Nutritional Cleanse

Last week I completed my third nutritional cleanse. If you are looking for my stats on body fat dropped, muscle mass gained you’ll be disappointed. I didn’t measure before or after as I didn’t embark upon the cleanse for those reasons, having been through a stressful couple of months I was feeling tired, bloated and nauseous. Struggling with digestive issues, insomnia and generally feeling rundown. When you feel this way it’s almost impossible to keep your diet clean as sugar and coffee are the only things that get you through the day.

One thing I have observed about working in the fitness industry is that sometimes you are so concerned with other people’s health and wellbeing you almost forget your own. Long hours and investing 100% in encouraging and motivating others can be exhausting at times.

I like to use the cleanse to reset myself, it is a massive reboot for all my bodily functions. For years I have struggled with digestive problems and when these flare up I know I’m in trouble, as I’ve mentioned before 80% of your immune system is based in your gut – whatever your health goal if the gut is not on board it won’t happen. I tend to suffer from nausea attacks and when these become frequent I know I’m getting run down and need to act.

Even worse, my sleep was becoming disrupted. Sleep is by far the most underrated aspect of health and wellbeing, you can lean up in a couple of days just by getting in a couple of 9 hour stints (remember 1 hour before midnight is worth two after). In Traditional Chinese Medicine waking throughout the night has been strongly linked to different organs and the time you wake can provide an indication of issues such as blood sugar management (before 1am), liver toxicity (1-3am), oxidative stress such as pollution (3-5am) and digestive disorders (5-7am). If you wake consistently over several night you should check the clock:

And finally I also wanted a break from training for a week, I had been training hard and pushing my body, lifting heavier each week, everyone that knows me knows I’m guilty of a bit of overtraining every now and then ;-) my joints usually flag up a warning sign that I’m overdoing things but I find weeks off training mentally very tough. For me a cleanse is ideal to encourage a recovery week. You can still follow strength training protocol but I decided to practice yoga every other day, walk lots and make time for epsom salts baths, acupuncture and saunas all week.

The shakes I used were an alkalising liver detox and anti-inflammatory in different flavours, I also used L-Glutamine, multi vitamins, zinc, fibre drinks, topical magnesium, green drinks and a tincture of adaptogenic herbs. I had three shakes a day, 2-3 green drinks and a fibre drink.

I actually felt nauseous when I woke up on the first day of my cleanse, what a great start! (Big cleanse tip, eat clean the day before you start so day 1 will be much easier!) My first day was spent at college, 8 hours of lectures (on digestion coincidentally!) and then attending an evening lecture on Dirty Medicine. It was by far the hardest day of the cleanse, the shakes actually made me feel even more nauseous as the detoxification process took hold but on the plus side the lectures kept me focused and took my mind off food.

Hunger came and went in waves but nothing I couldn’t cope with and I massively rate the cleanse for regulating appetite, you realise how much you completely ignore your natural appetite day to day and eat just because; you can, you’re bored, your miserable, everyone else is, or simply because its “mealtime”.

Another plus point is not having to worry about buying, preparing food or even the cleaning up after dinner which gives you a chance to catch on some much needed relaxing evenings and early bedtimes. Even in the day you have a lot of time on your hands to crack on with things you've been putting off and become uber productive, I ploughed through assignments, revision and reports each day and it felt good to keep busy. My second day was much easier, I already felt lighter, the sluggishness and nausea had gone. I went to Bikram yoga and enjoyed it more than I have ever before, I think once you are in detox mode you become focused and start to enjoy everything that helps the process along.

I also had electro – acupuncture on day two as my joints were feeling a stiff and sore, this is common on a detox when the toxins are released into the blood stream inflammation can become exaggerated. I added a proteolytic enzyme into my supplements (an enzyme that can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent - also present in pineapple and papayas if you prefer food to supplements). My acupuncturist also treated me with moxa, a herb that is heated and placed on acupuncture points to stimulate energy (qi), improve blood circulation, speed healing and improve immunity - its feels amazing!

I'll spare you the day by day account of the rest of the week except to say that there were peaks and troughs in my energy levels (ideally you would do it during a holiday and take an afternoon nap). Eventually my energy levels balanced nicely, towards the end of the week I was sleeping like a baby, waking early and refreshed, no nausea, no bloating and my skin was clear.

The hardest part was Friday and Saturday evening as everyone else is heading off to the pub you feel a bit sorry for yourself, you realise almost EVERYTHING we do socially involves food and drink. Luckily by then you are so near the end and reaping the benefits you become stoic until the end. I woke up on Saturday feeling light as a feather, clear headed and energised. People commented that I had lost weight and leaned up which is obviously a great bonus.

On Saturday afternoon I even managed to sit in Sophie’s Steakhouse with my fellow cleanse pals Matt and Rich who completely KO’d by the weekend (they endured a very different experience on the cleanse and will be giving their personal account too) as they ordered in steak, sticky ribs, mash potato and woffted a hot chocolate brownie under my nose. I read the papers with a glass of water:





A cleanse transforms your appreciation for food and enjoyment of mealtimes, rather than just eating for sake of it. My first meal was grilled cod and steamed vegetables, it never tasted so amazing, going forward I’m going to use my renewed enthusiasm to change my diet and keep it clean and varied, there’s no way I’m losing my new found energy levels.



My Cleanse Tips

Skin brush every day to stimulate the lymphatic system, especially where you have cellulite.

Herbal teas are a godsend throughout the day, you’ll be surprised how comforting a warm drink is when you’re are not eating. I love Dr Stuarts Detox tea (spearmint, liquorice, dandelion root, sage, milk thistle) or Teapigs spearmint tea.

To rebuild your digestive system add in a good non-dairy probiotic powder to your supplements, several servings of L-Glutamine through the day and a good fibre drink.

Creative playlists are essential! I listened to my favourite music all week long, either to relax, boost energy levels and keep my head from getting foggy.

