NOTE: If you would like to do a Detox please contact me here for more information.

You know those times in your life when you’ve partied a bit hard? Maybe you’ve been working long hours and eating crap? You feel exhausted, lethargic yet anxious and frankly not on top of your game. It’s time like these that you need to Detox. There are a plethora of Detoxes to chose from, lasting from one day up to three months. But before you go launching into the first brand you come across be warned, choosing the program can mean the difference between having a Detox that rocks or having Detox Disaster.

The Benefits of a Detox

Besides the usual benefits of increased energy, clear eyes, skin and regulated moods, Detoxing has many other benefits:

• Improves our Immune Function
• Reduce the amount of toxins and pollution into our body to lessen the burden against the detoxification organs
• Promote healthy eating, nutrition and supplementation to help our body effectively clear the toxins
• Scavenge free radicals and eliminate toxins
• Strengthen body’s fight against cancer cells and generate healthy cells in our body
• Cleanse mucous, congestion, fermentation, inflammation in our digestive tract
• Purify our blood
• Reform our lifestyle addictions for sugar, salt, high glycemic carbohydrates, alcohol, junk foods, nicotine, etc

Things to be Aware Of

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Tagged As: detox, diet, nutrition, Weight loss

Editors Note: This post is written by our elite performance specialist Andrew Verdon. Andrew has completed a Diploma in Exercise Science, Certificate IV in Fitness, Level 1 Strength Coaching Qualifications with ASCA. He is currently completing a Post Grad Diploma in Applied Science (Elite Sports Training) and will go on to do a Masters in Recovery.

Want a  really simple way to check your body fat levels and the level of health risk this could put you at? Here is a reliable and easy test you can do at home with a tape measure (and a note pad).

With a tape measure held horizontal take it around your waist at the level of your belly button. Keep your tummy muscles relaxed and take the measure. The most accurate way to get the measure is to get someone to hold the tape and sight the measure on the right hand side- not the front. If you doing it by yourself then place your finger on the number on the right of your body and let the tape go and record where your finger was- simple!
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Tagged As: waist measurement, Weight loss

Recently Kerri-Anne Kennerly was curious to know how on earth I was going to get Matt Preston in shape. She wanted to know if foodies can actually be fit, and what my top tips are for getting someone like Matt into shape.  Here is our interview:

My Top Tips to Becoming a Fit Foodie

Diet

• Begin with a 2 week Detox to kick start your metabolism
• Learn how long it takes to burn off certain foods
• Don’t get portion distortion
• Get creative with low calorie, high flavour foods
• Eat even sized meals throughout day

Exercise

• Train before breakfast on an empty stomach
• Wear a heart rate monitor and count your calories burnt
• Pick exercises that burn the most calories
• Something is better than nothing!

Are you a foodie? Do you think foodies can be fit too???

Tagged As: Amelia Burton, Kerri-Anne Kennerly, Masterchef, Matt Preston, Weight loss

Recently I appeared on Mornings With Kerri-Anne to discuss how we can burn more fat during our workouts and through our diet. Watch the 3:24min clip below.

My Top 5 Tips for Burning More Fat:

Do you have any fat burning tips that have worked for you in the past?

Tagged As: diet, exercise, fat burning, Weight loss

Ever wondered what the top nutritionists recommend for healthy snacks???  I recently had the pleasure of interviewing my nutrition idol Dr Joanna McMillan Price on her top tips for snacking. Joanna has written many fantastic books on health and nutrition. She comes from a strong research background, yet has a brilliant way of explaining things in practical terms.  She walks her talk and is one of the most highly respected Nutritionists in Australia.

Joanna talks about her favourite snacks for health, weight management and enjoyment!

Two key lessons really stood out for me:

1. Spread out your meals: You will expend more calories (ie speed up your metabolism) if you spread your calories out in the day (rather than eating 2-3 larger meals). That’s why if you skip breakfast then eat more than half your daily calories after 4pm, you will probably struggle to lose weight.
2. Beware Foods that Drive Hunger: The three main drivers for hunger (ie these things make you want to eat more) is Fat, Sugar, Salt. Food manufacturers know this so they load up food with these things. Chips: Fat and Salt. Chocolate bar: Fat and Sugar – ouch!

Joanna’s top Snack Pics:

• Fruit/veggies: Bananas, Oranges, apples, strawberries, carrot sticks, celery sticks.
• Muesli bars (Be Natural are her top pick). Beware of fat and sugar content
• Small portion sizes of nuts and seeds

Thanks SO much Joanna for your informative (and cheeky) interview! I need one of those banana holders!

What are your favourite snacks that follow my guide of  SIMPLE – NUTRITIOUS – DELICIOUS?

Tagged As: diet, joanna mcmillan price, nutrition, snacks, Weight loss

Recently I appeared on Mornings with Kerry-Anne Kennerly to discuss what it takes to burn off those Easter eggs.  Here’s some examples of what you would have to do to burn off your eggs:

• a small 7g mini Easter egg: 8 minutes of brisk walking (6.5km/hr) or 4minutes of jogging, skipping or boxing
• a medium 25g egg: 30min brisk walking or 14 minutes of jogging, skipping or boxing
• a large 100g egg: 2hr brisk walking, 1hr jogging, skipping or boxing

Some of the Questions Asked

Q. We’ve heard the studies about chocolate and red wine being good for you, so is chocolate really that bad?

• Bad only if you eat too much. 7g or 1 square per day is all you need to take advantage of health benefits
• Chocolate is calorie dense, nutrient poor. High in Sugar and fat, low in nutrients
• Dark chocolate is better as it contains antioxidants from the cocoa beans.

Q. What is chocolate made of?

• Cocoa beans, milk, fat, sugar, often many flavour chemicals

Q. Why is saturated fat worse for our bodies?

• Saturated fat hardens at room temperature, eg animal fat from red meat, butter, chocolate. It raises your LDL (bad cholesterol), has been associated with increase risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Q. How many grams of fat should we be eating a day?

• 45 for women and 60 for men. Preferably from mono unsaturated or poly unsaturated fats. Avoid Trans fats at all costs

Q. And what about carbs per day?

• Average woman 180g, trying to lose weight 100g per day.

The Verdict

Whilst one to two squares of chocolate per day has some health benefits, overdoing it quickly tips the scales. Dark chocolate (70% or higher) has considerably higher health benefits, so stick to dark and use it as a treat, not a daily snack.

What’s your plan of attack for keeping the sugar cravings at bay? Can you stop at just one egg, or once you break the seal is it all over?

Tagged As: chocolate, Easter, exercise, Weight loss