Best Fat Burning Supplements

With Summer just around the corner, many people are starting to turn their eye toward renewing or restarting their beach body quest. In a month or so most personal trainers worth their salt are slammed with eager beavers wanting to get rid of their winter body in preparation for hot weather and skimpy clothes. Its a shame that many people don't take a slightly more disciplined approach during winter!!!

The average Nz'er stacks on in the vicinity of 2-3kg over the winter period, many gain this weight forever whilst other may be lucky and get back to their pre-winter weight from the year before.

In any case as the title of this blog suggests, through my nutritional and hormonal profiling work I have had the chance to work with many people, trialling the effectiveness of a range of nutritional supplements with Fat burning properties.

Of course it is not the supplement itself that is burning the fat, - that is caused by your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR),  your exercise regime and your daily activity levels, but the correct supplements in a well structured diet and exercise program can make the world of difference.

My top 5 supplements for burning fat:

1. Fish Oil: Helps to lower insulin resistance (your fat cells will purge out fat stores easier and your muscle cells will uptake fat more rapidly for energy use) it is recommended to take 6-10g daily (but has been used up to 1000mg per % body fat under strict professional supervision)
2. Carnitine: binds to fat molecules and allows for their preferential transport to the mitochondria (engine room of your cells) for consumption. Professionals recommend taking 500mg-6g daily building slowly in divided doses. Bowel discomfort may happen at larger doses and therefore it is recommended to build slowly and find your personal preferred amount.
3. Green Tea: Implicated in assisting ABDOMINAL FAT-LOSS, Green tea contains polyphenols which help to increase whole body thermogenisis (fat burning activity) and metabolic rate. It has been recommended to try starting with 300mg a day working up to 700-1000mg
4. Alpha Lipoic Acid: Another insulin sensitiser and also anti-oxident, when compared to placebo's, ALA in studies has produced profound fatloss when tied into correct diet and exercise programs. Trials starting at 600mg through to 3000mg per day have been used in humans.
5. ACTUALLY THIS ONE SHOULD BE NO.1....!!!!!  Exhaustive, time under tension based resistance training. Not a supplement I know, but probably most important. Training that creates large amounts of Lactic acid accumulation and residual fatigue is absolutely your best friend during fat burning exercise. Take 4-5 doses weekly :-)

Your Health Report Part 3: The Overflowing Glass - EMPTY YOURS FOR BETTER HEALTH

In part one and two of this series on your health and the concept of the overflowing glass we have looked at what may cause your glass (health) to overflow and signs and symptoms. In Part three we will be taking a look into 10 simple steps that you can make over the next month to help empty out our glass and improve your health profile.

 1. Start every day with a fresh lemon or lime squeezed into luke warm water: Lemon and limes are great for cleansing the liver, plus helping to put our bodies into an Alkaline state (great for general health, disease prevention and also assisting weight loss)

2. Try the Charles Poliquin Meat and Nuts breakfast plan for a month: This will help you greatly - Especially if you have weight to lose, suffer from high blood sugar, type 2 diabetic or weight control related issues, if you have low energy levels or you are trying to get JACKED!
http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/270/The_Meat_and_Nut_Breakfast.aspx

3. Commit to 5 hours of meaningful exercise every week. Weight training + Interval cardiovascular training are always your best picks to increase metabolism, lean body mass and decrease fat mass plus improve your cardiovascular profile.

4. Take 6-15g of High Quality fish oil everyday: There is hardly a disease or health related condition known to man that is not responsive to omega 3 supplementation. Inflamation style conditions, stress, Weightloss, Weight gain, Diabetes, some cancers, arthritis.... the list goes on.

5. Take a high Quality multi-Vitamin every day: It is rare these days that anyone meets their bodies nutritional requirements for OPTIMUM health - most of us meet nutritional requirements for existence only and therefore eventually this may lead to an overflowing glass. Taking a multi-vitamin formula may help cover this inadequacy. Multi's that requires more than one capsule a day will ensure your body gets a gradual trickle of important nutrients it needs over the day and that there is a decent dose of each nutrient. Make sure you buy a bio-available brand - generally you get what you pay for....

6. Exceed the Vegetable consumption goal every day: (Especially green veges) 6 serves of vegetables a day should be your absolute minimum. Vegeatables not only supply you with ample amounts of vitamins and minerals, but also provide you with fibre and carbohydrates for energy. Furthermore non-starchy vegetables (not potatos, corn etc) are a guilt free food, meaning they can be eaten in unlimited amounts without fear of retribution from your belt buckle. Most vegetables have a neutral energy balance meaning the energy used in digestion usually accounts for the calories contained in the vegetable. Make the list below your staples

Broccoli, Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Green beans, Onions, Asparagus, Cucumber, Spinach, All forms of peppers, Zucchini, Cauliflower.
(1 serve is approx 1 fist size)

7. A fist size of protein at every meal: Thats correct.... EVERY MEAL. Eating protein increases satiety so decreases our appetite, helps to increase thermogenisis (fat burning) and really does wonders for your gym goals. Make sure its lean, low fat and not processed with added salt, preservatives etc.