Be prepared to be depressed, emotional, anxious and sad probably all at once, I reckon everyone cries once on a cleanse, matt cried twice ;-)

Stock up on limes, freshly squeezed lime juice in your water alkalines the body and throughout the cleanse your breath isn’t the best so limes and lemons in your water help to freshen the taste in your mouth.

Do the cleanse with someone, it is so much easier to share the experience and stay motivated with others, you won’t cheat for fear of letting others down and when it gets to the weekends you can chill with some dvd’s together or go out dancing on nothing but a glass of water.

I'm going to embark on another cleanse in September and hoping to make it a team efforts if you are interested in taking part email me keris@fitterlondon.co.uk for more details.

Summer Cleanse

So this week Fitter London's Keris Marsden, Matt Whitmore and Rich Nicholas are taking part in a seven day cleanse. Each one will be blogging their personal reasons for undertaking the cleanse as well as their day to day experience and results. This will be a regular event for Fitter Londoners soon so have a read to find out why cleansing at least once a year is essential to optimal health.

What is a Nutritional Cleanse?

The 7 day cleanse was created by Dr Robert Rokowski and taught to me by strength coach Charles Poliquin as part of the BioSignature Modulation in Sweden.

A cleanse involves unlimited consumption of medical food powders and green drinks or green vegetables every day. There are optional further supplements you can take including amino acids, fibre drinks and detoxification support. The elimination of all other foods and these drinks take the body through an intense process of detoxification.

Why Not Simply Fast or Juice fast?

Short term, controlled fasting (1-2 days) has been shown to deliver some benefits in terms of improving digestive issues and rebalancing hormones. However, it is debated as to whether extended fasting may bring any additional benefit, for many people it becomes a stressful experience for the body to cope with. The lack of vitamins, minerals, fibre and essential fats are both physically and mentally challenging to the body and not everyone responds well. Furthermore, during an extended fast the body breaks down muscle to be used by the liver for fuel in the absence of food. Muscle is your metabolic tissue, it’s the precious stuff you never want to lose. The more muscle mass you have the better your insulin sensitivity and the more calories you burn at rest.

I’m not a big fan of juice fasts either, don’t get me wrong I love drinking juices but essentially you are ingesting water, vitamins and sugar. Sugar consumed in the absence of fibre, fat or protein will spike your blood sugar levels and disrupt your insulin and cortisol control which can lead to fat accumulation around your stomach and waist.

The medical foods involved in the cleanse combine vitamins, minerals and accessory nutrients which can be tailored to your needs (e.g either detoxifying, hormone rebalancing or anti-inflammatory). Each shake contains 16g of protein so you don’t go hungry and consuming extra amino acids in addition to the shake allows you to retain lean muscle mass throughout the cleanse.

Cleanse Benefit 1 – Fix the Gut

A cleanse allows the gastro-intestinal tract to rest, repair and reinoculate with healthy bacteria. The addition of probiotics and l-glutamine to the medical shakes supports and strengthen the mucosa cells of the gut wall which are often impaired by gluten/dairy heavy diets and stressful lifestyles. Anyone suffering from recurrent digestive disorders including irritable bowel, bloating or food intolerances would benefit hugely from a cleanse.

Cleanse Benefit 2 - Detox

People often dismiss or ignore the effects of toxicity, however, it has been strongly linked to symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue and joint pain. Toxic elements are everywhere in our environment; we inhale, consume and absorb toxins through our skin. The liver functions to eliminate toxins from your body, however, occasionally there can be an accumulation of toxins in our tissues effecting our neurological, immune and endocrine (hormone) systems.

Even those who consider themselves healthy may not realise toxic load is increased by things like intense training, high protein diets and lack of recovery/restoration sessions. The cleanse lessens the toxic load placed on the liver and kidneys. It supports the different phases of liver detoxification and restores levels of highly alkalising and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Cleanse Benefit 3 – Drop Body Fat

Obviously one of the most exciting results of a cleanse is the overall improvement to body composition. Detoxifying the body, removing foods and any source of stimulant really allows your hormones to balance; promoting fat loss, improved blood sugar management, increased energy levels, improved mental clarity and increased strength. Following a cleanse some individuals have reported strength increases of 10%.

Training

One of the best things about a cleanse is that you can still train, Poliquin advocates a specific protocol for weight training during a cleanse to keep the lymphatic system circulating. However, what is also really enjoyable is investing more time in restorative activities like saunas, epsom salt baths, massage, long walks, yoga and mobility exercises. Your body feels amazing and will really thank you for the break from your usual routine.

Fitter London is running a group cleanse in September, contact Keris@fitterlondon.co.uk for more details.

We all have the time if we choose to.

Do I have time to train, prepare meals and eat well? Not always, but only because I chose not to.

"I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO TRAIN" or "I DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO PREPARE MEALS"

These are the 2 most commonly used excuses used by people these days to justify why they do not exercise and why they eat crap.

You have also heard the expression "if you don't have time, make the time". This to me is bang on point. We all have a choice to make but its all about how we prioraties our actions.

Let's use eating as an example here. I eat breakfast at 5.30am to set off at 5.45am to start my day. I have a bag full of tupaware boxes packed with my lunches and snacks for the day. Why do I have this bag full of food? Because I prepared it the night before in 10mins. I simply cooked extra dinner and saved it for the next day, once i finished my dinner I packed the extra chicken breasts, steamed veg and salad into the tupaware boxes, a pot of nuts, and some fruit and I am good to go.

Like i said, this took 10mins to prepare, if that. Remember this is left over dinner so I was cooking anyway, it required no extra effort.

HOWEVER,

Let's not assume I do this everyday, because I dont. There are days where I simply can't be bothered, so I end up buying lunch out or eating out for dinner. But the thing is, this is because I could not be bothered, I made the decision not to prepare my food that day. It was a long day, i was tired and it was late. I chose to spend that time watching tv instead. It was not because I didn't have the time, I simply chose to do something else.

