Perhaps the biggest health benefit of avocados is that by adding avocado to certain foods, you can improve your absorption of nutrients. This means that when you combine other fat burning foods with avocado, you can improve your nutrient absorption up to 400%!

Avocados provide many general health benefits, in addition to its fat burning benefits due to its vitamin E and glutathione, which protects you against tons of diseases including several forms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cholesterol.

Avocados also help reduce the signs of aging, regulate blood sugar and promote eye health.

SUPERFOOD (2) – BROCCOLI

Broccoli provides a high amount of vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in the body, prevents the development of cataracts, and also eases the symptoms of the common cold.

The folic acid in broccoli helps women sustain normal tissue growth and is often used as a supplement when taking birth control pills and during pregnancies.

The potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure, while a large amount of calcium helps combat osteoporosis.

The vegetable is also fiber-rich, which enhances the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as aims to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

In recent years, broccoli has made the headlines regarding three components found in the vegetable. For instance, indole-3-carbinol has captured the attention of those looking to prevent hormone-related cancers, such as breast- and prostate cancer.

I3C promotes “good” hormones, while working against destructive ones. The sulforaphane in broccoli also helps to increase the level of enzymes that block cancer, while the beta-carotene in broccoli transforms into vitamin A within the body, providing an effective antioxidant that destroys free radicals (responsible for weakening the defense of cells).

Additionally, the health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumors, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process.

Guest Blogger: Tonci Prusac (New Level Personal Training Newtown)

With the fun run season in full swing here are a few tips and strategies you can implement in order to help you perform at your best on the day.

Prior to your event your goal in regards to food and fluid intake should be to top up your fuel stores and optimise your hydration status. Therefore the foods and fluids consumed the night before and on the morning of the event should be ones that are rich in carbohydrate and low in fat, fibre and protein. Some examples may include toast/plain muffins with jam or honey or pancakes/pikelets with maple syrup. Liquid meal supplements could be used if time is scarce. A milk based energy drink for example. The evening before you can include carbohydrate sources such as pasta, potatos and fruit. Avoid trying anything new on the day of the event and if possible plan ahead and practice your strategy a couple of times during training.

During the run fuel and food requirements will depend on a variety of factors including the race distance, the adequacy of the pre race meal, as well as the environmental conditions. For events up to the half marathon, provided you have consumed an adequate pre race meal, there is little benefit in consuming additional carbohydrate during the run. Nutrition strategies need only focus minimising the level of dehydration.

Special guest presenters Matt Golfis and Matt Moody from GNC Westfield Geelong had the intrigued audience captive for well over an hour as they discussed the importance of adding supplements to our daily diet in order to achieve optimum health.

Starting the day off with Multi-vitamins is a vital part of any healthy diet and the importance to both the immune system and increasing the intake of anti-oxidants was the first topic covered by the two Matts.

“You should start with taking good Multi-vitamins which will form the base of your supplementation, then you take it from there,” explained Matt Golfis.

“If you take Multi-vitamins in conjunction with protein powders, you aid the immune system but at the same time ensure optimum muscle recovery,” explained Matt Moody, then continued, “However, just taking protein powder to grow your muscles and leaving out the Multi-vitamins may result in compromising the health of your immune system.”

The two Matts then spoke about the importance of choosing the right Omega 3 fish oil supplement, by analysing the active ingredient in the supplement’s composition.

They then spoke about protein powders, addressing some of the myths surrounding this vital supplement as well as exploring the different types available on the market.

“Protein feeds nutrients to your muscles which leads to good muscle recovery and growth,” Moody explained.

“By repairing the muscle fibres, the protein can be used to help grow the damaged muscles,” continued Golfis.

They briefly discussed the three types of proteins, Whey Protein Isolate (WPI), Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) and Casein Protein, and what to look for when choosing protein powders.

Finally, there was an opportunity to do some taste testing, with the banana flavoured Whey Protein blend proving a popular choice alongside the tradition chocolate flavour.

There was also an opportunity for question time, with both Matts staying around to chat to the seminar participants following the conclusion of the event.

The next scheduled seminar in the monthly series will be in late June, with the date and topic to be confirmed

As time heals most things, eventually Janine moves on with her life and soon she returns to her normal caloric intake. And that was that.

