Tuesday, June 29, 2010
How To Combat The Winter Weight Loss Blues
Common Winter Problems
Diets start to fall away: During summer you drink lots of water and eat fruit and salads and this can really help your body to get the fibre you need to keep you regular, healthy and boost your immune system. In winter we ditch the fruit and salads and immediately go for foods that are warm, dense and full of fats.
Waking up is so much harder: In winter it is darker in the morning, so you naturally want to stay in bed. You feel lazy and de-motivated to train and therefore start to skip it. The same effect happens in the evening when you are tired and it is so cold and dark outside. Gym whatever the weather!
Pre-cook meals: Cook in bulk, in advance, and freeze. This will stop you from cooking foods that are moreish and bad for you. Try making hearty soups, which also freeze well, and serve with a slice of low GI/Rye bread for a quick winter meal.
Switch to fruits/salads: Don’t wait till the middle of summer to start being good with your fruit and salads. Make yourself a fruit smoothie in the morning, or bake apples with cinnamon to have as a warm, fruity dessert instead of chocolate.
Don’t drink coffee: This is usually full of milk and sugar, and whilst it will warm you up, it is also loaded with calories. Opt for green tea, rooibos tea or a chicory coffee replacement instead.
Indoor workout: Even though it is dark outside, find an indoor sport or hobby to keep you fit. Try dancing, taebo, indoor swimming, or set up a mini-circuit of light weights in your home and train in the cosy indoors.
Get up early with the birds: It may be hard to do this when it is dark outside, but if you get into a routine you will be ready to spring out of bed when summer hits.
Watch your carbohydrates: even though they are good for you, be careful. If you are training less because of the cold, try to eat fewer carbohydrates, or else you may store unwanted fat.
By following these tips and sticking to your routine, you will have no problem with winter, as well as being fit and fabulous by the time summer comes around.
Some extra tips:
-Dry brushing once a day
-Drink lots of water: one glass for every 10kg of your body weight
-Use certain additional supplements: find a supplement to boost your immune system if you are sickly and breaking from training
-Train with a buddy: this increases motivation and curbs the temptation to skip training
To read more of Lisa's inspiring articles, please visit www.lisaraleigh.co.za.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Best Butt
So many of us women today have constant dissatisfaction with our lower bodies – especially the “butt”. Do you look at yourself in a pair of jeans, a dress or a bathing suit, see your butt looking back at you and think “Oh no”? Although there are definitely people out there with smaller and larger butts than yours, do you will still feel yours is terrible? Regardless of the envy of friends and family, are you the woman crash dieting, running on a treadmill and looking for some quick-fix pull-me-in magic pants whenever there is an important event coming up? If this is you and you want to make the changes necessary to feel more comfortable in your skin then carry on reading!
The Three Butt Types
There are three types of butts out there. If you are one or more of them then let’s get moving to get you feeling awesome when you look at your butt. If you feel none of these apply or you don’t know if you where you fit in then you probably have no problem, but should then work at keeping it that way! Reasons for having any of these butt types could have something to do with your genetics or hormone abnormality. The three types are: droopy, flat and ample.
Droopy: if you feel you have a droopy butt and that nothing will give it the lift it needs, it hangs in line with your hamstrings, makes your legs look shorter and your body look wider then this is you! This may be because your pelvis is rotated upwards and this means that normal butt exercises do not challenge your gluteus maximus muscles enough to get them lifting. You need to up your resistance of your exercises and incorporate explosive training into your training plan.
Flat: if you think that you have NO butt, you have to wear a belt with everything or your pants will slip off and you look like one straight line when you stand sideways then this is definitely you. Your pelvis may be rotated downwards, which can shift your bum exercise training to your back and hamstrings. This means that you do not get any gluteus maximus muscle training, they therefore do not get a chance to develop, and you as a result have no booty.
Ample: this is when you have enough butt for more than one person. You don’t really have a shape except for too much shape, and you feel that there are no clothing sizes that fit your butt. This does, however, mean you will build gluteus maximus muscles more easily than the average person – you therefore have the tools to work with and just need to make a few changes. You will need to eat more healthily and lose a little weight so you can create a nice toned butt.
