There’s no such thing as a taboo food in a low-sacrifice eating plan.
So, what are some great strategies around drinking alcohol?
Where…you can still be social and have a good time!

Watch this video and remember these 6 tips:

1. Keep drink to a minimum
2. 2 glasses when you go out
3. Minimize eating fatty foods when you drink
4. Eat before you go out
5. Order fish at a dinner where you know you’re going to be drinking
6. Eat a low fat vegetarian option

Have a great weekend!

Coffee is not good for high blood pressure. If you are stressed it has a
tendency to magnify the effects of the stress. It can make you even more
stressed and more anxious. It causes adrenal exhaustion which has a big
effect on your energy levels.

Coffee is quite acidic as well. So it affects your stomach lining and your
digestion. The diuretic effect of caffeine is that it dehydrates you…but
you may need to down about 8 cups of the stuff.

The highly addictive nature of coffee is another set-back to drinking it.
If you have ever come off coffee and gone ‘cold turkey’ you may have
noticed a headache. If you are reading this article or watching the video
here and you’re thinking to yourself, “I might cut down”, we suggest
that you should come off it slowly to reduce the side effects. In turn,
you’ll reduce your headaches.

Caffeine consumption is a big part of our society. It’s not just in coffee.
It’s in tea, chocolate, cola drinks & some over-the-counter medications.
As a society, we are highly addicted.

Our # 1 tip is to simply watch that it’s not sneaking into your daily ritual
too much. Be aware of it. There’s no need to completely cut it out. That’s
not part of our low sacrifice eating plan that we (@ New Level Personal Training)
prescribe to.

My name is Darren and here is my story…

I was a personal training client and now (because of the changes I made in my
life & the fact that I lost over 40kg!!!!) I am now proud to call myself a Personal
Trainer.

In this video I get interviewed by Travis Bell, who is my boss down here at
New Level Personal Training Elwood. As you’ll see, we discuss the tough times
I went through with my fat loss journey. Now, as a personal trainer, I really do
understand my clients needs, especially those who want to start their own fat
loss journey.

I love being able to share my experiences and what I’ve learned with my clients.

Enjoy the video & if you’d like to train with us down here at Elwood, call
1300 NEW LEVEL.

Darren McKenzie.

BEWARE! The worst thing you can do if you are trying to manage your nutrition
is to shop when you are hungry and NOT shop from a list. So, get full 1st, then
make your list, then go shopping! I bet you’ll spend less as well.

Good planning prevents the disastrous question that we all face when we don’t
plan, which is “what am I going to eat now?” Look out, you’ve been caught out
on a limb.

Out there in take-away world, 90% of the choices you make will derail some of
the best laid plans. If you have a health goal, get a shopping list together.
I’m sure there’s a million & 1 iPhone Apps that could help you do this.
In fact, we know there is.
That being said, the old pad & pen may just do the trick.

In closing, if you don’t want it in your body then don’t put it in your house!

What is your cardiovascular risk rating?
What are your blood sugar levels?
What are your stress levels like?
What is your blood pressure? AND
What are your cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for many important functions in
our body, such as the structure of our cell membranes and the making of
hormones and some vitamins. Our body makes its own cholesterol, but we
also get it from the food we eat. There is good and bad cholesterol. We can
increase our good cholesterol and decrease our bad cholesterol by exercising
regularly and eating a healthy diet.

There are 3 cholesterol numbers that everyone should know:

Total: This includes both good and bad cholesterol.

HDL: This is the good cholesterol that helps our body transport fat away from our vessels, preventing them from becoming blocked.

LDL: This is the bad cholesterol that causes blocked arteries, leading to heart attacks and strokes.

Richo’s 3 Tips To Lower Your Cholesterol:

1. Increase fibre
2. 3 green apples per day
3. Decrease saturated fat

I was diagnosed with diabetes 1 week before my 27th birthday. Prior to being diagnosed,
I lost over 10kgs within 2 months. It was great as everyone had noticed that I had lost
weight. But, it was weird because I was always thirsty and always on the toilet. Plus,
my energy was really, really low. Which is pretty tough as my job as a trainer required
me to be full of energy for my clients.

When I had my blood tests done at the doctors my blood sugar levels were over 20!
The doctor didn’t believe it and wanted to test me again to make sure. The second
blood test came back even higher! Within a week I was booked in with a specialist
to get my health right.

At the specialist, I was told that I had Diabetes Type 1. I was in shock, thinking that

I was healthy and exercised all the time. I didn’t think it could happen to me.

Injecting for the first time was scary, but it became easier. The specialist had advised
me that I would put weight on due to the diabetes medication. And, just just as the
doctor said….I did put on weight. Damn fluid retention! Remember the 10kgs I had
just lost? Well I put it back on and then some.

By changing my diet, sticking to a strict routine of eating times and types of food,
I got my sugar levels to a controllable level.

TIP: To All The Diabetics Or ‘Undiagnosed’ Diabetics Out There…
Eat Well & Exercise Every Day!

I know that it is hard to lose weight as a diabetic but the harder you work
the better you are going to feel.

I recently set myself a challenge to lose the 10kgs I gained, and so far I
have lost 3.5kgs! I have taken out artificial sugar and fruit, and replaced it
with raw veggies. I am only drinking water and organic tea, whereas I used
to drink Pepsi Max and coffee. I feel so much better for the changes that I
have made in my diet and I am losing weight each week.

The best thing that you can do for yourself as a diabetic to eat well and
exercise and you will see the results and you will have a better quality of life.