I start work at 6.30am and very rarely finish any earlier than 7.30pm, it's a long day but i have my priorities. Which are to eat well and not to eat out too often.

Your priorities may be different, but if you claim your goals are to lose weight, get fit and eat better the "not having time" is simply an excuse and its clear that your goal is not the priority you claim it to be.

Im not perfect (so many people are quick to assume that personal trainers have it easy and that we dont understand what its like blah blah blah, which is a load of rubbish) I just simply priorities preparing my lunches and dinners as i want to eat well and also save money, eating out is not cheap and i cant afford that luxury unfortunately.

Lets summerise:

Eating well and preparing meals is a decision, just as not eating well and not preparing meals is also a decision. We all have a choice, let's make the right one and get our priorities in order. Like I said, yours may be different to mine, which is fine by me just remember this "fail to prepare then prepare to fail".

- Get yourself some tupaware boxes.
- Cook in bulk.
- Save money.

I have tonnes of awesome, easy to make dinner and lunch ideas that require very little effort and taste amazing. If you would like me to share these with you please get in touch matt@fitterlondon.co.uk andi will be more than happy to help.

Train smart, eat well and sleep peacefully,

Matt Whitmore

My primal journey part 2: by Steven Costello

Progress

So I’ve been living and breathing Paleo for 6 weeks now. The first two weeks were tough … no coffee, carbs, and sugar brought unimaginable mental pain. Remember I loved coffee, carbs and sweet food. But now the Paleo principles are a way of life.

Go heavy or go home

Matt’s prescribed exercise regime was tough (see below). So tough that I nearly cried the first time I did it. It was depressing how weak I was on the pull-ups. I could only manage three! My goal is to torch my belly and build muscle, which means going heavy on the weights. But form is crucial and mine was bad. Personal trainers may be expensive but think of it as an investment rather than a cost … they’ll get you there in half the time. Matt’s plan was right for my body type and he took the time to correct my form.

Freedom to roam

Part of the plan involved becoming a Fitter London Freedom Pass holder which means that I’m now physically and mentally tortured 3 times a week. But the classes are addictive; you’re pushed to the limit in every session, the classes are packed, the music rocks and there’s a great energy in the room. This energy gets you through the pain. And as Matt once said to me, “Pain never killed anyone”.

Matt’s Regime

Mon: Compound

Week 1: 3 x 12 – 15 reps (60 secs rest)
Week 2: 3 x 10 – 12 reps (60 secs rest)
Week 3: 3 x 8 – 10 reps (60 secs rest)
Week 4: 3 x 6 – 8 reps (90 secs rest)

This involves 4 supersets:

1. Incline DB press / dead lift
2. Flat DB press / pull ups
3. Front DB squats / DB row
4. Lunges (DB in each hand) / barbell or DB curls

Tues: Kettlebells for Strength & Bodyweight Conditioning

Weds: Rest

Thurs: Kettlebells - Cardio and Core

Fri: Rest

Sat: Kettlebells for Strength, Size and a Six Pack

Sun: Rest

After 6 weeks of training four times per week I have noticed significant strength gains. I can comfortably do a 32kg double arm swing, shoulder press 20kg on each arm and my recovery times are improving.

Measurements

My body fat dropped from 23.7% to 21% after 3 weeks. I was hoping for more but Keris explained that 0.5-2% a week is the norm. I also dropped 10mm from my waist, which shows that the diet can work in a short amount of time.

The main stumbling block is my belly. It’s still there and doesn’t seem to want to leave my body fast. This points towards high cortisol levels from stress so I’ve been told to make a conscious effort to sleep more, get down time from work, always train early and take magnesium at lunch and in the evening.

I knew this challenge would be tough and it’s at these times that you need to dig deep. Having Matt and Keris is also invaluable in helping me overcome the stumbling blocks.

So a little patience and perseverance is going to be needed. I’m also taking weekly photos and measurements of myself i.e. waist, chest, bicep and quads. Mini results every week is the only motivation I need.

In the next next blog

I’ll explain what supplements I am taking, when and why. I’ll also go into a bit more detail about my diet.

Plantain 'Cakes'

I got this recipe idea on Friday while I was in the changing room at the gym :) The TV chef used potatoes and I thought, "This would definitely work with plantain".

And of course... it did :)

FYI: I'm Nigerian and I love plantain :)

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 plantains
1 red bell pepper
Quarter of an onion
2 small tins of mackerel (fresh fish is ideal but I had none at home)
I used no seasoning because plantains are naturally sweet.

Plantain 'Cakes'

1. Cut the plantains into three pieces each (leaving the skin on). Add to a pot and add enough to cover the plantain halfway (max). Boil on medium to high heat for 15-20 mins.
2. Chop the 1/4 onion into small pieces, same goes for the bell pepper.
3. Remove plantain from pot and peel. Add the pieces to a big mixing bowl.
4. Break an egg into the bowl, add the chopped onion and pepper. Mix contents with a wooden spoon, the result should be very thick.
5. Take a handful of the mix and roll into a ball, then into a square/cube shape. continue till done with the mix. (I made 3 large 'cakes')
6. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan and fry the onions in the pan. When brown, toss them out.
7. Add the cakes to the pan and pan fry on low to medium heat. the cube shape comes in handy because you are able to turn it on all six sides. It took a total of 10 minutes to cook.
8. Fry the egg and serve with a cake (as seen in the pictures).

Serving suggestions:

• I served mine with an egg (runny, which I like and which is how the potato cakes were served on TV)
• Serve with Quick Stew (Recipe: HERE)

Alternatives:

• I'm going to try baking it in the oven next time :)
• Use vegetables of your choice, I'm going to try spinach next.
• You can use sweet potato, butternut squash, etc.
• I also made a butternut squash version which I rolled into small balls and oven-baked on medium heat for 15 minutes. Again, I boiled the squash before mixing with other ingredients:

Health – The Holy Grail? My recipe for success.