How to round, lift and reduce your butt
Explosive training for the droopy butt: you need to get those gluteus working!! Take what you are doing and make it explosive. Running up and down on a step needs to be quick sprints. Make the step higher to increase the intensity and to implement explosive training while doing cardio. Do all cardio exercises in half the time but double the intensity. Sprint or run, but don’t walk. Explosive training is like a sprinter, not a long distance runner. Squat with the dumbbells in your hand - let your hands go between your legs and then throw them up and repeat. This causes the exercise to become explosive. Increase all forms of power training.
Increase intensity for the flat butt: your hamstrings are doing all the work. You need to increase the intensity of your workout. Glutes fall under one of the stubborn muscle groups. You need to work them every second day and, especially because of your strong helper hamstrings, you need to tire out the hamstrings a bit before working the gluteus. Increase your weights, reps and sets to get that butt working.
Eat well and do butt exercises for the ample butt: you have the tools, but now you need to use them to get your butt. Get your diet on track and start training hard. Set yourself goals and reach them. Make yourself a 12 week plan and stick to it. Include a detox diet and get a proper eating plan from a dietician so that your eating is 100% perfect. Then set up a few sessions with a trainer so that you have a set program, you know what you are doing and you are training 6 out of 7 days! Try living by the 80/20 rule - be good 80% of the time, and don’t make changes you can’t keep. Remember, this is a LIFESTYLE change and needs to be for life!
Hip-flexors affect your butt-shape: hip flexors are the opposing muscle group; when they contract, your brain tells your butt it’s ok to relax. Most of us sit all day, causing hip flexors to stay contracted and therefore keeping our butt’s relaxed. This can unfortunately cause them to be in lunge mode all the time - even during a workout! Make sure you stretch your glutes before a work out and do a few warm up sets to wake them before you start training.
So which ever butt you may have, get it working!!! Make a change to your programme and see the difference. Winter is almost here and that means lots of comfy track pants and baggy jerseys, let’s not let the ample butts grow but get our bikini butt in shape!
Executive Wellness: Weigh loss and Fitness Centre is the only outlet in the Western Cape to offer the Lisa Raleigh weight loss and wellness programme.
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
Physical: 7 Moss Street Fernwood, Newlands, Cape Town
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Detoxification
Why would you need to do it?
So often in my consultations I have people saying, “I’m fine” or “I’m ok.” People actually don’t know what it feels like to feel fabulous, energetic or fantastic! Most of us exist at 60% of our optimum level of health. How would you know what ‘great’ feels unless you felt it for the first time?
Detoxification is a process whereby we eliminate all the toxins from the body- clean the blood, clean the lymph, change the pH of the body and give our bodies a chance to heal themselves naturally.
How do we do it?
For a period of between 7-14 days you need to eliminate:
Wheat
Dairy
Sugar
Caffeine
Processed foods
Salt
Alcohol
Artificial sweeteners
You must eat only fruit and drink only water and herbal tea till 12am. Then for the rest of the day you need to eat only foods that come from a ‘tree’ not a ‘factory.’ This means nothing processed or unnatural. Try stick to organic, raw options as much as possible.
During detoxification you should feel some heavy side effects like nausea, bloating, constipation, headaches, excess sweating, clamminess and skin irritations. These are all ways of the body trying to eliminate impurities and each and every person’s symptoms are different.
Some product tips to help you along:
Take a daily tonic called Bentonite clay and Psyllium husk. The clay absorbs toxins and the husk fibre swells up like a sponge, sticking to the walls of the colon and literally scraping it clean.
Exercise daily- whether a light jog, yoga, Pilates or light resistance training, shaking it up gets the circulation going which will get everything moving and eliminating faster.
Go for a few treatments of colonic irrigation. This will help amplify the detox and help to move along any stubborn blockages in your colon.
Drink raw veggie juices- these provide live enzymes to our bodies, these are easily absorbed and within 15 min reach down to a cellular level to balance and nourish our cells.