8. Drink: 40mls of water for every kg of your bodyweight (this is a guide only - not a medical prescription)

 Optimal hydration is ultra-important for brain function, optimal energy levels, weight loss, appetite control muscle growth, kidney function, cardiovascular health and optimal exercise and sports performance.

An example of this is a 80kg man or women should drink 3.2 litres per day

9. 8 Hours of sleep every day: Ok, so for those of you with young children this may not be possible, but for overall health 8 hours per night is the magic number. This needs to be un-interrupted sleep -  no waking in the night. If you have trouble with this try the following:
*Ensure a pitch black room - just the slightest light can interrupt circadian rhythms of sleep.
*No electronic equipment in the bedroom - YES no phones, computers TV's, Digital alarm clocks. All electro-magnetic and radiation fields can negatively effect your sleep.
*Take a mixed source magnesium supplement just before bed this is a great sleep inducer - especially if it is also combined with the amino acid tryptophan

10. Laugh every day, make time for social occasions and keep a greatful log (Greatful logs I also learned frmo Charles Poliquin): Longevity Studies show that keeping social networks and a generally happy disposition are common in people that live healthily into old age. Keeping a daily greatful log at the same time morning or night where you write down 5 things that you are greatful for every day is a truly fantastic tool for realising what you have to be happy and positive about in your life.

Your Health Report Part 2: The Overflowing Glass Concept

"If the tap keeps on dripping but you never pull the plug out - eventually your in for a big mess"

Signs your glass might be overflowing:

Bloating, Indegestion and poor bowel habits (irregular, loose, incomplete) : 
Modern diet exposes us to many digestive challenges - lack of fibre, gluten sensitivity, food intolerances, high fat, high sugar, high acid load, low nutrient density. That flat stomach may never be possible whilst your causing a whole lot of inflammation to your insides.....

High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Shortness of Breath:
High refined carbohydrate (and high overall carbohydrate intake), assorted sugars (ingredients ending in -ose) intake (more carbohydrate), High Saturated fat, Low Omega 3 intake, lack of fibre, low fruit and vegetable intake and lack of meaningful physical activity, food sensitivity inflammation; can all be found as contributing factors at the bottom of the Heart risk detective files.

Mood swings, Cravings, Lack of Energy;
How many people do you know that don't suffer from most of these? Dehydration, Meal timing, Meal Nutrient ratios, Nutritional deficiencies, Poor lifestyle habits, Cell phone and other electrical equipment radiation, Adrenal Fatigue are but just a few of the issues that may be surrounding these problems.

A growing "Spare Tyre" or set of "Love Handles":
Allowing your insulin and blood sugar levels to spiral out of control will have you looking less like a human and more like the "Michelin" man in no time, not to mention the fact long term insulin overload has been associated to increasing your risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, some cancers, obesity, and some cognitive disorders. We should be thin around our middle - not looking like we are carrying an extra fuel tank for a round-the-world trip!

Difficulty sleeping - getting to sleep / staying asleep:
Do you spend all day tired then struggle to either fall asleep at night or stay asleep because you feel "wired"? Chances are you have a cortisol issue - causing a significant level of ongoing adrenal fatigue. Stress (cortisol increasers) caused by bad food choices, work and relationship problems, watching too much TV, poor sleep habits, over consumption of caffeine, stimulants and junk foods, lack of exercise or exercising late in the day.

In Part 3 we will discuss simple and effective measures to overcome these issues.

Your Health Report: Age and The Overflowing Glass Concept

I was having a discussion with one of my clients about her belief that what was once possible (and seemingly easy) before the age of thirty is now a much greater physical challenge.

We discussed the fact that a full days (or weeks) work in her profession was once a breeze, but now leaves her feeling much more physically tested and generally results in back and joint pain from being on her feet all day.

This got me thinking in some depth about the gradual increase in joint pain, muscle pain, health conditions, disease, weight creep and fatigue that gradually sneak up on us as we get older.

Enter the overflowing glass concept:

If we think of our bodies as an empty glass and our lifestyle as the fluid which we pour into the glass it is easy to understand the relationship between what we subject our bodies to over time and the  “overflow” effect that can occur if we never empty the glass.