So after noticing for the last couples of weeks I am managing to use 20kg + kettlebells on most drills. I have bags of energy, am sleeping like a baby and am feeling amazing!

Those of you not into fitness can look away now and I apologise in advance if I begin to sound too evangelical.

You may have read Matt’s and Keris’ weekly emails constantly banging on about the importance of DIET, exercise, REST - repeat repeat ad nauseum…. and either let it go over your head and switch off or thought
‘yeah yeah Matt and Keris already look amazing – its their business to sell this lifestyle – they have an agenda (even though they don’t) they just love what they do and have a mission to spread the word (told you this might get evangelical) and they just happen to look the part.'

(Reading this back I can hear them saying ‘we don’t just LOOK the part it takes WORK!' :0))

Well I’m telling you now I’m just your average very late 30 something – (ok 42) who has an interest in health, food and fitness, who has discovered a certain formula or recipe and I am really starting to reap the benefits. I’m going to share my thoughts with you…

There is a definite recipe for my delicious results cake…and here it is.

DIET
Yes I have done the Paleo or at least a version of it. Stop rolling your eyes…I know that it is certainly not for everybody and there is a definite split amongst friends. Those who are on it, like it or can live with it. Or the other half that haven’t done it, hate it. I’m am NOT saying get on it, it’s your choice. Find your own recipe for success.

Diet basic summary – follow these guidelines. I’m not telling you exactly what to eat.

Protein Shake, Protein breakfast mid morning with salad veggies of choice. Lean meat and salad for lunch. Lean meat and veggies for dinner. Snack – nuts, fruits, berries etc – SIMPLES!


HAVE A CHEAT MEAL/DAY
It depends on your goals. If you need to have a drink then do so – but make it worth it. A large glass of good red wine is far better than a few pints of lager. Good quality chocolate is fine. Just don’t ignore your overall consumption over a week. Too much and you will reduce any gains you are making.

Most importantly DON’T beat yourself up over having a little bit of what you fancy occasionally so you don’t feel deprived.

Check out http://www.cucinaceri.wordpress.com/ there are some great simple healthy meal ideas on here.


EXERCISE
I am now working out 4-5 times a week. I squeeze most of this in before going to the office. It works for me so I can also have a life. This may sound a lot but it is the level of commitment I have chosen. It breaks down into 2 PT sessions with Matt and 2-3 classes with Fitter London (http://www.fitterlondon.co.uk/). Mix it up guys. You are less likely to get bored.


SUPPORT
I have built up a great support network of like minded people – some of those attend the classes and some that don’t. One thing they all have in common is that they have a positive outlook, are interested, enthusiastic, motivational, open minded and all love their food!



REST
I cannot stress the importance of this part of the recipe enough. GET YOUR REST DAYS. You must rest to come back stronger! I know it’s hard to stop when you’re on a roll.
Believe me I have failed so many times because I have gotten carried away because I have felt great, strong and full of beans. Only to overtrain or strain a muscle which has not had time to fully recover.


THE CAKE
Follow the simple recipe steps above and you will feel amazing, fitter, rested, stronger!


Decide for yourself what your achievable goals are. You know I’m not getting any younger and having a 6 pack at this point in my life is not exactly achievable but if this recipe gets me any nearer then that’s an added benefit.


You might be thinking that all this is not exactly news, it’s not exactly the holy grail is it? – I agree but the point is you have to discover all this for yourself.

I have and I am lucky to have had my eureka moment!

Personal trainers are not perfect

Personal trainers are not perfect.

This is shocking news right? Personal trainers, fitness professionals, strength coaches......whatever you want to call em, are far from perfect.

Everyone assumes that as someone who works in the industry my diet must be picture perfect, my body a temple blah blah blah.

Let me let you into a little secret, I eat ice cream, I drink alcohol and chocolate, well don't even get me started and yes I get hangovers.

Now, I don't drink everyday, nore do I have ice cream after every meal and I certainly wont polish off a whole slab of chocolate on a daily basis. However I will consume these things every now and again as a treat simply because I want to, because I like them. And so should you.

I find it very frustrating when someone who is clearly over weight tells me "your a personal trainer, you shouldn't be eating that", should my response be well your fat so you shouldn't be eating at all!

Life is about balance and the truth is most of us get it wrong, including personal trainers. Gasp

Another cracker I hear is "well you work in a gym so eating a healthy diet is easy for you", they are absolutely right, my gym cooks me 6 small meals everyday, provides me with 3liters of filtered water and they have the area heavily policed just in case I decide to sink my teeth in to a chocolate eclair. Dont talk shite!

So, the reason I am writing this is to let you all know that as a personal trainer, I don't get as much sleep as I would like, I don't live on grass and freshly caught chicken, I don't eat a bland and unenjoyable diet. I like to eat well, I enjoy what I eat safe in the knowledge that it is healthy as well as being tasty.

You know what you like and you also have a good idea of what is healthy. So simply find healthier ways to cook your favourite meals. Chicken fajitas, chilli con carne, burgers, English breakfasts. These are all on my weekly menu, the difference being I find healthier ways to make them. Grill don't fry, use coconut not vegetable oil, use organic not highly sprayed veg etc. Simple changes that make a big difference.

Also, think structure. If you went out on the piss on Saturday, avoid crappy food on the Sunday. If you had a greasy fry up on Friday morning, don't have a cake after lunch. Add structure to your treats, plan ahead and improvise. That way you won't go overboard and you will appreciate them a lot more.

Much love, grilled chicken and green teas,

Matt

Fitter Food on the Go

As if living in the most toxic city in the UK isn’t bad enough London can seem like one of the hardest places to be healthy. Working hours are long, commutes are stressful and it’s difficult to believe we were ever meant to eat anything other than coffee, croissants and crisps as they are everywhere. Most of us end up eating out or on the go a couple of times a week through sheer convenience and on these occasions you often want to keep things relatively healthy. The food industry are increasingly catching on to the fact that Londoners operate a credit/debit lifestyle. The weekend is about the vino, chunky chips, lattes, cup cakes and the full English. By Monday we’re back on it and looking to eat garden + goji berries to detox the weekend out of our system. As a result there are now much healthier options available, that is if you bypass the well marketed “diet” foods like low calorie, tasteless sandwiches and head toward the more genuine healthy eateries in and around the city.

