Warm Up       

HOW?
  – 2-3 minute jog, to raise a light sweat (complete before stretching).

Stretching       

WHY?
  – to increase flexibility and freedom of movement
  – to reduce muscle tension
  – to reduce the risk of muscle and tendon injuries

ENTIRE STRETCHING SESSION SHOULD TAKE 15-20 MINUTES

To increase or maintain flexibility and muscle suppleness, a 20 min stretching session 2-3 times per week is recommended. This can be performed separate to your sporting activity.      

Cool Down       

WHY?
  – to help remove muscle waste products
  – to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness
  – to enable you to compete again at the same level within a short period of time

HOW?

  -2-3 minute light jog, or brisk walk immediately after sport 5-10 minutes of stretching (emphasise the major muscle groups you have used during your sport).

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Most nutritionists today practice allopathic nutrition. I will describe a few examples. Calcium is usually prescribed to individuals with osteoporosis. Niacin is often prescribed for high cholesterol or poor circulation. Vitamin B-6 is frequently prescribed for circulatory disorders. In each case, a nutrient is utilized as a "universal" treatment for a given condition.

These various supplements are prescribed to treat the disorders often with total disregard for the unique qualities that make up each individual's metabolism. This is an allopathic approach to nutrition. What is so confusing and confounding about nutrition today is that many people are helped by these protocols and many are not helped. Some, perhaps, are made worse.

Why is this? Today I begin to understand why. The late Dr. Roger J. Williams, noted biochemist from the University of Texas and discoverer of pantothenic acid, stated that we are all biochemically unique. I now understand that these biochemical differences define an individual's Metabolic Type. My experience has lead me to believe that it is the difference between Metabolic Types that is responsible for the actuality that, when it comes to nutrition, what makes one person better can actually make someone else with the same condition worse.

Understanding the following premises and facts offers a simplistic basis for this idea:

1. Ideal venous blood pH reflects the biochemical balance and metabolic efficiency in the fundamental homeostatic control mechanisms. The ideal venous pH is 7.46. Below this figure is acid, above this figure is alkaline. If one's blood pH were to be in the proximity of ideal, then optimum absorption and utilization of micro and macro-nutrients will take place. The further one's pH deviates from the ideal, the less efficient will be the absorption and utilization of these nutrients. This is when allergies, fatigue, digestive disorders, and a multitude of other disease conditions can occur.

2. Metabolism can be defined as the total life-supporting chemical and electrical reactions that take place in a cell or organism. The rate of oxidation and the affect of the autonomic nervous system are, I believe, two fundamental homeostatic control mechanisms that define Metabolic Types.

3. The Oxidative types relate to the oxidation rate-the speed at which the intracellular conversion of nutrients to energy occurs. The three classifications derived from the oxidation rate are the Fast Oxidizers (acid blood pH), Slow Oxidizers (alkaline blood pH), and mixed oxidizers.

4. The Autonomic types relate to the two divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), the master regulator of metabolism. The three classifications derived from the ANS are the Sympathetic, Parasympathetic, and the Balanced types.

5. Most individuals are dominant in one of five metabolic categories:

a) Fast Oxidizer

b) Slow Oxidizer

c) Balanced (Autonomic)/Mixed (Oxidative)

d) Sympathetic and

e) Parasympathetic.

Keep in mind that acid or alkaline blood pH can be due to either the influence of the oxidative system or the autonomic system. The significant difference between these two systems is that most foods and most nutrients that acidify the Oxidative types actually alkalize the autonomic types, and foods and nutrients that alkalize the oxidative types acidify the Autonomic types!

This phenomenon is scientifically and factually proven. It is not theory, but fact. It was first observed by W.L. Wolcott of Healthexcel in 1983 and formulated into his principle called The Dominance Factor.1 This essentially states that the effect of any food or nutrient on biochemistry is not due to an inherent quality of that substance, but rather to the Dominant fundamental control system, e.g., Autonomic or Oxidative, being affected in the person's biochemistry. This explains why a given nutrient can have different effects in different people. This also explains why what works for one person with a given condition may not work for another person with the same condition.

Because any nutrient can be acidifying or alkalizing, stimulatory or inhibitory, depending upon one's Metabolic Type, when health practitioners use nutrition to address disease states in humans without taking into consideration their Metabolic Type, it is an allopathic approach. The success or failure of the treatment is hit-or-miss, a matter of chance and not predictability. Whether the treatment is right or wrong will depend, I believe, on whether (or not) the recommendations are suitable for the person's Metabolic Type. Keep in mind, most foods and supplements are either acid or alkaline forming in one's body dependent upon the dominant system. An example of this is giving calcium to a person with osteoporosis; it would be great for the Fast Oxidizer (acid type) but would compound the problem for the Slow Oxidizer (alkaline type). It would also be good for Parasympathetic dominants (alkaline types), yet would be bad for Sympathetic dominants (acid types). The reason being that calcium is alkaline forming in the Oxidative types and acid forming in the Autonomic types.

One has to think of balancing the venous blood pH. Homeostasis is the body regulating the metabolism optimally. In people with bone loss, there is a problem with calcium metabolism, meaning that one can have either too much calcium or not enough. Because Fast Oxidizers are too acid, and calcium is alkalizing in Oxidative Dominants, Fast Oxidizers with bone loss need calcium supplements. However, Slow Oxidizers with bone loss, who are already too alkaline, actually need to limit calcium intake and increase potassium, magnesium, and manganese (as they are acid forming in the oxidative system) to improve the utilization of calcium of which they already have adequate or even too much.

Determining, first, the Metabolic Type and then making nutrient recommendations to address the underlying imbalance in the fundamental homeostatic mechanism is a metabolic approach to nutrition. On the basis of this research, I believe it can be said that, today, it is unscientific and insufficient to practice nutrition allopathically. One can first understand the Metabolic Type of the patient and thus practice metabolically.