But what she can’t understand: even though she’s back to eating the same way she used to, she still weighs over 75 kilos. In fact, she eats no more than her lean friends. And so, like most people, Janine blames her over-weight on a slow metabolism.

She starts an exercise routine but lost a mere 1 kilo. Life is unjust. An ageing metabolism sucks!

She sees a sports nutritionist (with a PhD, never the less) who tells her she needs to eat more to lose weight. She follows his dietary plan and eats more, but she gains weight. The expensive nutritionist, with politely chosen words, blames this weight gain on her failure to follow his plan.

Frustrated and feeling bad, Janine stops exercising and dieting altogether, and remains overweight.

Keeping it Simple

Then finally she sees a Personal Trainer who, keeping things simple, tells her to stop eating so much. The recommendation was simple and straight forward:

1) The “S” diet.

No snacks, no seconds, and no sweets, except on days that begin with the letter “s.”

In 3 and a half months she lost 15 kilos. Back to where she was before her divorce in 2002, feeling great and looking fabulous.

Janine happens to be a past client of mine. Last week she called me to say she’s engaged to a wonderful guy, and to thanked me profusely for the simple dietary coaching.

Think about it; if you look back at a whole week of entries and see a pattern such as a bag of crisps every night around 7:30pm; then you know that you have zeroed in on a bad habit that needs retuning.

Eg (Eating a tuna salad while watching Biggest Loser versus gauging on those fatty crisps; just because you’re not as big as those poor bastards are you?)

Another misconception with Results Diaries is that it’s too hard or too time consuming to keep track. Let me just say that I know the difference between an excuse and a fact; do you? That little read book that we give you when you join is little for two reasons; one it’s not heavy so you can take it any anywhere; two it’s small so it fits in your hand bag, suitcase, briefcase etc. So that’s one excuse debunked; let’s try another. The time consuming bit is easily eradicated by the fact that the diary is small and can go anywhere. This means that while you’re out having that café brunch for that all important meeting about replacing the water cooler; or the need for stationary you could also be writing up what’s going down your gob. Embarrassed? You shouldn’t be; you’re doing what’s necessary to be a winner in the game of fitness and your colleagues will respect that if they want to be winners too.

Now I know what you’re thinking; this is just some crappy write up to get me to use that bloody red book. Well you’re half right; the real reason for this article is the way I have seen these little red wonders work with my own clients. When I hear them say things like.

“Using that book really made me focus on eating good food because I didn’t want to right down cheese burger anymore”

“I never realized how much I actually snack:

“I drink a lot more than a thought; I should probably cut back huh?”

My first thought is; “everyone should be doing this; not just my peeps”

These comments are what prompted me to right this article about that little red wonder; the “Results Diary”. So if you’re not already using; start; and if you are; good job and I’ll see you around the studio for a high five or steady handshake.

Simon was in the cooking industry for 10 years and decided to make a career change to Personal Training. His former career as a chef gives him a great advantage when designing nutrition plans for his clients. Simon knows what works and what doesn’t, how to prepare food quickly, and has lots of tips for cooking the healthy way!

New Level Personal Training founder Trav Bell talks to Simon in the video above about some of the ‘most asked’ questions from clients about nutrition, and along the way Simon reveals some handy cooking advice.

Some of the key points are:

• Prepare your lunch and snacks the night before so you are not rushed in the morning and decide to just buy your lunch.
• Prepare some soups (especially during winter) on the weekend and put them the freezer in containers ready to go when you need them.
• Use the palm of your hand as a guide for the correct portion of the ‘protein’ in your meal. eg: Red Meat, Fish, Chicken.
• When cooking on a pan, get the surface really HOT first. This helps seal the food quickly and hold in the nutrients.
• A light spray of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on pan is better than dripping it in oil.
• Sealing your chicken breast in a pan first then allowing it to continue cooking in the oven is a good way of cooking the chicken without frying it in oil.
• Poaching and steaming are healthy cooking techniques that need to be mastered.
• Try not to overcook your vegetables. Keep them crisp. Overcooking them will release too much of their goodness.

Simon will be back with some more cooking and nutrition tips in future videos. If you have any questions you would like to ask him, just comment below this post or simple call 1300 NEWLEVEL.

Personally, I think in the next video he should wear a ‘Chef’s Hat’, be in the kitchen and give us a ‘Master Class’… What do you think?

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