Lead singer of the Verve, Richard Ashcroft sung it well; “when the drugs don’t work, they just make your worse.” Was he singing about the current healthcare system being ineffective? Dose Richard know that it’s not actually healthcare, and a better description of the current medical system in westernised countries would be “disease management.”
Often we hear complaints about the cost of eating and preparing healthy foods. "Eating healthy cost too much." "I don’t have the time to cook." "I don’t know how to cook.” “Fruits and Vegetables go off too fast.” “I don’t have the energy to prepare my healthy meals.” “I want to eat healthily, but I just don’t have the time or money." We all have a choice to make when it comes to investing in our health.
At TSTM we advise our clients to shoot for a minimum of 40-65g of protein at breakfast, which is quite a bit. Most animal sources of protein are between 23-35g of protein per 100g, meaning you will need to eat 170-285g for breakfast (depending on body weight and goals). It is quite a bit more than you would get from eating two eggs (6-7g protein each), for example. You would need to add some fish or meat to the breakfast plate in order to reach these targets.
With the CrossFit open unfolding in February and March 2019, the strength focus of the training block merely is maintenance. The high levels of stress placed on the body during competitions lead to significant losses in strength no matter the sport. High volume and high-intensity strength training are never recommended during competitive times of the season, and hence maintenance is the key.
Stress is becoming more of a concern in our modern lifestyle. Many of us work in a stressful environment and find ourselves vulnerable to sleep disorders, feeling overworked, anxiety, frustration, and even depression, just to name a few. Can we change our perception of stress and turn a negative emotion into a more positive experience?
For many, de-stressing means coming home, switching on the TV, putting your feet up and “zoning out” with what many believe is a mental distraction. While this may seem like a good ideal or a relaxing way to end your day is it an effective way of reducing the damaging effects of stress? The short answer is no.
If you follow the blog or our social media feed, you will know that we are not big fans of gluten or highly processed gluten-free products. More and more research is linking the many of the proteins in grains like wheat, to severe illness and disease and we encourage our clients to avoid it as much as possible.
Often, our clients find breakfast become a tricky meal when you remove bread and cereal out of the diet. These quick and easy low nutrient high carbohydrate processed foods have become a staple in many peoples breakfast, and it becomes a head habit to break. What other options are there?
Your genes are not to blame for your health, or your body fat mass, this is 100% dictated by your environment. Where you live, what you eat, what you drink, your behaviours, how physically active you are, your exposure to toxins, your sleep, your stress management, and the community in which you interact. All of these factors play a crucial role in your physical and mental well-being.
Chances are if you’re not training to compete the reasons why you exercise are to improve your body composition and reap the health benefits of being stronger and fitter. While it is important to follow a training programme or at least move with a certain consistency, it’s also essential to bear in mind that sometimes it can be harder to reach goals without taking a more holistic look at health.