I wish to reiterate that when the patient is balanced metabolically I see many disease symptoms subside. This includes chronic conditions with no (previously) observable cause. Allergies that a person might have had for years disappear. Fatigue problems will be alleviated. Digestive disorders most likely will be ameliorated. This is because the body will now utilize its nutrients optimally. However, it is important to understand that in none of these instances is the condition itself being treated. Rather, the imbalance in the underlying homeostatic control mechanism-the Metabolic Type-is addressed.

W.L. (Bill) Wolcott and I have evolved a new protocol on the principles of Metabolic Typing. The foundation for the protocol was laid by many great scientists of which I will enumerate three. It is very difficult to do justice to the monumental contributions Francis Pottenger, M.D., George Watson, Ph.D., and William Donald Kelley, D.D.S., made to the fields of health, nutrition, and medicine. The result of their combined foresight and brilliant research serves as the foundation for an evolving new nutritional analysis and delivery system which holds the promise of changing the way nutrition, and potentially medicine, will be practiced in the future. Bill Wolcott and I have been working synergistically for the past two years and have jointly evolved a protocol based upon his discovery of The Dominance Factor, current research of our own, and the past research of these great scientific minds.

Whenever most people hear the name Francis Pottenger, they automatically think of Pottenger's Cat Studies. Indeed, the cat studies were most valuable for their contributions to understanding the influences of certain nutrients, or lack thereof, on processes of growth, reproduction, and degenerative conditions. Probably of equal importance, though not as widely known, Pottenger carefully delineated in his Symptoms of Visceral Disease,2 the relationship of nutrition to the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Further he illuminated the autonomic influences as essential components in defining metabolic individuality. From his valid and reproducible research3, we have extrapolated many of his findings and built them into our metabolic testing protocol. Dr. Francis Pottenger is truly the father of the neuro-endocrine aspect of Metabolic Typing.

George Watson, Ph.D., was a full professor at the University of Southern California. His biochemical research career spanned from 1950 to the mid-eighties. His research encompassed the role of biological oxidation in defining metabolic individuality, particularly as relates to psycho-chemical states and personality disorders. The oxidation rate, as he describes it, is the rate of intracellular conversion of nutrients to energy, involving glycolysis, Kreb's/citric acid cycle and beta oxidation. Through his objective testing, he classified people as being fast, slow, or sub-oxidizers. Fast Oxidizers produce an acid venous blood pH, and Slow Oxidizers produce an alkaline venous blood pH. He found that manifestations of physical and psychological imbalance occur when the venous pH deviates too far from the optimal pH of 7.46. He states that when metabolism, as reflected through oxidation and venous plasma pH, is too far out of balance, the patient is more susceptible to disease. His book, Nutrition and Your Mind,4 eloquently describes his fascinating research. The turn-around that he effected with many of his patients is phenomenal. I practiced nutrition founded upon his approach for many years. From a statement set forth in his research, I subsequently developed a mini-glucose tolerance test to determine acid-alkaline balance and its relationship to the oxidative processes. Dr. Watson's oxidative research is of equal importance to Dr. Pottenger's neuro-hormonal research in Metabolic Type Testing.

William Donald Kelley, D.D.S., is not a forgotten man. He lives in the hearts of many of his patients who are alive today because of his nutritional protocols based on his system of analyzing metabolic individuality. Today, Bill Wolcott and I have great admiration for this creative mind of science. Witnessing in his patients and realizing the deep import of the age-old adage that "one person's food is another's poison," Kelley was the first to utilize computer technology to analyze components comprising metabolic individuality. Based upon Pottenger's original work with the autonomic nervous system, Kelley developed a systematic, testable, and repeatable means of determining one's Metabolic Type based exclusively on the autonomic nervous system for the purpose of delineating the appropriate nutritional protocol5. Today, Kelley is not recognized in the traditional circles of medicine, although he truly deserves this recognition. One of his patients who is now a patient of mine was diagnosed with leukemia in 1972. She was advised to have the traditional chemotherapy but sought alternative treatment instead. She saw Dr. Kelley in 1972 and sustained a full remission. Had she been treated with the traditional chemotherapy, she probably would no longer be with us today. This is the legacy that Dr. Kelley leaves with all of us.

Why is the legacy of these three scientists so important? Separately, each of them broke through the limitations of research current at the time to make a unique discovery; but, taken together, these three discoveries give us a fuller sense of the complexities of the human metabolic system. I wish to pay tribute to these researchers as they represent the cornerstone of our research in Metabolic Type Testing.

To learn what type one is, we have developed a simple, accurate methodology utilizing a modified glucose tolerance test along with other simple objective indicators and a dietary, physical, and psychological questionnaire. From this I can customize an appropriate diet and make nutritional recommendations. This answers a person's most basic question, "What should I eat?" "What are the right foods for me to sustain or nurture good health?" It is ironic that, as a member of a dedicated and esteemed body of nutritionally minded doctors and health practitioners, until now I have had no definitive means of making dietary recommendations-which are the absolute foundation of health. It has been a matter more of trial and error than of science. Note, whereas the Slow Oxidizer and the Sympathetic dominant types cannot have a diet heavily weighted in protein and fat, the Fast Oxidizer and the Parasympathetic types should eat these foods liberally. Most foods and supplements have different biochemical actions on each of these Metabolic Types. For example, potassium will acidify the blood in certain Metabolic Types (Oxidative) and alkalize other types (Autonomic).
A few of my case histories will depict a metabolic approach in action. The method is to address the underlying fundamental homeostatic control mechanism-the Metabolic Type.

