meant running/working out on the beach in super cool aqua shorts, huh? Back to reality, though - it is pouring it down with rain here in England and I'm still lazin' in loungewear.

No worries, I have a date with Jillian Michaels soon. Wish me luck. ;)

Exercise your way to Happiness

Studies show that depressed people can alleviate their symptoms by up to 47% with regular aerobic exercise (source). So not only is exercise good for the body, it is equally - if not more - essential for the mind and brain. Harvard psychiatry professor and author John Ratey states, "people become much more emotionally regulated [with regular exercise] and their cognitive abilities are much better."

This fact is all the more prominent now that the chilly British Autumn has settled in (cue rain, rain, wind, and more rain! - and wet feet and hair, might I add). With sub-SAD (a milder variant of Seasonal affective Disorder) affecting over 90% of the adult population (symptoms including subtle changes in moods, energy and sleep over the season change), it is important to compensate for the lack of sunlight - which results in lower serotonin levels (this is the 'happy' hormone that helps to regulate mood, appetite and energy) - by getting outside as much as possible. Even if all of your body cells are screaming against it, exercising outdoors rather than inside can really benefit you at this time of year!

Exercising outside in the blustery Autumn and Winter months may seem like a necessity that we'd rather do without, but it really can do wonders for your mentality and general mood. I find running in the colder weather more satisfying than in warmer weather conditions - there's something about that cold whip of crisp air that I find oddly invigorating! Compared to the humid temperatures of Summer - well, there's nothing to compare. Combined with the knowledge that a (hopefully) warm shower and home (and dinner, if you're really lucky) is on the cards after your workout, it's all-the-more bearable to maintain your motivation whilst pounding the pavements!

Food Fact Friday

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body, and most of it (around 60% to 70%) is located in the skeletal muscles. (Source)

There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body, but just eight are able to be produced in your body. These are called essential amino acids, and must be supplied by food and/or supplements (see photo - this essential amino acid powder is incredible to aid the bod before and after an intensive workout, trust! Tastes amazing too. Cons: expensive!). The other twelve non-essential amino acids are made within the body, but both are required to synthesize proteins.

If you're a fellow fitness enthusiast, however, your protein needs may increase because resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. A position statement published by the ADA, DOC and ACSM recommends that endurance and strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg (0.5 - 0.8 grams per pound) of protein for the best performance and health.

The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight of adults (roughly 0.36 grams per lb of body weight).

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein (grams).

The range 0.8 - 1.8 is based on your average activity level; use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (0.8), or a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

I'll use myself as an example! So my weight in kg is 53 - I'm gonna multiply by 1.4 as an in-between figure - which equates to my body needing 74g protein per day!

How does your calculation work out? More on the wonders of protein in another post to come soooon! Have a great weekend, guys!

Monday Motivation

It's not luck.

It's (probably) not genetics.

Nope. It's strength, determination, routine (and maybe importantly of all, perseverance) that will allow you to see changes in your body. If you want to see changes, you gotta fight for it, and (if possible) learn to love that fight!