Health and Fitness Coach

The Fat Tax. Is it the Answer to Our Obesity Epidemic?

Hands up if you like tax! I didn’t think so. Hands up if you like nanny state reforms? Me neither. So it’s no surprise that people are up in arms about the possibility of a fat tax. But let’s get one thing straight, we are fast facing a ‘globesity’ epidemic. If we don’t start a culture shift soon, our kids and their kids will be the ones who will live shorter, less healthy lives.

The question remains though, is a ‘fat tax’ the right way to go about reducing our ever expanding waist lines?

Denmark lead the way in the world’s first fat tax

Recently, Denmark became the first country in the world to introduce a tax on foods that contain more than 2.3% fat. To put that into shopping speak, that’s butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil and processed foods.
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Do You Have Adrenal Fatigue?

Do you do these things and think you can get away with them?

  • Work hard
  • party hard
  • stay up late
  • drink coffee and alcohol

Think again. When we live a fast-paced lifestyle, we rely on the adrenalin in our bodies to keep us going. It can give us an addictive rush and for a while we might actually enjoy being in a constant hectic state. But what about the damage we are doing to our body? As our body struggles to meet the high-pressure demands of a 24-hour day, we run the very real risk of adrenal fatigue.

Are you in an Adrenal Avalanch?

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Celebrity Diet Fads

Here we explore some of the crazy celeb diet fads out there. Grapefruit sniffing anyone!?!

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7 ways to lose weight subliminally in the kitchen

New research shows that if you’re finding it hard to lose weight it may not just be because of the food you eat, it could also be your kitchen. In his book Mindless Eating, Brian Wansink shows us how subliminal messages are affecting the choices and quantities of the food we eat.

Here are some of my top tips to make sure your kitchen is setting you up for success, not sabotage:

1. Out of sight out of mind

If you want to have treats on hand it’s important to keep them out of site. A great way to do this is to store them in a non-transparent airtight container, and if they come in a packet, make sure you can’t access them easily by securing them with a bull clip. This creates what we call a ‘barrier to entry’ and stops you from sneaky snacking.

2. Place healthy food on display

The only thing that should be on your bench is a fruit bowl. Research shows that when foods such as chocolate are visible, they may trigger the urge to indulge. That’s why snacks like biscuits, chocolates and muesli should be stored in your cupboard to reduce temptation. Instead, make healthy snacks more accessible and keep pre-cut veggies or fruit in the fridge.
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Can You Be Fit at Any Size?

Here we speak to three women of different sizes and fitness levels. Many don’t realise that it’s actually healthier to be fit and slightly overweight than unfit and a normal weight.

Tips to get motivated and stay motivated

Getting motivated and staying motivated can be tough, but once you make exercise and healthy eating a regular part of your routine, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get started sooner.

If you’re looking to get back into shape and lead a healthier life, you’ve come to the right place. So stop procrastinating and follow my top tips to get you motivated and keep you motivated.

Make a commitment

Make a commitment to yourself to stick to your plan to get fit and healthy. Identify what your main roadblocks could be, e.g. too busy or too tired – then sit down and work out a logical solution to all of your excuses.
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Body fat and Composition Scales: Tanita BC1000 Product Review

If you’re in the market for a new set of bathroom scales and you’ve got between $60-$300 to spend, read on.

For the past six months I’ve been testing the new Tanita BC100 Body Composition Scales. Now on the surface they appear to be your normal digital bathroom scale, and that is precisely what I used them for during the first two months. Well, that was until I RTFM’d them (Read The F-ing Manual!) and set them up for what they are designed to do – to be a complete body composition analyser.

How a Body Composition Analyser works

You stand on the scales and a low electrical signal is sent through the body (called a Bio Impedance Analysis or BIA). Your different tissues create a resistance based on the water levels, e.g. muscle carries a lot of fluid in it whereas fat does not. This nifty machine is able to differentiate your tissues based on this, namely, bone, muscle, fat, and water, and thus determining your body composition.

It all takes less than one minute, doesn’t hurt and is surprisingly accurate (+/- 1% accuracy if measuring conditions remain constant).

What the scales will tell you:
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Oblique Exercises to Help Get Rid of the Muffin Top

We all know you can’t spot reduce body fat, so if a spare tyre is your issue, hit the cardio machines and get your diet sorted. Once you’re ready to shape, watch this clip for my five favourite oblique exercises. Do each exercise 12 times each side, and complete the circuit for 3 sets.

What is the Best Milk to Buy? Differences Between Milk Products.

Once upon a time the dairy aisle was simple, but stand in front of the shelves at the supermarket now and you’ll find an abundance of options. With so many varieties on the market, choosing the product that’s right for you can be confusing and not to mention time consuming. Here’s what you should know before your next venture to the dairy section.

What’s in your milk?

Before you reach for a carton of milk it’s important to know if you’re allergic or intolerant to lactose. Most of us don’t have an intolerance, but if you’re worried, you can check by having a simple hydrogen breath test or blood test by your doctor.

When buying milk, the main thing to look at is the difference in fat content between full cream, low fat and skim. All the other labels usually have more of an effect on your wallet than your health.
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Food to Help Boost Your mood

Here Kerri-Anne and I discuss some amazing research coming out linking the foods we eat with depression. What moods affect your cravings? What are the best foods to help combat depression.

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