The first is a fifty-one year old semi-professional male bike racer. For the last ten years, his health and energy patterns were excellent during the months of March and April. Toward the very end of April, his energy would diminish and he was not able to ride competitively for the rest of the year. He sought medical help from all over the United States. He was given gamma-globulin injections, hormone therapy, and hyperbarics. Specialist after specialist treated him with no success.
He struggled with this problem for ten years and was about to give up bike racing when he chanced upon a referral to my office. He requested an interview first, as his experience with other doctors had been so unrewarding. He asked very perceptive questions and actually grilled me on the possibility of any success. I could not guarantee any predictive success but did offer him hope that there was a good chance improvement could be obtained through metabolic testing and balancing. He reluctantly decided to go ahead, and what was accomplished changed his life.

Tests showed that in March and April of each year, his dominant system was autonomic Sympathetic. Through his hard exercise, he was exhausting his Sympathetic dominance and transferring to the Oxidative Metabolic Type, becoming a Fast Oxidizer. What is required for him at this point is a complete change in diet and supplements. For two months of the year, being Sympathetic dominant, his diet would consist of low purine-type proteins, low fat, and high complex carbohydrates. During the remainder of the year he required a completely opposite diet-one higher in purine-type proteins, higher in fats, and low in complex carbohydrates to support his Fast Oxidizer dominance. Supporting nutrients for his Metabolic Type changed as well. I had phenomenal success with this patient, and he is now able to race all year long.

Another patient was a sixty-nine year old lady with breast cancer. She had been treated with radiation and chemotherapy following a lumpectomy. Upon being dismissed, she was reassured that it had been successful and that the problem would probably never reoccur. One and one-half years later, the cancer reappeared. She was told that she would have to go through the same treatment as before. She refused to repeat the treatment again, having experienced it as an ordeal. She was then referred to me for nutritional reinforcement. I informed her that I do not treat cancers, and she should continue to be monitored by her physician. She agreed and I proceeded with metabolic testing.
Her blood via the glucose tolerance test proved to be extremely alkaline. I balanced her pH to near ideal with an acid forming diet for her Metabolic Type, put her on a strict regime of pancreatic enzymes, used selected anti-oxidants (which vary dependent upon Metabolic Type) and checked her every two weeks. After being on my nutritional protocol for three months, I advised her to have a thorough checkup by her physician. I might note here that during her treatment with me her energy level had improved and she was not as sickly as she had been. The hospital oncology unit examined her and informed her she had no evidence of any cancer, and she was in remission.

Another case history: a sixty-three year old woman who suffered from high cholesterol and fatigue. Her blood pH was alkaline (I thought due to being a Slow Oxidizer) so I put her on an acidifying dietary and supplement regime. When she returned in two weeks she said she was feeling worse. Upon checking her blood pH, sure enough, she had become even more alkaline. This could only mean that she was Parasympathetic dominant. (I always recheck a patient after 1-3 weeks on the protocol to ensure the determination of the Metabolic Type is accurate.) I changed her diet to fit the Parasympathetic profile along with proper amino acids and fatty acids. In two weeks, she reported for another testing and her pH was ideal. She also told me she felt much better and was encouraged. She called back five weeks later and told me her cholesterol had dropped forty points, the lowest it had been in ten years. (This improvement in blood lipid content is frequently seen when a person is metabolically balanced.)
Another patient is a sixty-seven year old man. He was slightly overweight and he had high cholesterol and high triglycerides. His physician had put him on blood pressure medication and suggested a highly vegetarian diet with little fats. He heard about the work I was doing and scheduled an appointment for nutritional recommendations.

For the last several readings his cholesterol was 216, 219, 240. His triglycerides had been 138, 106, and 115. Mind you, he was eating a vegetarian diet. I tested him through Metabolic Type Testing and found that he was a very Fast Oxidizer (acid blood). I explained that my focus was to balance his blood pH, and for his type this entailed a diet higher in purine-type proteins and fats. Although he felt that, together, we were "flying in the face" of popular belief, he had seen insufficient results thus far.

After 3 months, he had his next test and informed me that his cholesterol was now 198 and triglycerides were 69. Additionally, he has lost weight, is more energetic, and his knee problems are somewhat alleviated.
The following two cases will illustrate the specificity of Metabolic Typing:

A 70 year old man, 100 lbs overweight, visited the office. Metabolic Testing revealed him to be a Slow Oxidizer. This Metabolic Type requires a diet rich in low-purine proteins and low in fats. Although he was already on a vegetarian diet, he was choosing vegetables that were higher in purines (spinach, artichokes, lentils) and was eating a higher percentage of fats than was right for his type. Adjusting his diet, and supplementing with nutrients supportive to his Metabolic Type, I addressed the underlying homeostatic imbalance. He lost 7 lbs within the next 20 days.

From an allopathic approach, one could think, "Well done," and make similar recommendations for all patients desiring weight loss. Not so.

A 17 year old high school student, was brought in by his parent. He weighed 220.8 lbs with body fat of 50.8, was not that tall, and couldn't compete in athletics. Testing confirmed him to be a Fast Oxidizer. The appropriate protocol for him included a diet higher in purine-type proteins, higher in fats, specific vegetables, along with nutrients to support his Metabolic Type. In addition I recommended supplemental essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes, and garcinia cambogia 1/2 hour before each meal. One month later, his weight had gone from 220.8 to 201.He lost almost 19 pounds and his body fat dropped to 42%. He dropped over 8% body fat and he was feeling very well. He is continuing to lose weight and participates in highschool athletics.

These two cases illustrate why treating symptoms succeeds by chance, and how addressing the
underlying imbalance (the Metabolic Type) affords a predictable treatment outcome.

One patient, a lovely 15 year old girl was brought in by her parents. She was inundated with acne pustules all over her body. She also had asthma. For five years, her parents sought help, from both doctors and nutritionists, to no avail. Through Metabolic Testing, I determined her to be an extremely Fast Oxidizer, along with other imbalances, including a zinc deficiency. I recommended the appropriate diet and supplements for her Metabolic Type which included essential fatty acids and supplemental zinc. She promised to be diligent, including desisting sugar consumption.