Substitute these three items in your daily diet
· Normal salt for Himalayan rock salt
· Any oil (including cooked olive oil) for coconut oil
· Sugar for Xylitol/ organic honey
Take a pre/pro biotic (L Acid ophilns, Bifido bacteria, L Salvarius) to restore good bacteria in the colon.
Drink 8-12 glasses of water daily
Try to have a few lymph drainage massages during these two weeks. These will also help to get the lymph system moving and therefore eliminate toxins.
So happy detoxing! Enjoy the rewards and don’t give up. Know that you will feel worse before you start to feel absolutely great!
Executive Wellness: Weightloss and Fitness Centre offers the Lisa Raleigh weight loss and wellness programme in Newlands. For more information please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 086 022 4454
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
For more information on the Lisa Raleigh Weightloss and Wellness Clinic call her on 031-2018585 or email her on lisaraleigh@vo2max.co.za
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Join us for a warm winter clinic evening
Join us for a warm clinic evening this May, as guest speaker Lisa Raleigh* gives her inspirational ideas for your winter wellbeing this year. Join us for some healthy snacks and a hot drink and explore:
Supplementation
Lisa chats about which ones you should be taking and why.
Quick, easy hearty soups and one pot dishes
Joy and Lisa share some tasty recipes ideas for winter eating and weight loss.
Chocolate cheats to cheer you up
Joy and Lisa share the ultimate recipe substitution for that cold day chocolate craving!
Small changes you can make daily to improve your overall wellbeing this winter.
Where: 7 Moss Street, Fernwood
RSVP: hilary@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Pre-winter detox package
Improve your energy levels, lose some weight and get your body ready for winter this year with our 12-day detox programme.
Your detox package includes:
A full body assessment (which includes body fat analysis, fitness and flexibility assessment)
Detox eating plan
10 training sessions with a personal trainer
Three colon therapy treatments
Clay and husk supplements
‘Super’ food powders
Two lymph massages
Green juice
Body brush
Ensure that your body is at its peak during the season change and make sure that you are getting optimal vitamin and mineral absorption from your diet. Remember to drink plenty of water every day.
For further details, or to book a consultation, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Saturday, April 24, 2010
To juice or not to juice?
Juicing leafy, green vegetables regulates and balances the pH of your body.
Freshly juiced drinks are the most nutritious source of live enzymes.
Juiced vegetables are one of the best sources of absorbable amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and chlorophyll.
Juiced vegetables are easier for your digestive system to process. Extracting the juice from the fibre pre-digests the fruit and vegetables for you, making the nutrients easier to absorb. Fibre is still vital in the diet, so we recommend that you juice your vegetables and eat your fruit.
Changing your lifestyle after years of consuming nutritionally inadequate food means that a lot of alkalising has to go on to address the imbalances in our bodies. Juicing gives you a really effective way to give your body the alkalising nutrients it requires to recover.
Your body is comprised of over 70% water- just like the earth. Your blood is made up of 94% water. Vegetables, in their raw, natural state also have a high water content, so juicing them assist with proper hydration levels.
Antioxidants are revered for their ability to fortify the immune system, and green juice is rich in antioxidant content.
When our bodies are in an acidic state the red blood cells congregate and prevent oxygen from circulating to each individual cell. Alkalising the body by drinking green juice enables them to flow, and ensures that oxygen can get to each red blood cell. Cellular oxygenation keeps you feeling energised.
Green vegetables, sprouts and grass juices are the most effective foods in preventing disease.
Green juice is rich in magnesium and chlorophyll, which soothe and calm the nervous system, minimising stress levels in the body.
How to make your own green juice
(makes 1 litre)
5 baby marrows
1apple
1 pear
1 ½ green peppers
1 ½ cups of spinach
2 cups of broccoli
4 sticks of celery
Whizz up into a wholesome juice in your food processor, and try to drink within 20 minutes of preparation time.