Lets start with breakfast, personally I prefer a protein based option as it keeps me full until lunchtime. I’m impressed by POD’s breakfast, which include eggs served a number of ways and a superfood breakfast of eggs, spinach, tomato, feta and seeds. I also love their chicken and avocado wrapped in nori seaweed, I even borrowed the idea for my own lunches. Lots of small cafes and sandwich shops also offer take away scrambled eggs and omelettes where you can decide how many whites/yolks you want, top it with chicken, spinach and skip the cheese.

Matt recently discovered free range, organic breakfasts at the National Gallery (he can often be found there having "meetings") which also includes a healthy option of grilled mushrooms, cooked tomatoes and avocado. Patisserie Valerie also offer a range of egg breakfasts served with salmon or ham.

Porridge lovers are spoilt for choice with Leon, Eat, Pret and Le Pain Quotidien offering hot porridge daily, top it with berries, seeds and nuts to add extra protein and anti-oxidants.

In terms of snacking there are fruit stalls a plenty outside every tube station these days, stock up on more alkaline fruits like apples, pears and melon. Always grab some lemons and limes to squeeze into your two litres of filtered water each day. Nuts and seeds are also highly convenient and packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. Aim to have 1-2 handfuls a day. There are Cranberry stalls in most stations now so you can grab a selection on route to work, they even include raw nuts, awesome! If portion control is an issue you can start a Graze subscription and have small boxes delivered to your desk. See how lucky us Londoners are!

As for lunch, if you use big chains like Eat, Pret, Starbucks they now label ingredients in store and their websites contain full nutritional information and ingredients, I support this as it’s always good to understand what you’re putting inside your body (and how much sugar they put in “healthy” granola bars or bran muffins, usually >30grams! ). Gluten free and dairy free meals tend to be good choices as sometimes dressings and soups can be laden with cream and butter. If you see coconut milk listed as an ingredient grab it, this is excellent stuff with numerous health benefits, never avoid it.

Tossed salad bars are popping up everywhere, you can choose a base of salad leaves and toppings. It’s also great way to get ideas for your own salads when you make them at home. They also offer stews served with brown rice and hearty soups. I have always rated Leon for offering a great range of hearty salads topped with protein, dairy free coleslaw and brown rice. In the evenings they serve tapas including garlic & chilli broccoli, sweet potato falafels and you can even take your own bottle of wine to make a night out healthier on the bank balance.

Crussh Juice and Salad Bar are possibly my favourite chain. They have a great range of fresh juices where you can add your own greens and superfoods. If you are ever hungover swap the latte for a Detoxer Super Booster, that'll fix you for the day! Their health pots are fantastic, including watercress & celeriac, black lentil or goats cheese and sweet potato. They also have a host of healthy snacks (nuts, seeds, Bounce bars and my favourite: Green & Blacks 70% dark chocolate).

Admittedly with some of these lunches you pay more than you would for baguettes or wraps but you are getting your money’s worth as your lunch will be packed with protein, good fats, low GI carbs, vitamins and minerals.

If you are looking for a healthy dinner, steak restaurants are a good choice, I like Sophie’s Steakhouse as they have a good range of meat and fish served with ratatouille and hearty salads. Byron Burgers serve skinny burgers (without the bread) great with a butternut squash and avocado salad. If you feel like spoiling yourself go for Gaucho Grill, they serve the best sweet potato chips.

Itsu, Wagamama's and Busaba are popping up everywhere and offer great range including healthy miso soups, sashimi, Thai salads and stir fry’s. Every now and then I opt for vegetarian restaurants to get in a serious dose of all the good stuff; Mildrids, Vita Organic, Vantra and Food For Thought are all great for chunky stews, vegetable curries and delicious salads.

If you do fancy indulging in something sweet mid week head to Vita Organic, Vantra, POD, Planet Organic or Wholefoods for some guilt free treats. They all sell an excellent selection of gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened desserts and cakes. Last week I also discovered coconut milk ice cream at inSpiral Lounge in Camden, dairy free ice cream that tasted absolutely amazing, it even got the thumbs up from Matt "ice cream connoisseur" Whitmore. All of the above also stock raw chocolate, the food of the gods! If you are stuck in the office all day you can order desserts from the Raw Fairies instead, now who wouldn’t want a cake delivered by a fairy!

So as you can see keeping healthy across the week isn't so bad after all. All the above (+ Fitter London classes every week of course!) are geared to keeping you energised and ready to tackle anything London throws at you.

BioSignature Success in 4 Weeks

Having been training with Fitter London from early 2010 I had already seen a great progression in my overall strength and fitness but was still looking for that extra something to get the improvements I really wanted. I've been training for over 10 years and have always struggled to gain size and a considerable increase in strength, mainly thanks to what I thought was my high metabolism. Siting in the region of 70kg in body weight I am by no means a big guy and could consume up to 6000 calories a day, combined with a decent weight training program, was still only able to gain around 2-3kg in muscle mass that would then be lost if my calorie intake dropped. I'd resided to the fact that its just the way I am and was never going to get the strength gain I wanted.

When Keris first introduced me to the BioSignature concept, I was intrigued to see if the principles could be used to help me get the results I wanted. I soon got online to research the origin of the idea and found myself on world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin's website, who developed the BioSignature method. I lost hours reading blogs and articles, discussing strength and body conditioning concepts that had completely opposing views on fat loss and muscle gain to those of the fitness magazines and personal trainers I had previously spoken to. I was absolutely fascinated and sold on the idea that the concept could help me get the results I wanted.

My initial assessment involved the measuring of my body fat percentage at 12 points around my body that revealed a current measurement of 11.8%. Then followed an in depth analysis of my current diet and lifestyle that was then followed by a strict 2 week diet and supplementation plan with the intention of getting my body fat percentage below 10% and a high intensity, varied training schedule based on the Fitter London classes and one personal training session a week with Matt.

The diet was a paleo based diet, high in protein and removing dairy and carb heavy food with the exception of fruit. I found the first few days a challenge as the craving for sugar set in and my body felt tired as it adapted to a protein based energy source. With the promise of a cheat day after two weeks on the plan, I could eat what ever I wanted. it wasn't a tough decision to stick with it and persevere.

Within 4 days of starting the prescribed plan I was already starting to feel better not only physically but mentally too. I could concentrate for longer at work (something I've always struggled with), my sleep was getting better and my general energy levels through out the day were more consistent without the afternoon slump. I was now able to maintain a higher intensity during workouts and could start to see a marked difference in my body composition. As the two week mark approached and all aspects of my training improving, I was keen to see what my second assessment would reveal and the list of sugary, carb laden foods I was planning on eating on my cheat day was growing and growing!

At the second assessment, my body fat measurements revealed I had dropped 2.2% and was now at 9.6%! I couldn't believe the results and although I had lost body fat, my overall weight was the same meaning I had gained a noticeable amount of lean muscle mass. This is exactly what I had hoped for and although I was now on my promised cheat day, I had no real desire to pig out on sugar and carbs and ruin all the progress I had made. I did make a point of eating fish and chips after completing the first two weeks to see how it made me feel and I have to say, I felt absolutely terrible after wards. All it did was reiterate how good I was now feeling on the low carb diet. I'd also kept a complete, day by day record of everything I had eaten over the last two weeks and on inspection, Keris gave me some pointers on where I could improve/change to get even better results.

These two weeks had given me exactly what was promised when I decided to take on the BioSignature challenge and the next two weeks were set to see even more improvements. What I really liked about the whole concept was the combination of intelligent nutrition and supplementation and a focused training program that was specific to me and adapted to my body's needs as I progressed. Preparation was key to getting the diet bang on and admittedly, it was initially a struggle to prepare enough meat for my meals and to avoid resorting to quick fix meals like sandwiches. It soon became a part of my routine though and I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with carb free meals.

6 weeks after starting the BioSignature process I've seen a dramatic increase in overall strength, ( in the region of 20% for some exercises, something I never though possible in such a short time), my ability to concentrate has improved, my sleep is better and my overall well being has had noticeable improvement. I've also learnt a lot about my body, what works for me food wise and what I can achieve when given the right coaching and direction. Now with the knowledge of how good I can feel, the low carb, high protein diet has become the mainstay of what I eat and with continued support and advise from Keris and Matt, I can't see an end to the personal development I can achieve. If your looking for a way to get in shape by loosing fat quickly and becoming leaner and stronger than you ever have before, BioSignature is for you. With a bit of commitment, perseverance and hard work you can achieve the body and levels of fitness you've always wanted.

Fitter Feature - Ceri Jones

Fuelling my early Fitter London starts..

So…. Thanks to Keris I seem to have a developed an addiction to various snacky Raw bars (9Bars, Nakd, Trek etc) and was spending rather a lot on buying them, not to mention trawling London finding stockists! This got me thinking that they really couldn’t be that difficult to make

as the ingredients lists are so simple (basically nuts, seeds and dried fruit). Also as I hate peanuts (which along with new potato skins are the only foods in the world I can’t stomach) it’s been

difficult finding raw bars I like. Rather a lot of google searches and studying the back of Nakd bars later, and hey presto I came up with a recipe. The good news is that they really are that easy to make, they only contain natural ingredients and there are endless combinations of flavours to experiment with. The bad news is that they taste so good applying portion control

takes an awful lot of self discipline.

So here’s a simple guide to some bars I made last weekend. This week I’ve been eating them as

I run out of the door at 6.30am to fuel up my early 7am Fitter London starts! Next stop recreating

the 9-bar pumpkin (but without unhealthy addition of sugar or vegetable oil) or the Nakd Trek bars with oats included. Go on give it a try, and if you find any winning combinations of

ingredients I’d love to hear them!

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 8 bars)

100g Pitted dates

100g mixed nuts (here is mostly cashew75g with a few walnuts 25g)

Pinch of cinnamon

Nutritional information: Per slice (1/8th of mixture) Roughly;

115 Kcal, 3g Protein, 7g Carbs, 6g fat

• Blend the nuts and cinnamon in a food processor until they resemble saw-dust (or you can leave them slightly chunkier if you prefer) and set aside.
  
  
  
• Cut the dates into small chunks Pic 2 (makes them easier to blend):Blend the dates in the food processor:It works better if you blend in this order as the dates get easily stuck in the blender make more mess and this way you don’t have to scrap them out of the processor then put them back in again.
• Then add the nut mixture back in and pulse until the mixture resembles a dough:
  
  
  
  
• Roll out the dough on a flat surface (mind it will be a bit sticky):
  
  
  and cut and shape into 8 bars:
  
  Or roll into smaller balls.
• Refrigerate for a few hours then enjoy (you can also put them in the freezer).
• Store in an air-tight container.

VARIATIONS

So long as the ratio of dried fruit to nuts or seeds is similar anything will work! I haven’t tried these yet but I'm thinking….. Almonds, Pecan’s, Macadamia nuts, Pinch of ginger, raw cacao powder, orange essence, vanilla essence, agave for extra sweetness, coconut, Dried banana, sultanas, dried apricots, figs, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, mmmm…

From flat pack to six pack

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to get a six pack. Not like a Men’s Fitness cover boy (I reckon that’s just good airbrushing); just really good definition that shows the fruits of my training. I wanted to look in the mirror and see a washboard looking back at me. But it’s always eluded me. Although I’ve always been blessed with what I call my flat pack, I’ve never actually tried to take my training and nutrition to the next level in order to achieve this mythical six pack…. Though I have to admit, this is in part due to my occasional bout of laziness :)

Lucky for me, I discovered kettlebells. Over the course of 7 – 8 months, they literally melted the excess fat I had so my BMI is now the lowest it has ever been (not according to the WiFit at home, though, that still says I am overweight – LOL!) ….