Three weeks later, she had improved over 50%. Each subsequent visit she progressed, and by 6 months she had improved 90-95%. She no longer has asthmatic attacks and does not need an inhaler. This is an interesting case to further illustrate a metabolic versus an allopathic approach. On the surface, one could say that I had used zinc allopathically, since it is commonly used for skin problems. (It is also common for zinc supplementation to result in a positive effect in some and no effect in others.) From a metabolic approach, I knew that additional zinc would be appropriate for her Metabolic Type. In a Fast Oxidizer, zinc would assist in bringing the underlying imbalance into accord. (The deficiency, itself, likely stemmed from an inability to utilize zinc due to the metabolic imbalance.) If she had been a Slow Oxidizer, zinc would further exacerbate the fundamental imbalance, thus it would have been an incorrect supplement to use. If a Slow Oxidizer were to take zinc supplementally, that person would not be able to metabolize it, and it would likely require supplementation of a cofactor in zinc metabolism, not zinc itself.

Likewise for essential fatty acids. Her particular Metabolic Type requires a greater amount of EFA's than do other types, and this I was able to determine. This case gets to the crux of why to use a metabolic approach vs. an allopathic one. The same treatment for the same condition would not have been effective in a different Metabolic Type. I could go on and describe others, but I believe these few case histories illustrate the amazing power tool metabolic testing can be.

It has been the focus of this essay to illustrate the need and basis for a metabolic (not allopathic) approach to nutrition, to describe the basis for metabolic testing, and to give credit to and express my respect for the gifted scientists from whose wonderful findings all can prosper through a lifetime of good health and well-being.

1. Wolcott, W.L., A Theoretical Model for Clinical Application of the Intimate Relationship Between the Autonomic Nervous System and the Oxidative Rate in the Determination of Metabolic Types and the Requirements of Nutritional Individuality, 1983.

2. Pottenger, Francis Marion, M.D., Symptoms of Visceral Disease, C.V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, 6th ed., 1944.

3. Price-Pottenger Nutritional Foundation, P.O. Box 2614, La Mesa, CA 91943-2614.

4. Watson, George, Ph.D., Nutrition and Your Mind, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1972.

5. Kelley, William Donald, D.D.S., The Metabolic Types, Kelley Foundation, 1976.

Post from: Fitness Magazine

The research team around Professor Andy Jones tested the effects of organic nitrate supplementation or simply a diet with foods high in nitrates (beetroot juice) in 8 males. Their assumption was that the consumption of beetroot juice would reduce blood pressure in the test condition and moreover that with a diet high in beetroot juice the muscle oxygen needs in low intensity exercise (i.e. jogging) would be reduced and in high intensity exercise (sprint to exhaustion). This would lead to greater tolerance or better performance.

Their subjects consumed about 500ml of beetroot juice per day and this was found to decrease blood pressure, the needs of the muscles for oxygen in low intensity exercise and in high intensity exercise it led to improved performance (or longer sprint time).

These findings are however not just important to athletes and people who are physical active. These insights may also help older people who suffer of breathlessness or people who are unable to be physical active, because it appears that nitrate enhances muscle respiration which in turn improves the oxygen supply to body cells, which is vital for cell function.

The believed process by which nitrate improves muscle or cell respiration is the transformation of nitrate into nitrate oxide which may supply extra oxygen on cellular level. If this should be true than other vegetables high in nitrate such as spinach, radishes or lettuce may provide similar improvements to stamina or performance.

Nitrate seems also to improve blood pressure which in turn might be one of the explanations for the commonly found lower blood pressure and lower cardio vascular risk in groups which consume high fruit and vegetable diets. A study of the Barts & the London School of Medicine and Dentistry and the Peninsula Medical School supplied further support for this as healthy volunteers had lower blood pressures 3 hours after consuming 500ml of beetroot juice.

Their observations also suggest nitrate affects blood vessels and platelets therefore it is assumed nitrate may also be preventive for cardio vascular disease. Therefore diets rich of vegetables with high nitrate content could help people which suffer of high blood pressure and are potentially helpful if one would aim to increase stamina.

References:

Aboud, Z., Ahluwalia, A., Benjamin, N., Deanfield, J., Hobbs, A.J.,  Loukogeorgakis, S., MacAllist, R., Miall, P., Misra, S., Okorie, M., Patel, N., Rash, R., and A.J. Webb (2008) Acute Blood Pressure Lowering, Vasoprotective, and Antiplatelet Properties of Dietary Nitrate via Bioconversion to Nitrite, Hypertension, 51: 784-790

Bailey,S.J., Blackwell, J.R., Benjamin, N.,  DiMenna, F.J., Andrew M. Jones, A.M., Tarr, J., Vanhatalo, A., Wilkerson, D.P. and P. Winyard (2009) Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans, Journal of Applied Physiology, doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00722.2009

Article by Andrea Zick  Esteem Fitness Nutritionist London
Esteem Fitness Personal Trainers London and the South East UK

Post from: Fitness Magazine

The Gastrointestinal tract has historically been considered only to be the organ responsible for digestion, absorption and excretion of foods/nutrients. But it becomes more and more clear that is has importance in many other aspects of health and well-being so it for example plays a role in several aspects of immunity.

Micro organisms have a major role in gut function and health, the lower part of the gut is usually habited by several millions of beneficial bacteria. They help breaking down nutrients such as fibres, enable absorption and production of some vitamins and moreover they also prevent the spread of ‘bad’ bacteria which may cause diseases such as diarrhoea or even forms of cancer.

The concentration of more than 400 different species habituating the human gut depends on genetic and environmental factors, and one of these environmental factors is diet. Diet has been shown to influence the growth, maintenance and the occurrence of specific types of bacteria and moreover food can also introduce bacteria into your gut (Fedorak et al., 2005).

