Are you getting enough nutrients to power through your HIIT class or do you sometimes feel like you’re running on empty? Lookout for these 5 common signs you’re not eating enough to fuel your workout.

Vitamin D – The Sunshine Vitamin Your body produces vitamin D when you are directly exposed to sunlight. It is also a vitamin that you can get through certain foods and supplements to ensure that we have the correct levels in our blood.

If you’re into fitness, you’re most likely aware that protein is essential for muscle growth and recovery. But what about protein supplements? Are they necessary? What should you look for? Here is the best-practice guide.

Starting a new training and eating regime often resembles the wheels of the bus. Everything is running smoothly until the wheels come off, motivation plummets and you have just finished the entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s. What next?

According to latest media reports, handbags are getting heavier with one out of ten weighting over twelve pounds.

Did you know that carrying a heavier handbag can cause changes to your posture and increase your risk of injury?

It may sound far-fetched but the more you stuff into your bag the greater the risk of injury. While your bag may initially seem light, a heavier bag challenges your muscles and can quickly cause fatigue. Back pain, muscle aches, and injury all increase when muscles tire.If you can’t streamline your bag then you need to work on your core strength to combat the heavier load.  Try the following exercises three times a week.

Heart rate is a useful measure of physical exertion and can help monitor your performance and avoid some common training errors, such as going too fast on what should be long slow runs. You've seen this tool in front of you every time you are using a cardio machine in our gym.

Neurons in the brain produce adenosine, levels of which are monitored via receptors.

When adenosine levels reach a certain level your body naturally begins to feel tired and ready to sleep or relax. However, when caffeine comes along in the form of a standard 100mg 8 oz cup of coffee its chemical similarities to adenosine deactivates the receptors and allows the brain’s natural stimulants dopamine and glutamate to flow freely producing a false energy rush. The effects vary according to genetics, physiology and tolerance.

Although it is unlikely to have much effect on the Greek debt crisis, eating Greek yogurt has many benefits for those interested in improving their general health and fitness.

Unlike more conventional supermarket yogurts, the Greek variety is unsweetened and has a thicker texture. It can also be used in a variety of ways other than simply as a desert item or something to pour on top of your cornflakes.

Perhaps most important is the fact that Greek yogurt is basically healthier.

High in protein:Compared to most other types of yogurt, the Greek variety has from two to three times the amount of protein. One cup of plain, low fat conventional yogurt usually contains 5 – 10 grams of protein, whereas one cup of Greek yogurt has about 13 – 20 grams.

If you are serious about developing your physical stregth, whether by competitive running, personal training, pumping iron in the gym, or even just doing yoga you’ll know there’s a whole lot more than seven potential ways in which your body can not only protest but cause some serious troubles.  Whatever your genetic strengths or weaknesses, learning to listen and respond to your body’s initial warning signs makes all the difference between a short or long recovery time and is crucial if you want to keep doing what you do well.  On this article the focus is on some of the most common injuries affecting competitive runners, but the information applies to most physical workouts and regimes.

Runner’s knee accounts for about 40% of all running injuries.  It typically strikes on longer runs, while descending hills or stairs, or after prolonged sitting.  Almost everyone is at risk.  The first solution is to slow down.  Take extra rest days and reduce your mileage, running only as far as you can without pain.  Running uphill or simulating hills on a treadmill strengthens your glutes, hips and thighs and prevents knees from rolling inwards.  Cycling is also good for strengthening your quads and swimming is knee-friendly.  If you have knee pain on waking which doesn’t ease up, stop running.

Marathons the last two decades are very succesfull. More and more people are participating either for athletic purposes either for a cause.

Let’s start with the bad news though. For those who believe running makes you healthier there are some rather depressing recent statistics. Last year Ryan Shay, aged 28, running in the US Men’s Olympic Trials in Central Park was the first world class marathon runner to die of a heart attack while competing. One day later Mathew Hardy, 50, died of a heart attack just after finishing the New York City Marathon. A month earlier Chad Schieber, 35, died in the Chicago Marathon although he’d previously been diagnosed with a heart defect.

Then of course, back in 1984, there was the case of Jim Fixx, who is largely accredited with popularizing running with his 1977 book ‘The Complete Book of Running’, who died of a heart attack aged 54 while running near his home in Vermont.Enough to make you hang up your running shoes? Then what about Bhai Fauja Singh? Nicknamed the ‘turbaned tornado’, born in the Punjab in 1911 and now living in East London, he’s 100 years old, a life-long vegetarian who avoids alcohol, fried foods and smoking and weighs only 52 kg and is not only running in international marathons, but consistently winning them in his age group. And he didn’t even start serious competitive running until in his 80s! Kind of contradictory, no?

When taking up an exercise such as jogging, more serious running or just about any physical activity that pushes your body beyond its comfort zone, you’ll need an appropriate pre and post exercise warm up and wind-down routine if you want to avoid injuries. In addition to this you should always remember to avoid eating at least one hour before you exercise.

It’s all part of the process of getting fitter faster while listening to your body’s needs and respecting its capacity.

A common area for problems when running is the foot and ankle region which is where most of the impact occurs and blood pressure increasing during training. Keeping your calf muscles flexible can help you avoid tendonitis and plantar fasciitis by softening the shock as your foot hits the ground. One popular injury preventive training method which focuses on flexibility and strength is the Wharton Performance Model.