Alternatively, contact Fruition Cafe for your daily dose of fresh green juice:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: mailto:joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Lisa Raleigh Cpt gets a make-over and emerges as Executive Wellness: Weight Loss and Fitness Centre
Detox packages
Everyone needs a detox every now and then- especially after periods of over-indulgence. People who are under stress and people who consume rich foods, or food and / or alcohol in excess should detox periodically. Executive Wellness has come up with a range of detox packages to suit all tastes and budgets. We offer a 12-day detox which includes all the complementary treatments, meal planning and training sessions, which is ideal for people who live nearby the clinic. We also offer a complete retreat option where long-distance clients can be accommodated in a neighbouring bed-and-breakfast, and take a complete break from their everyday lives to unwind, and allow their bodies to rejuvenate entirely. Our detox packages are superb for the corporate market, and are especially useful in helping to prevent burn-out and relieve the effects of stress. Companies all over the world lose time and money to illness and stressed-out employees, and offering executives an opportunity to learn to cope with accumulated stress is one of the things we do best.
Personal and group training
Our private gym offers the option of personal and / or group training. One-on-one fitness training offers a more personalised approach, but some people enjoy exercise in a group environment. Our gym is open seven days a week, from 06h00-19h00.
For further details, or to book a consultation, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Neil’s Story: Through Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Back Again
Executive Wellness: Weight loss and Fitness Centre endorses a holistic approach to general wellness and weight loss and makes recommendations based on nutrition, fitness and exercise, emotional triggers and the individual requirements of the client. The clinic also offers full emotional support for its clients through SMS, Skype, email and/or telephone calls. The clinic’s facilities include: a private gym, a wellness centre offering body wraps, cellulite treatments, massages, lymph drainage and colon therapy, as well as Fruition Cafe and Juice Bar which serves low GI, low calorie meals and green juices.
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hypothyroidism & Weight Loss
The thyroid is a gland found in the neck that secretes thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3), two hormones which are essential for the growth and metabolism of body tissues. They also control the body’s basal metabolic rate and are vitally important in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. When the thyroid is over-active, the condition is known as hyperthyroidism. An under-active thyroid, which often makes weight loss very difficult, or even encourages weight gain, is known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is defined as the decreased functioning of the thyroid gland, and is either a direct disorder of the thyroid gland itself, or linked to a disorder of the pituitary gland.
Diseases of the thyroid are most frequently found in women and hypothyroidism is most commonly diagnosed in women between the ages of 30 and 60. Up to 20% of women are diagnosed with post-partum hypothyroidism (i.e. following childbirth) but the symptoms are often confused with common post-partum symptoms such as emotional ups and downs, low energy levels and fatigue.
Hypothyroidism sometimes follows hyperthyroidism, and can be caused by the medical drugs which are used to treat an over-active thyroid. Lithium-based drugs which are used to stabilise mood swings in conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder can also contribute to an under-active thyroid, as can drugs used to treat cancers. An iodine deficiency can also result in hypothyroidism, or the condition can be passed on hereditarily.
The common symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Fatigue
- High cholesterol
- Poor muscle tone
- Sensitivity to cold
- Depression
- Muscular cramps and joint pain
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Brittle hair and nails
- Paleness
- Osteoporosis
- Dry, itchy skin
- Water retention and weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs
- Low heart rate
- Constipation
Diagnosis of the condition is via a blood test, and must be confirmed by a medical practitioner.
There is no cure for hypothyroidism, but it can be managed medically, through the administration of drugs. Alternative and complementary treatments of the disorder include:
- Ensuring the general health of all the body systems i.e. following a balanced and nutritious eating plan and exercise routine
- Avoiding and eliminating toxins from the body
- Stress factor management
Have you struggled with an under- or over-active thyroid? Let us know what helped you through the process, or what advice you can give to people in a similar situation.
For further details, or to book a consultation, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Post-Easter detox special
A full body assessment (body fat analysis and fitness and flexibility evaluation)
A detox eating plan
Ten training sessions with a personal trainer
Three colon therapy treatments (self-administered*)
Clay and husk supplements
‘super’ food powders
Two lymph drainage massages
Green juice
Body brush & tongue cleaner
For further details, or to book a consultation, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Executive Wellness launches Fruition Express
EXECUTIVE EXPEDIENCE: SAVE TIME, SAVE CALORIES
The stress of meal planning and shopping for fresh, healthy ingredients can be difficult for people who have to change their lifestyles dramatically. Fruition Express offers you an opportunity to select your weekly meals in advance, and have them delivered to your door, or ready for you to collect from the gym. Your nutritional needs are evaluated and the meal is portioned for your personal requirements. No preparation, no over-serving, no mid-week shopping- everything is taken care of for you- on time, to your taste.