Probiotics are foods which contain so called beneficial bacteria. They usually are made up of one species and these must be able to survive in food during storage long enough and still contain large enough amounts to be able to pass the acidic stomach, the duodenum and the small intestine. By now there are many different species of bacteria which are used for probiotics most of them however belong to the lactobacillus or the bifidobacteria family.

Probiotics have been shown to enhance immune function (MacFie and McNaught, 2001); they also seem to have beneficial effects on patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Amandi et al., 2002, Jian et al, 2002). More recently they have been proposed to have some positive effects on hypersensitivity/allergies in children (Jian et al., 2002) however the trials are still ongoing and might be influenced by the amount and type of probiotic given and may vary for different types of allergies. They are furthermore suggested to help to prevent and recover after infections of infants with diarrhoea and potentially be helpful in adult infectious diarrhoea. Similarly diarrhoea occurring during antibiotic use might be improved significantly (Fedorak et al., 2005).

Prebiotics on the other hand can be understood as the food for specific beneficial bacteria. Usually prebiotics are indigestible carbohydrates. Prebiotics may enhance the efficacy and amount of certain bacteria species. Some dietary fibres might work as prebiotics but most fibres are source of energy for many different bacteria species, whereas prebiotics may be fermented only by a small group of bacteria species and as such are source of energy for them in the gut (Derrien et al., 2005). Some prebiotics are even produced by the human intestine itself. Prebiotics in human diet are generally considered to be safe; however with large consumption side effects such as flatulence, bloating and diarrhoea have been reported.

Prebiotics are thought to be beneficial for gut health and as such for overall health and well being as they influence the composition of gut micro flora by favouring the multiplication of specific microbes and preventing the colonisation of others (Derrien et al., 2005). So it is believed prebiotics may have similar positive effects on health as probiotics. However so far the evidence for this idea is low because there were just a few well controlled trials and the metabolic effects of many prebiotics are still being elucidated.

Hence it appears consuming probiotics and prebiotics seems to provide health enhancing effects. So far just some negative side effects of prebiotics have been reported if large amounts have been consumed and these disappeared with reduction of prebiotic intake. As such, both may be a good addition in a well balanced diet and may be moreover of particular use for people suffering of digestive diseases such as IBS and diarrhoea, for children and potentially adults with severe allergies and finally might be useful during antibiotic therapies to maintain good gut micro flora.

Amadini,C., Campieri, M., Gionchetti, F., Morselli, C., Palmonari, V., Rizzello,F., Romagnoli, R. and A. Venturi (2002) Probiotics – Role in inflammatory bowel disease, Digestive Liver Disease, 34l, SUPPl.21, 58-62

Derrien, M. De Vos, W., Ouwehand, A.C., Rautonen, N. and K. Tiihonen (2005) Prebiotics and other microbial substrates for gut functionality, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 16, 212–217

Fedorak, R.N., Madsen, K.L. and R. Penner (2005) Probiotics and nutraceuticals: non-medicinal treatments of gastrointestinal diseases, Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 5, 596–603

Jian, R., Marteau, P. and P. Seksik (2002) Probiotics and health: new facts and ideas, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 13, 486–489

MacFie, J. and McNaught, C. E. (2001) Probiotics in clinical practice: a critical review of the evidence, Nutrition Research ,21, 343–353

Andrea Zick Esteem Fitness Nutritionist london

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Step forward kickboxing as one of the best all body and mind workouts you can do, burning huge amounts of calories in every session. It delivers so much in just the one workout:

• Cardio-vascular training – Kickboxing will get your heart rate up and and keep you moving as you throw different combinations of punches and kicks.

• Stress relief – However bad your day has been, a session of punching and kicking will leave you energised and happy as those endorphins (feel-good hormones) start to flow.

• Balance and coordination – As you learn new kicks and new movements your balance, flexibility and agility will all be called upon.

• Mentally stimulating –There are literally unlimited numbers of combinations that can be created, no boredom here!

• Tones and strengthens all the problem areas – arms, legs and abs – you use all the major muscle groups

• Sociable – Pad work and practice will mean that you have to interact with a partner, so no more lonely hours spent on the treadmill. 

Exercises that can help build strength and conditioning for kickboxing:

The dreaded burpees!! One of the toughest exercises out there, and yet needs no kit and little space. These target your cardiovascular endurance, and work almost every muscle in your body. You should keep a fast pace, and aim for 15 burpees plus in a 30 second burst.

• Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you

• Kick your feet back to a pushup position

• Immediately return your feet to the squat position

• Leap up as high as possible from the squat position

• Repeat, moving as fast as possible

Skipping. If you YouTube almost any famous boxer in the world and add the word skipping after their name you will see why this playground activity rightly has it’s place in every kickboxer’s training regime. Working hand –eye co-ordination, cardiovascular endurance, shoulders, forearms and of course legs, it’s a great workout with only a skipping rope and a small amount of space required.

Plank Hold. A strong core is fundamental to any kickboxer. This exercise is tougher than crunches, and is less dependent on correct technique to get a good workout.

• you rest on your forearms

• the rest of the body in a traditional pushup position (knees off ground, body “straight as a plank”, curl up on toes)

• hold this position for 30-60 seconds

• keep your abs braced, and try to draw your belly button up into your spine and

• breathe steadily as you hold

Lisa Kent Esteem Fitness Personal trainer london

For personal training in London visit www.esteemfitness.com

Post from: Fitness Magazine

A wise man who was asked how to eat an elephant, replied “one bite at a time”! Marathon training should be approached in the same manner, set small goals and slowly increase your training distance – add no more than 2-3 miles extra per week. Can you already run for 30 minutes non-stop? If not, then this is your first goal.