The human body is a very resilient organism that is capable of surprising levels resistance to poor lifestyle practises that we subject it to. Tales such as people holding “self-experiements” and surviving on nothing but twinkies for periods of up to 6 months are proof of our resilience.

 
Everyone has their overflow point: As we age, our overall, continued exposure to bodily stressors slowly start to “fill” our glass towards the top. High fat, high salt, low nutritional value foods, alcohol, poor sleep patterns, work and relationship stress are examples of bad habits that we seem to be capable of tolerating in the short term but slowly as our glass gets full, one or more of these issues may cause an overflow effect and a health issue to arise.

See part two in my next blog.

Paleo Nutrition part 2

"We are cavemen with a cell phone" - In his fantastic book "THE PALEO SOLUTION" Robb Wolf www.robbwolf.com discusses the concept that if the 10000 year human evolution time-scale was laid out on a 100metre football field the metres from 99-100 would represent the last century of our exisence. If we further reduce this distance to the last 20cm we would be looking at the last two decades. During this 20cm our diets have changed dramatically and our rates of metabolic disease (Heart-Diabetes-Many Cancers) have increased greatly. GET BACK TO BASICS...... The human body is not designed to run on dried out, processed, smothered, altered foods. Fresh Fruit and Veg should make up 55-60% of every meal, Lean fish, meat, eggs and protein sources should account for 30-40% of our plate and good fats - avocados, nuts, olive oils etc should make up the remaining 10-15%. YOUR HEALTH EXPERIEMENT: DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND TRY THE PALEO DIET - drop the wheat and grains for a month, Eat only fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish and eggs + healthy fats 3-5 times a day for 30 days. Lay off the dairy products (get your calcium from lots of green vegetables and some nuts) and for the hell of it why not cut out the caffiene and all liquids other than water for a month also. Also think about supplementing with a high quality multivitamin and fish oil. You will be excited and surprised at just how good you will look and feel...... A month is a very short time in your long life - If you know you could be eating better.......youve got nothing to lose but MUCH to gain. The Paleo Diet by Dr Loren Cordain www.thepaleodiet.com and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf www.robbwolf.com are two excellent books that are a must read for your health and that of your freinds and family.

Paleo Nutrition part 1

The western world as we know it developing and changing at a truely incredible speed. Never before have we had so much convenience in all aspects of our life. Thanks to our modern, technology based lifestyle, the need for physical exertion is at an all time low. The Internet, Motorisation, Automation, Engineering Robots, Computers, Mobile Phones, Public Transport, Electric Hand Tools, Household appliances...the list goes on... all allow us to expend very little energy on a daily basis in order to carry out our daily existence with minimal effort. The impact of this lack of physical exertion has long and deep implications towards our health and acts as a strong argument as to why daily movement and exercise is very important. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY it raises another and perhaps even more important issue......Technology is not only negitively effecting our physical fitness but it is also having dire-consequences on our diet. Has it ever occured to you that the majority of the food us - "westerners" eat these days is first usually unwrapped, opened, defrosted or microwaved? AND it is so far removed (highly refined or processed) from its original plant or animal origins that it is sometimes unrecognisable when compared to its origin? One of my favourite sayings is "we have a stone-age body living in the 21st century" ... this is so much the case in-fact that the human genome has barely changed in the last 10 thousand years. ALERT!!! In the last 20 years our staple Diet and Nutrition has experienced rapid transformation - to which our bodies cannot keep pace or adapt well to. Most people eat a breakfast that comes from a box or packet (cereal or bread), a lunch that is wrapped in refined, highly concentrated grain (more bread) and many dinners that are based around piles of starch rich, grain based refined wheat or similar products (pasta or rice). Historically, since the introduction and sharp increase in the use of these foods in our diet, it is interesting to note that there has also been a sharp rise in the now "household name" metabolic diseases - heart disease, cholesterol issues, high blood pressure, diabetes and many lifestyle related cancers. Stay tuned for part two "Paleo nutrition"

Introduction and welcome

Welcome to my blog site and thankyou for taking the time to check out what will hopefully develop over the next few months into a interesting, thought provoking and valuable resource for your health, appearance and physical fitness. As a Health and Fitness professional with over 15 years experience in three countries (Australia, UK and NZ) I have dedicated myself to gaining the best education I can in order to provide my clients with the best methods, techniques and opportunities to meet their health and fitness goals. This has included a University degree, completing internships under the worlds best health and fitness professionals, gaining nutritional and natural health supplementation qualifications + being a continually avid researcher of all current + past and future health and fitness research. If your health, fitness and general wellness are important to your and your family please feel free to subscribe to my blog and keep your eyes peeled for my regular posts.