SQUEEZED FOR TIME? GREEN JUICE ON THE GO
We are what we eat, as the saying goes, and our freshly-prepared green juice only gives your body the freshest, healthiest ingredients to assist you with detox or to supplement your vitamin and mineral intake.
CRUNCHY MUNCHIES: MENU PLANNING & COOLER BOXES
All meals are pre-packaged and ready ‘to go’, so fast food no longer has to slow your body down.
Cooler boxes can be purchased from us for convenience. The average daily cooler box would contain: breakfast, two healthy snacks, lunch and dinner. Please note that the dinner option will require a ten-minute preparation. All meals are weighed on an individual calorie count basis.
For further details on a customised eating plan, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 / 082 464 8911 Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Colon Cleansing
Regarded as the body’s ‘sewerage system’, the colon constitutes a major part of the large intestine and is responsible for the elimination of waste and toxic material from the body. It is the only organ that affects every other major organ in the body, either directly or indirectly. It has been proven that insufficient exercise, overindulging in refined and processed foods, excessive animal protein consumption, and insufficient fruit and vegetables in the diet affects the state of the colon negatively.
The benefits of colon therapy:
§ Reduces constipation & diarrhoea
§ Assists with weight loss
§ Improves energy levels
§ Clearer skin
§ Improved concentration
§ Better absorption of vitamins & minerals
§ Overall wellbeing of the digestive system
§ Eliminates parasites
§ Helps prevent yeast infections; kills bacteria & viruses
§ Restores body pH
§ Clears intestinal blockages
§ Helps purify blood
§ Fewer Headaches
§ Improved circulatory problemsImproved inflammatory
Cleansing rituals of the colon pre-date to the ancient Egyptians, who used to believe that they were ridding the body of toxic waste that would cause disease and death. Our procedure is still very simple today, and we find that most people do not need help. A thin pipe is inserted into the rectum and about 50 litres of lukewarm water is flushed through the colon, ridding it of debris, compacted faecal matter and toxic waste.
Sufferers of the following conditions may find a colonic treatment beneficial:
§ Acne
§ Constipation
§ Haemorrhoids
§ Bloating
§ Colitis
§ Diverticulosis
§ Headaches
§ Flatulence
§ Fatigue
§ Depression
§ IBS
§ Lethargy
§ Food allergies
§ Eczema
§ Halitosis
§ Candida
§ P.M.T
For further details on the colon therapy procedure, or for more details on how it could benefit you with your weight loss programme, please contact Executive Wellness: Weight loss and Fitness Centre:
Tel: 021 674 2790 / 082 464 8911 Email: joy@executivewellnesscentre.co.za
7 Moss Street Fernwood Newlands 7700 P.O. Box 23269 Claremont 7735
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lymph Drainage and Weight Loss
Lymph drainage or lymph massage developed in the 1930s. Because the lymph system has no central pump, it relies on muscular contractions to move the fluid out of the system. Lymph massages encourage and stimulate this action, and the massage technique increases the lymph flow. It employs light pressure combined with soft, pumping movements in the direction of the lymph nodes. It is highly advisable to drink lots of water after a lymph massage, to help the body flush the released toxins out effectively.
The benefits of lymph massage for weight loss
Immunity can be increased, and the rate of metabolism can be improved, helping the body to clear out wastes and toxins. Lymph drainage can be particularly effective in assisting the treatment of the following conditions:
§ Oedema/ swelling
§ Sports injuries
§ Depressed immunity
§ Lack of energy
§ Skin conditions/ acne
§ Breast cancer
For further details, or to book a consultation, please contact Joy Krige:
Tel: 021 674 2790 082 464 8911
Email: