Here’s a way to add some great flavour to your next serve of salmon whilst packing in 34g of protein, 3g of carbs, 17g of healthy fat and only 301 calories:

Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon

 Recipe from Anabolic Cooking

I’m not saying I don’t get scared, because there’s certain things we’re all afraid of.  But I’m not afraid of making a few mistakes because it means I’m taking action and I can at least course correct as I go.

Don’t get stuck like a deer in the headlights never taking action or too afraid of what might happen.  Mistakes can be as good a teacher as success is.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.  “Elbert Hubbard”

Do you think after nine years in one place growing a client base and a reputation as good Personal  Trainer was enough reason to stop me coming to Kiama?  I had no money, no clients, no reputation and not even somewhere definite to live yet!  Did I have my doubts?  Did I think I could be making a huge mistake?

Yes, but I did it anyway.  I’ve made some mistakes an I’ve also had some great successes too.  It’s all part of the ride. So go take action on your goals and don’t be afraid to make a mistake.

High Protein ANZAC Cookies

Ingredients

·         4 Egg Whites

·         ½ Cup Oatmeal

·         2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

·         ½ cup desiccated coconut

·         2 tablespoons golden syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 170°C. Place the egg whites, oatmeal, protein powder and coconut in a bowl and mix well. Pour golden syrup into the dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, pressing down on the tops to flatten slightly. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 10 Cookies.

Enjoy!

There’s several things goin on at Oxygen that I want you to consider and make a decision on.  This is a really important skill to develop -  to act decisively.

The first thing that springs to mind at the moment is the wet weather we’re experiencing. Plain and simple, it sucks. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good excuse NOT to train. If you’ve been around Oxygen Health & Fitness  long enough you’ll know our motto and if you’re fairly new to the scene you’ll get the message soon enough.

“In the rain, we still train.”

Make a decision to get over it, suck it up and commit to training. Here’s proof from yesterday that your Kiama Personal Trainer walks his walk.

The second thing to consider is this.

Not a day goes by that I don’t have someone ask me:

“How do I lose the muffin top/tuck-shop arms/last 5kg?”

“How can I burn body fat off my bum/thigh/stomach?”

“How can I get bla bla bla?”

The answer to 90% of people’s fitness, energy + weight loss dilemmas is………… Nutrition.

The Body Balance Challenge is a 90 Day Body Transformation program where you get access to both Group and Individual Nutrition coaching, complete done for you meal plans and grocery lists and all the information and motivation required to make DRAMATIC changes to your physique.  It starts Monday 30th April, you can get $1,300 cash for winning and for just $50 you can trial it out for the first week to see if it’s the right fit for you.

If you’re interested MAKE A DECISION and register for it.

The third thing to consider is the cooler weather ahead of us and how fashionable you want to be.  We’re taking orders now for the items below so if your’e interested MAKE A DECISION contact us to let us know which specific item you would like and what size.  Orders need to be placed and paid for by ANZAC DAY (next Wednesday).

Sleeve Striped Hoodie $50

Turtle Collared Top $50

Now is the time to…

Make a decision

We procrastinate too often;

re-considering, torturing ourselves with indecision

Governments do it by establishing boards of inquiries.

Golfers call it paralysis by analysis.

We think it’s better to think things through, then decide.

Correcting an error is less painful

than being trapped on the fence.

“One foot can’t stand on two boats”  Chinese proverb

A fairly new addition to the Oxygen Health & Fitness family, Norbert turned up to his first Oxygen session only 6 weeks ago with no idea what he was up for. Being the second day of Challenge Week it was probably best he didn’t know. He hopped off his beloved motorbike, waltzed over to us to grab some equipment and proceeded to do a Yoga session wearing camouflage motorbike pants. He stretched out muscles he didnt know he had, almost tore his bike pants right up the middle but survived and his journey with us was underway.

Over the next 5 days he turned up again and again, putting his body through more exercise and muscle soreness than he had in the last 25 years. He had a warm, friendly personalityand great sense of humour that quickly attracted other Members to him, especially his fellow Yellow Team Challengers. By the end of the week he had a new circle of fitness buddies who raved about his efforts and encouraged him to attend our Oxygen Challenge Week Presentation to relax with a drink and celebrate an enjoyable week. He brought along his wife Wendy, who was the one that rang up to register Norbert for our 5 Week Boot Camp.  I managed to have a quick chat with her and she had mentioned how much he was enjoying himself and how friendly and welcoming the group was towards him. It was easy when he was such a friendly, funny and hard working guy. During the Challenge Week Presentations, Norbert was named the Yellow Team MVP and thoroughly deserved it. For a 50 year old guy with not much exercise history to turn up, not knowing anyone and work his butt off the way he did, what an inspirational guy.

Tragically, last Tuesday 10th April Norbert was killed riding his beloved motorbike in a head on collision along Jamberoo Rd.