Back to the point, despite the positive effects of kettlebells on my physique, there was still no sign of that washboard I wanted. And this isn’t through want of trying. Over the last few months, I’d upped it a gear with my core training to the point that I could feel the washboard… It just hadn’t risen to the surface yet. But why? I was training hard. A good split between cardiovascular, core and muscular endurance… Where the hell was my six pack!?!?!

As if by divine intervention, I had an epiphany. A bolt of lightning from the sky! It must be something to do with my diet. Cliché, I know, but let me explain….

Over the course of several weeks, I looked very carefully at what I was eating and drinking. It was quite surprising and wasn’t until I’d written it all down on paper that I could see the reality of it all in black and white.

The first thing that stood out like a sore thumb was my carbohydrate intake. No word of a lie, I was consuming an average of 500g of carbs per day! But in my head, I was thinking, well I train 5 times a week, so these must be converted into energy and burnt off. No, Phillip, not at all. Certainly the amount of training and I was doing and the intensity of it did convert a lot of it to energy, but not all of it.

It didn’t stop there, either…. I then looked at my alcohol intake.

I assumed I was being pretty good because I was trying not to drink during the week and only have a sherry or two at weekends ;) Let me tell you, I certainly picked a bad week to count the units, because it wasn’t just a sherry or two I was drinking. After several house parties and bbqs over the course of the weekend, I counted the units I consumed over those two days…. I’m not going to say what it was, but it shocked the hell out of me! No wonder I couldn’t get six pack. Drinking that amount of alcohol, laden with sugar and calories (seven calories a gram in fact, almost as many as pure fat!), I stood no chance! On a typical night out, I’d have up to 7 pints of lager. At around 250 calories in every pint, that’s 1,750 calories – more than half of a man’s recommended daily calorie intake!

It didn’t take Einstein to deduce what I needed to do.

So for the past 21 days, I have been on a total alcohol ban. Not a drop. I’ve been to pubs, bars repeatedly over the last 21 days and all I’ve drank is soda water with a slice of lime. Yum, yum.

Not only that, I’ve halved my carb intake to the recommended 300g per day and I’ve never been so excited! I was getting into the shower a few days ago I saw my first abs poking through (and no it wasn’t a trick of the light!). My BMI has dropped even further and I feel fantastic. I suffer from eczema and this has calmed right down and I feel like I have so much more energy. Who knew all I needed to do was drink less and stop pigging out on carb heavy foods.

But I am a firm believer in having a little of something you like, so I’m not banning the booze for every, nor am I cutting out the carbs completely… I’m just going to be more sensible about it. Drink less alcohol and as for the carbs, I’ve compromised. One day on, one day off. On days off, my carb intake is mainly from vegetables; on days on it’s pasta ahoy! This arrangement seems to be working for me.

If I keep up with the training, keep the alcohol intake down and eat less bowls of pasta and loafs of bread, I’m hoping for the full six pack very soon!

Watch this space.

P x

Breakfast Evolution: Bran Flakes to Brazil Nuts Pt II

So there I was enjoying scrumptious Nine bars and a Soya Cappuccino for breakfast as a quick energy hit. What was the problem?? Half an hour later and I was starving again. Soon I was having two for breakfast and considering a third!

At this point the lovely Matt stepped in and convinced me to try his favourite breakfast, a Topps Cafe Special: smoked salmon with steamed scrambled eggs (and if you're Matt - 10 rounds of toast and marmalade) and a black coffee. Although I never looked forward to it as much as my sticky, sweet bars it kept me full until way past lunchtime. Such a difference!

So why the need to change again...? Variety is so essential in your diet, I soon got to the point where I just couldn’t face salmon and eggs every morning. Admittedly the smell of freshly made toast in Topps cafe was becoming all too tempting every morning.

Just to digress for a second, I once heard Giles Coren (Food Critic) rant about how supermarkets and food outlets “nasally assault” costumers by pumping the smell of freshly baked bread, pastries and cakes out the door to tempt you in. Maybe it’s because I’ve eliminated them from my diet but I seem to notice this more and more, if you fancy a beating check out Paul’s, Ben’s Cookies and the worst offender by far Primrose Bakery – the smell of baking cup cakes makes you want to stick your head in the door and ask if you can lick the bowl!!

Anyway back to breakfast, at this point I was trying out one of the many caveman diets and so had switched to nuts and fresh fruit for breakfast. Berries, melon with brazil nuts or almonds was my favourite, but I soon to switched to macadamia’s and walnuts instead to up my Omega 3 intake.

Then I came across a recommendation from a top US nutritionist, and I quote “the best single dietary tip of optimal leanness, energy and sustained mental focus.” "What is it?", I hear you all cry......!!!! Well try rotating meat and nuts for breakfast. The meat allows for a steady rise in blood sugar and the nuts provide healthy fats that stabilise the blood sugar for an extended period of time.

For example:

• 1-2 Buffalo burgers + 1 handful of macadamia nuts

• 1 large venison steak + 1 handful of cashew nuts

• 1-2 lean turkey burgers + 1 handful of almonds

• 2 lean ground beef burgers + 1 handful of brazil nuts

• 2 chicken breasts + 1 handful of hazelnuts

Have I followed this....have I heck! And I can’t help but think it didn’t work for Henry VIII. However, a couple of mornings I have tried eating a chicken breast with my nuts and saving the fruit fix for later. It’s strange but certainly filling and does the job. I guess I’m still looking for what really works for me, I’ve certainly evolved but venison at 6am might be one step too far even for me!
What I will say is that cutting out the complex, refined carbohydrates and dairy has made a huge difference to my appetite, energy levels and subsequently my physique.