While all vegetables are basically good for your health some are better than others. Cruciferous veggies are special due to their chemical composition which includes sulphurous compounds which give then their pungent flavour. When broken down by either chewing or chopping these sulphurous compounds are converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) which can prevent and help fight cancer as well as boosting the immune system. Cruciferous veggies also contain antiviral/bacterial agents that can help keep you disease free.

Cruciferous veggies include beets and their greens, bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, turnip greens and watercress.

“Why am I not losing weight even though I’m training more?”

A very common question from many people, have many answers...First we need to make sure that everyone understands the difference between weight loss and fat loss.
What’s the difference?
Weight Loss = Wanting to lose body weight on a scale – The sum weight of bones, muscles, organs, fat, etc.
Fat loss = Wanting to reduce the fat on your body regardless of weight – The amount of fat between muscle and skin.

Weight loss can be achieved through gradually reducing the amount of calories you take in or by doing repetitive exercise for any given duration i.e. walking, jogging, running, cycling etc

Weight loss problems

So, while it may not look or feel like spring outside, it’s spring! The end of Spring when Summer should be teasing us. Bringing all the fun things you’d associate – holiday weekends, barbecues, weddings, evenings drinking outside….. all of which add up to bad news for your clean eating and training regime. We are all human though and the odd blow out is not going to have hugely detrimental effects to your overall goal if it is exactly that – occasional. If you eat cleanly and exercise regularly, nothing wrong with treating yourself every now and again. What is wrong though is allowing what should be a cheat “meal” to become a full –on blow out. So you have a glass of wine and a dessert at lunchtime…. This does not give you licence to finish the rest of the bottle over the course of the afternoon and then have a takeaway pizza for dinner and raid the biscuit tin for a midnight snack. Do not let treats become pig outs!

Tendon trouble and injuries is common amongst those who push their physical limits especially weight lifters. Shoulders are one of the more vulnerable areas of the body; however, anyone involved in strenuous exercise, workouts and sports is liable to strain or damage their tendons. Taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, advil and aspirin is only a short- term solution and if used extensively can lead to other health problems particularly of the digestive system.

The squat is the most simple but most technical move at the same time. Adults seem to have trouble most of the time as their lifestyle or job has caused some kind of muscular imbalance forcing them to move in a different way. From the picture below you can see the lady squatting with her shoulders rounding and the torso has fallen forward.

A good way I check to see if it’s a case of bad ankle mobility is to get her to stand on blocks elevating her heels. If the body still falls forward we generally assume that it’s higher up leg possibly her hip flexors and not her ankle mobility. If she didn’t lean forward, and it feels pretty comfortable we can assume that her ankle mobility is the issue which forces the rest of her kinetic chain to move in a different way.

Before we get into the details of the junk food addiction aspect let’s first define the subject. The official definition of junk food is food, meaning some substance that is basically edible, with little or virtually zero nutritional value. Junk food is often high in saturated fats and sugar and contains calories but little in the way of either protein, vitamins or minerals – as numerous scientific studies have proven. 

Achieving optimal health and fitness can be challenging for even the most dedicated of us. But when applied each day, these top 5 rules for improved health and fitness can help you to attain more of it, forever:

Sometimes the hardest part of making a positive shift is knowing where to start. It can be overwhelming when there are a number of changes to make or even when there is one big one. If you want to adopt healthy habits that will last, then the easiest way to do it is by making small, gradual changes.

Hello, luscious, creamy vat of peanut butter. I’m diving in. Before I do though – does anyone know who invented peanut butter? Or any nut butter for that matter? I have no idea, I’m just throwing it out for conversation. Cause they certainly should get a Nobel Prize. Or something.

I actually don’t have a peanut recipe to share today, just some news about one of America’s fave foods.

Processed sugar pretty much has 99% of the population in its white devil grips. Weight gain, foggy heads, Candida, depression… just a few of the by products it leaves in its trail of excess consumption. Yes it is dam hard to break the bond but it can be done will a little (or a lot!) of will power and some handy tips to cope with cravings.

There’s just something about the comfort that food brings us in winter. If you find it hard to resist the munchies on a cold night, you’re not alone.

You've probably heard how sitting for prolonged periods of time is just as dangerous as smoking. According to studies and doctors the affects lead to serious health problems, equivalent to those of smoking.

Are you suffering from stress and don’t even realize it? Watch for these important warning signs.

Do you need to buy organic all the time? There’s a difference between organic and conventionally grown foods when it comes to nutrition, safety and price. The organic food aisle can be difficult to navigate – not to mention, costly – but there are a few organic and pesticide-free products that are certainly worth the investment.

Does the thought of spring make you sneeze? Don’t stop your workouts due to hay fever; science suggests exercise might help relieve your symptoms. 

Eating healthy and sticking to a budget is not always easy, but with a few simple tricks you can keep your wallet fat and your waistline trim!

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are 8 of the best shortcuts to keep your healthy habits in check!

A lot of people incorrectly assume that fat needs to be avoided at all costs. We’ve decided to take a look at what this food group actually does, and why it’s essential to staying fit and healthy.

Lack of sleep is not just bad for your concentration, but can lead to a range of issues, including bad skin and weight gain.

Women of all ages should take heart disease seriously. Those under the age of 65, and especially those with a family history of heart disease, need to pay close attention to the risk factors. Smoking is another contributing risk for heart disease more so in women than in men, so either quit or don’t start this unhealthy habit.

You’ve heard it before: breakfast is the most important meal, helping to kick start your metabolism, stabilize blood sugar levels and reduces the chance of making poor food choices throughout the rest of the day. But with our demanding lives we often find ourselves scratching our heads to think of quick and healthy foods to eat.