Alternate walking and jogging for 30 minutes, each time adding a little more jogging and a little less walking. And remember that 30 minutes includes getting home – so after 15 minutes you should be on the return journey!

Once you can run for 30 minutes, change to running for distance. Over the weeks and months build gradually up to your longest run which should be about 18-20 miles. On the day the excitement and the occasion will take you the extra miles over the finish line.

Running a marathon is a wonderful experience. You will discover mental strength that you never knew, achievements that you never thought were possible – crossing the finish line can be emotional for many.

Enjoy and happy training!

Lisa Kent Esteem Fitness Personal trainer london
For personal training in London visit www.esteemfitness.com

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Q:  My arms are a flabby mess. Do you have a simple exercise to tone them up?

Absolutely! I've got just the thing. When you have sculpted triceps you free yourself from having to wear those loose, long-sleeved shirts. Go ahead and fill your closet with short-sleeved shirts. Better yet — go sleeveless! With toned triceps you can wave to your fans all you want (no more upper-arm jiggle!).

Sound good? Then get started with tricep kickbacks and dips, a terrific beginner exercise for sculpting the backs of your upper arms

Tricep Kickbacks

Hold a dumbbell (1-2kg) in each hand and stand with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend to your knees.
Bend over at the waist so that your torso is slightly above parallel with the floor. Bend both elbows so that your upper arms are locked at your sides parallel to the floor.

Keeping your arms still, straighten your arms behind you until the end of the dumbbell is pointing down toward the floor with your palms facing in towards your body.

Hold for a beat and inhale, slowly lowering your arms back to the starting position, and repeat.
Variations & progressions

Increase the weight of the dumb bells to increase intensity

Tricep Dips

Using a the seat of a chair, exercise step, low wall or even park bench

Sit placing your hands so fingers are pointing forwards

Lift your buttocks off the surface, keeping you knees bent and heels flat on the floor

Bend your elbows and lower your buttocks towards the floor ensuring no more than a 90 degree bend to the elbow in finish position

Push back up until elbows are straight

Variations & progressions

Perform with the knees soft or straight and heels on the ground and for more advanced moves elevate legs at varying heights

Vanessa Alexander
Personal Trainer London and Surrey

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Absolutely! Although, be aware there are various types of yoga, from slow, graceful meditative yoga to vigorous, fast paced yoga, and even yoga performed in desert like temperatures. So which form is the best for a person whose aim is to shed some kilos or increase their cardio fitness and keep their heart and lungs functioning optimally? Read on.

Quote: “I attend a yoga class once a week and when I check online, it gives me 181 calories burned for an hour of yoga. However, it also tells me for an hour of "light" standing without moving, I burn 167 calories.”

It’s easy to find misleading websites for the amount of calories burned whilst performing a particular type of exercise. But do keep in mind that no two people share the same metabolic rate.  Some people find walking to the bus stop a challenge, while others go for a leisurely run for stress relief, fresh air and to feel good, so it makes sense that every person burns calories at a different rate, some fast, some slow.

These websites often list certain activities and the amount of calories they burn in an hour, but this is far too generalised as it does not take into consideration a person who has a fast metabolism in comparison to someone with a slow metabolism, nor do they stipulate the different calorie burning rates between male and females.  And in this case, when predicting yoga calories burned, which type of yoga? As there are many and they are as different as a slow walk and interval sprints so it is impossible to say that yoga burns a set amount of calories, it must be broken down into types of yoga to start with. So bear this in mind.

Doing yoga regularly will help your body become stronger, increase your flexibility, tone your muscles, reduce stress, and improve your mental and physical well-being. But in order to burn enough calories to lose weight the style of yoga you choose to practise and how frequently you practice it is key.

In order to lose weight, you must eat healthily and burn calories by doing exercise that raises your heart rate on a regular basis. The ‘Iyengar’ style of yoga, in which yoga poses are held for several minutes with a resting period between each pose, will build muscles and improve your posture, but will not give you the cardiovascular workout you need to lose weight.

Should you choose yoga as your primary form of exercise, you must do a vigorous 90-minute yoga class at least three times a week. It’s a good idea to combine yoga with running, swimming, power walking, cycling or other aerobic exercise in order to reach their weight loss goals. To give you a very simple and general idea of calories burned from yoga, see below. And remember, learning how to intensify your practice and challenging yourself personally during class can really add to the total calories burned. Ask your teacher about this.

HATHA is a gentle form of Yoga, the most common form that focuses on basic postures that flow in and out with emphasis on breathing techniques. Hatha Yoga is practiced for mental and physical health.
Calories burned in Hatha Yoga:  approximately175 per hour
Same as: a slow walk.

ASHTANGA. Meaning, eight limbs and refers specifically to the eight spiritual practices outlined by the Yoga Sutra, the original Yoga text which is just as relevant today as when first composed. 'It is usually combined or referred to as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (see below).
Calories burned in Ashtanga Yoga: Approximately 300 per hour
Same as: a brisk walk.

POWER YOGA is a version of Ashtanga Vinyasa that intensifies poses by moving more rapidly between one pose to the other.  This is often a 45 minute class as opposed to the standard 60 or 90 minute class but the benefits are seemingly the same due to its quickened pace.
Calories burned in Power Yoga: Approximately 300 per hour
Same as: a brisk walk.

VINYASA yoga is a dynamic form that connects postures and creates a flow between traditional yoga postures. The 'Vinyasa flow' is used especially during the Sun Salutation series.
Calories burned in Vinyasa Yoga:  
Calories burned in Vinyasa yoga: Approximately 445 per hour
Same as: moderate bike riding for one hour.

BIKRAM and HOT YOGA is ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%. Classes include 26 postures, guided by specific dialogue and breathing techniques.
Calories burned in Bikram or Hot Yoga: Approximately 630 per hour
Same as: jogging for one hour.

Hot or Bikram yoga which is Vinyasa yoga done in a hot room ups the ante by guaranteeing you’ll sweat buckets. This will help burn a high number of calories due to the fact that it is the Vinyasa style, although don’t be too taken by how much you sweat. Many people equate sweating to burning a lot of calories, but just because you sweat a lot while performing your yoga in an extremely hot room, does not mean you're burning a lot of calories.  Just as you wouldn’t assume you were burning that many calories sun bathing on the beach. And bear in mind that the hotter the room is, the stuffier it is, the more people sweat and there is always the potential of one unfortunate gracing the room with their BO! Not nice, trust me.

To burn a sufficient amount of calories for weight loss you need to do ‘vinyasa’ or ‘flow’ yoga. As mentioned above this style of yoga is based on the performance of a series of poses called sun salutations. Vinyasa yoga incorporates many popular styles such as:
Ashtanga. This style of Vinyasa yoga is a very vigorous style. An advantage of this style is that once you learn the poses, Ashtanga Yoga is ideal for home practitioners.
Power Yoga is a very vigorous cardiovascular workout in itself so quite popular for those with weight loss in mind.

So choose your style, mix them up or simply add some yoga to your regular fitness regime. Try not to think solely of yoga as a calories burning tool though, if you do you’ll miss out on it’s wondering healing properties for the mind and body. Yoga is a medicine as much as a fitness option. Be kind to yourself and treat yourself to yoga at least once a week to help recover from and cope with life. Esteem Personal Trainer in London Michelle Glacken can incorporate yoga in your one to one train,  Michelle cover Central London  and the City of London including Holborn, Chancery lane, Fleet St,  Whitechapel, Covent Garden, Liverpool St, Shoreditch, Fenchurch, Blackfriars, Bishopsgate, Farringdon, Southwark, Waterloo, Bank, London Bridge, Moorgate, Clerkenwell, Barnsbury, Strand, Piccadilly, Green Park

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Preparing your mind

The most important factor when preparing to run a marathon is your mental preparation. A positive mental attitude will help even someone with just an average physical fitness level make it to the finish line. A few key points to try include:

Mental Rehearsal/Visualization – Get a clear picture in your mind of running and completing the race. It’s very important to include emotions in your visualization, so try to feel the feelings of marathon day, including nerves, excitement, the feel of the pavement and the elation of finishing. Even include the time you’re hoping for or placing.  

Imagery – Imagine over and over the way you wish for an event to occur. Do this daily.

Self-Talk – The "voice" inside your head. Make sure your self talk is positive and encouraging, not negative, self punishing or defeatist when times get tough.

Physical preparation

Many people train for a marathon ineffectively. Often in preparation a marathon entrant will run the same route over and over, such as London’s Richmond Park. Then on the weekend they’ll run the park twice. This style of training is effective in terms of building up endurance and stamina, which are critical factors for distance running although repetitive and injury prone. A more suitable training schedule will include both speed, endurance, and resistance training,.

Record Keeping

Make sure you keep a training log, diary or notebook and record: miles run, time run, type of shoe worn, resting heart-rate, weather conditions, running route, how difficult you found the running route and distance, did you get stomach cramps from food? Were you hydrated enough? Did you run out of energy to complete your training run? And so on.
This information will assist in finding out possible cause of injury, weather your nutrition is adequate or the right type of furl source for you, if you need to change your routine to incorporate muscular strength for hills or what has been the most effective training for you.

Type of training – endurance and resistance

The amount of time you run per week is also a major factor although there is no need to ever run the entire distance of the marathon in one stretch before the actual day. Sports specific training, when it comes to marathon running, simply means to train by ‘running’ and to build up your mileage slowly, rather than to start your preparation by actually going out and flogging away at a 26 mile run on day one. Every day you will feel different, one day you will have a good run and the next you won’t. Which is why there are no set distances for you to run daily or you may push yourself too hard when you need rest. Training with a personal trainer can help challenge your speed and build your speed strength, personal training in London Esteem Fitness have a team of trainers that will train because they don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Apart from running, cross training can also be of benefit to both reduce the risk of injury and to facilitate total body conditioning. Cross-training is particularly important for beginners who need to strengthen the opposing muscle groups to reduce their chances of incurring an overuse injury during the mileage buildup stage.

Running can cause numerous injuries, the most common of which being the very painful ‘shin splints’ due to the high impact nature of the activity. So try mixing up your week by including rowing, cycling and swimming for cardio training then weights or kettle bells for your resistance days. Weight training will help you with hills and the later part of your run when muscular endurance is called into play. Stick to high reps from 15 and above.

Nutrition

To run effectively and steer clear of heat complications stay hydrated, regardless of the outside temperature. Any run up to 60 minutes water is the drink of choice, after this period you may find that you need to refuel your energy tank so sports drinks come in handy. The easiest way to make sure your carbohydrate stores in both your liver and muscles are fully loaded and won’t run out of steam is to drink a sports carbohydrate drink, but don’t replace water as you need both energy and hydration. On your long training runs drink the same type of the marathon fuelling stations are providing to get used to the taste so that your body wont’ reject it by throwing up.

As for pre training/run nutrition, many runners complain of cramps or running out of steam so although it is recommended to eat approximately 65% carbohydrates when training, you need to consume the right type for your body and digestive system. Some runners may be fine eating pasta 2 hours prior to running and others will cramp up and have to stop running due to this. Jason Vale, also known as ‘The Juice Master’ suggests a particular juice, freshly made which includes ingredients such as avocado, pineapple and banana as well as other fruits to help you through and to avoid cramping up. The recipe is in his book ‘Turbo charge your life’.

I hope that you will find this article helpful and encouraging, remember the key factors your positive mental programming, self talk and visualisation.

Post from: Fitness Magazine

Energy balance to achieve stable weight

As you may know, to achieve a stable weight, it is vital to balance out the energy you consume in form of food and the energy you need for all your daily activities or your total energy expenditure. The total energy you will need during a day consist of energy needed for growth and tissue repair, physical activity, energy needed for digestion and metabolism of foods and the basal metabolic rate.

An adult with rather low activity levels uses roughly 60% energy for BMR, 10% for digestion and metabolism of foods and roughly 30% for physical activity. The energy needed for tissue repair and growth is negligible in adults but contributes significantly to the total energy expenditure of children.

You may have realised that the BMR is the largest contribution to total energy expenditure. BMR is understood as the energy expenditure. BMR is understood as the energy your body needs without doing any mental or physical work. This is why there are qute strict rules applied when the BMR of a person is measured.

Measuring BMR

People who would wish to get their BMR measured would need to be at total rest, lying and awake, ideally just woken up, they should have not eaten or drunk for about 10 hours and the temperature of the room where the measurement is taken should be within the range of body temperature. All these considerations must be taken to avoid the use of additional energy of the body.

But how will energy expenditure be measured? Several methods have been developed and one of the oldest and still most  commonly used methods the amount of oxygen expelled by a person within a certain time. This is based on observations which showed exhaling 1 litre of oxygen averages 20kJ (4.78kcal).

Measuring BMR is quite time consuming and a lot of specialist equipment is needed and mathematical methods were developed based on BMR measurements of thousands of people. To measure BMR, there are various factors taken into consideration and are commonly observed within the research. So for example the BMR is influenced by gender, lean body tissue (or how much muscle you have in relation to fat), age, genes and ethnicity. This means for instance, men usually need more energy than women of the same age and weight for BMR or people of the same gender, weight and age who are well-trained usually have higher energy needs than those who are less well-trained of the same gender, weight, age and so on.  

Calculating BMR

The most commonly used equations to calculate BMR is called Schofield equations. Here an extract of these 12 equations.

BMR equation per day for males aged 18-30 years:

(0.063 x current weight in kg +2.896) = BMR in MJ x1000 = BMR in kJ: 4.184 kJ = BMR in kcal

Example calculation

 [(0.063 x 80kg +2.896) = 7.936MJ x 1000 = 7936 kJ : 4.184 kJ = 1896.75kcal per day]

BMR equation per day for males aged 30-60 years:

(0.048 x current weight in kg +3.653) = BMR in MJ x1000 = BMR in kJ: 4.184 kJ = BMR in kcal

BMR equation per day for females aged 18-30 years:

(0.062 x current weight in kg + 2.036) = BMR in MJ x1000 = BMR in kJ: 4.184 kJ = BMR in kcal

BMR equation per day for females aged 30-60 years:

(0.034 x current weight in kg + 3.538) = BMR in MJ x1000 = BMR in kJ: 4.184 kJ = BMR in kcal

Although the Schofield equations are used frequently they have their limitations, so they are for example not as reliable for people with unusually high or low Body Mass Indexes (people who are severely under or overweight), for people of ethnic minorities, very old people and very young children are also people who are ill or under permanent medications as both has been shown to influence BMR.

Why all that fuss about BMR?

The basal metabolic rate is the largest contributor to your overall energy needs and will also determine how much energy you will be using during every activity in a day. It might be compared with the efficacy of petrol used in your car. (If your car needs 2 litre per 100 kilometres on a flat street that will consequently influence how much it will consequently influence how much it will need going up a hill). The only health possible way to influence your BMR towards higher energy needs is to exercise regularly as this will influence your lean body tissue and should increase your overall BMR.     
If you would like to read more about these topics a good introductory book is:

“Introduction to Nutrition and Metabolism” from David A. Bender 4th edition (2008)

Other materials which were used for this article are:

Binnert,C., Schneiter, P. and L. Tappy (2003) energy expenditure, physical activity and body weight control, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 62, 663 – 666

Black, A.E., Henry, C.J.K., Prentice, A.M. and P.S. Shetty (1996) Energy requirements of adults: an update on basal metabolic rates (BMRs) and physical activity levels (PALs), European Journal of clinical Nutrition, 50, Suppl. 1, 11-23

Calderon, L., Chang, L.C., Davies, R., Martinez, E., Tam, C.F., Tsai, S. and Yeh, I. (1996) A comparison of dietary  artherogenicities, energy balance and physical activity levels of male and female college students, Nutrition Research, 16, 1861-1880.

Camblor, M., Cuerda, C. Breton, I., Garcia-Peris, P., Ruiz, A and C. Velasco (2007) How accurate are predictive formulas calculating energy expenditure in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa?, Clinical Nutrition, 26, 100-106.

Durnin, J.V.G.A. and R. Passmore (1967) Energy, Work and Leisure, London: Heinemann Educational Books Ltd

Garrow, J.S., James, W.P.T. and A. Ralph (2000) Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 10th edition, London: Churchill Livingstone

Geissler, C. and H. Powers (2005) Human Nutrition, 11th edition, London: Elsevier Limited

Gibson, R.S. (2005) Principles of nutritional assessment, 2nd edition, New York: Oxford University Press

Groff, J.L., Gropper, S.S. and S. M. Hunt (1995) Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism, USA: West Publishing

Lanningham-Foster, L., Levine, J.A and L.J, Nysse (2003) Labor saved, Calories lost: The energetic impact of domestic labour saving devices, Obesity Research, 11, 1178-1181.

Henry, C.J.K. (2005) Basal metabolic rate studies in humans: measurement and development of new equations, Public Health Nutrition, 8(7A), 1133–1152

Levine, J.A. (2005) Measurement of energy expenditure, Public Health Nutrition, 8, 1123-1132

Schofield (1985) Energy and Protein Requirements, A report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation, Report No. 724, WHO: Geneva

Mann J. and S. Truswell (2002) Essentials of Human Nutrition, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Post from: Fitness Magazine