It took me ten years to get there, I hope you can be persuaded sooner to bin the Special K!

My Breakfast Evolution: Bran flakes to Brazil Nuts

Everyone has heard the saying “Breakfast like a King” but as a teenager I loathed breakfast and every morning without fail my mum would force two slices of toast into my hand as I legged it out the door which I would promptly sling over the garden hedge on route to school. By 11am a feeling of faintness would kick in but a Cadbury’s Biscuit Boost would soon sort that out.

Things changed when I became interested in fitness and I soon caught onto the “healthy” wholegrain cereal fad and Bran Flakes, Muesli or Special K became a fixture in my diet for years. The more I educated myself about nutrition and training the more I refined my cereal choices, swapping semi skimmed milk for skimmed, then onto soya milk, rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, goats milk.....you get the picture! As I learnt more about added salt and sugar I opted for millet rice flakes, quinoa pops or spelt flakes and in doing so joined the wheat free, taste free revolution.

Nuts, seeds and fruit were soon added for protein, omega oils and antioxidants and I pretty much thought I was reaching optimum nutrition as far as breakfast was concerned.
I was training hard by now, anywhere between 6-12 hours a week working towards a half marathon and pushing my body to fittest levels beyond my expectations (we all know how that turned out but that’s another blog entirely).
Soon my one bowl of cereal was becoming two and the size of a fruit bowl at that! Struggling to control portion size as my hunger was through the roof I switched to oatcakes for a wheat free, low fat, low GI and portion controlled (if you leave the box at home) breakfast. Toppings included organic peanut butter, raw honey or agave nectar.The next change came with a new career as I entered the fitness industry and with it a need for breakfast “on the go” in the form of cereal bars. I researched the best and opted for Nakd, Trek or Nine Bars; natural, raw and full of omega oils, fruit and nuts, great! Protein, carbohydrate, convenient and blooming lovely! I was pretty happy at this breakfast stage in my life, Nine bars are almost as good as a Cadbury’s Boost (so you know it’s too good to be true!)
The more I developed professionally the more I learned of new concepts in nutrition and the next step in my breakfast evolution brought about the biggest difference in my physique, fitness and energy levels. What was it....?

You’ll have to tune in next week :)

Matt's Top Tips

Post Workout Nutrition

Have you ever heard/read that training, recovery, health and overall well being is 70% diet and 30% exercise?

Well it’s true, so listen up.

Don’t get me wrong training is great, it makes you fitter, stronger, keeps your joints healthy, gives you a massive confidence and feel good factor and most of the time it’s great fun (well our classes are anyway ). However if your diet lacks nutrients, your training and your recovery will SUFFER and this is where things go wrong. It is so important to tailor you’re diet according to the demands you place on your body...

You have just completed a Fitter London Kettlebell class on a Tuesday morning, which we all know hits every major muscle group in the body and is always a challenge.

Your muscles have been depleted of sugars; your muscle fibres have been broken down and are now in desperate need of fuel in order to replenish, recover and be ready for the day ahead and training sessions to come.

A typical guy will opt for a post workout protein shake; this is a wise choice however most drinks out there contain a ton of sugar and typically way too much protein. Remember your body can only use a certain amount of protein in one go (normally 20 – 30 grams) the rest is quite simply wasted and stored, most shakes contain anywhere up to 55g protein and 50g of sugar in one serving. Where there’s sugar there are calories so beware. Not only is this way too much but the last thing your body needs after it’s already been stressed from a full body workout is a protein and sugar overload. This will just create more stress for the digestive system.

Now for the ladies (and I’ve seen you ;-)) who grab a post workout coffee on the way to work. Bear in mind that you have just lost a load of water during your workout, grabbing a dehydrating caffeine filled coffee is not ideal.

So to keep things simple, here is a list of things to avoid and things to consider after your workout:

Avoid:

• Lucozade
• Sugar laden protein drinks.
• Excessive protein (20-30g is ideal)
• Caffeine.
• Saturated fats.

For immediately after your workout:

• Fruit (dates are great)
• A protein shake with no carbs and between 20-30g protein (no ladies this will not make you big and muscular).
• 100% pure coconut water (amazing)
  

It is also important to make sure your meal following this one should also contain all the right nutrients to aid your recovery further.

For example scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a piece of fruit would be great. A great protein hit from the eggs and salmon (ideal to repair those hard working muscle fibres), Iron and B vits from the yolk, healthy fats from the salmon and of course vits, minerals and antioxidants from the fruit.

Remember you are what you eat.

Yours in training,

Matt

It's not only about exercise, it's more about what you eat!

I took this picture of my waist/stomach (I couldn't button up these jeans and I was inspired to post a future 'before picture') on the 4th of January 2010 and wasn't pleased:

Why? I know the pictures above don't look so bad considering I used to be overweight (I'm the one on the right):


But in January 2010 I was training 5 days a week and should have looked liked it!

I grudgingly accepted that the culprit was..... MY DIET(!!)

My typical day started with a pre-workout snack - a banana. Post workout, I'd have five oatcakes (cos I felt I deserved it)..... Then the killer was - I got to work and had a HUGE bowl of porridge with milk (of course) and a very generous helping of Agave Nectar (healthier option to honey right? Not in the proportions I was having!). I usually had white rice (with veg and chicken - good) for lunch and I won't even go into my weekend treats. I did all this because I was a regular @ the gym and I thought I could afford to eat whatever I wanted. I was WRONG.

After making a few changes to my diet (which I'll go into in the following weeks), I sometimes catch myself staring at my abs (I think I can call my tummy that now, yay!) and loving what I see. Yes I'm almost as arrogant as Matt ;-) And I can fit into those jeans perfectly now :)

I haven't taken any pictures in a few months but I remember seeing this comparison pic in May (both taken in May) and realising I was on to a winner:



I'll be back with more details and pictures next week.

--
Adura