He died doing what he loved and his passing gives us all a reminder to do the same.

Enjoy life, be healthy, laugh, don’t sweat the small stuff. You never know when your time’s up.

R.I.P Norbert

Top 10 Nutrition Habits

    1.  Eat every 2 – 3 hours

• Increases metabolism plus limits fat storage

• Eating more often means less calories at each meal

• Burns more calories when you eat more often

    2.  Eat protein at every meal

• Helps achieve a high overall level of protein consumption to maintain lean muscle tissue and maximise strength gains

• Its the most THERMOGENIC macro-nutrient – the body has to burn more calories to digest and metabolise it

• Generally the most filling macro-nutrient helping to satisfy hunger and blood sugar hormones so you won’t overeat

    3.  Eat veges at each meal

• Rich source of carbohydrates, energy, vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants

• 5 serves a day is ecommended so the best way to do that consistently is to get into the habit of eating veges at every meal.

4.  Eat Veges and Fruit with any meal, high glycaemic carbs after exercise

• High GI foods such as bread, pasta etc do a good job replenishing muscle fuel stores after exercise but at other times their heavy carbohydrate load results in too much fat storage (carbs that aren’t needed for immediate energy are converted to fat and generally get stored around the midsection)

• All veges and most fruit are Low GI so the carbohydrate they contain are less likely to be converted to stored fat

  5.  Eat healthy fats daily

• Polyunsaturated fats found in fish, flaxseed, walnuts that contain those omega 3 fatty acids.  They create healthier cells.

• Monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, almonds, cashews and peanut butter.

Stay tuned next week for the next 5 Nutrition Habits

Anyways, enough about food but the story is going somewhere I promise!

The weekend got me thinking about my birthday and the topic of age.  It’s amazing how many people I talk to who ask for my help, advice, opinion on something related to health and fitness.  What’s even more amazing is the number of people that ask my advice but then ignore the information or tell me what they think is the solution.  Even more amazing still is that the supposed solution is either exactly what they’ve done already to get them to where they are (WTF?) or so counterproductive they’ll likely to be worse off than they are now.

That’s one thing about age which can be a real barrier to your Kiama Fitness success.

Each year that passes it’s very easy to get set in your ways, think you know all there is to know and get so swamped with being busy that you lose focus.  When you’re not focused, important things like exercising consistently improving your nutrition and getting adequate recovery can slip down the priority list.

You should know by now how important all these things are and it’s all a product of learning.

Learning something new about health & fitness has to be a priority.  As a Kiama Personal Trainer with 12 years experience, I sure as hell don’t know everything there is to know about health & fitness.  So when I share with you the importance of mindset, preparation and planning, exercise programming or a great easy way to get tasty, nutritious food on your plate, make sure you’re open to learning something new because the success of your Kiama Fitness program depends on it.  Age is no barrier.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty”.  Henry Ford

One of the biggest problems you can come across with your diet is the sauces and dressing you add to food. Even if you’re taking the steps  to choose healthier, if you’re dousing your food with high calorie dressings, you’re hardly doing your health a favour. Many of these are going to be loaded with saturated fat, but they’re often filled with chemicals and sugar as well, forming a double whammy as far as your nutritious diet is concerned. They are going to do nothing to boost your rate of fat loss or stoke your metabolism which is why we need alternatives that add taste to food, enhanced metabolic effects and great nutrition as well. .There’s a few key ingredients that you should consider including: Mustard, White and Red Wine Vinegar and Lemon. Today’s Dressing contains three of those!

The health benefits of lemon are due to many nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B, phosphorous, proteins, and carbohydrates present in it. Lemon is a fruit that contains flavonoid, a composite that holds antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. It helps to prevent diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, skin care, fever, indigestion and many other health problems. Studies conducted at the American Urological Association highlight the fact that lemon juice can cure kidney stones by forming urinary citrate, which can prevent formation of crystals.

Lemon is used in the treatment of throat infections, indigestion, constipation, dental problems, fever, hair care, skin care, internal bleeding, rheumatism, burns, overweight, respiratory disorders, cholera and high blood pressure. Known for its therapeutic properties for generations, lemon helps to strengthen your immune system and cleanses your stomach. It is not only a blood purifier but also enables body to fight diseases. They can help to ward off further food cravings whilst keeping blood glucose levels more stable

So, as promised here is a metabolic dressing that boosts your rate of fat loss:

Creamy Dijon Herb Dressing

Ingredients:

* 4 Tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt
* 1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
* 1/4 Cup Water
* 2 Tablespoons of minced fresh Parsley
* 2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
* 1 Tablespoon of fresh Lemon Juice
* 1 Garlic clove, minced
* 1 Tablespoon of dried Thyme
* Pinch of Black Pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth

Source: Metabolic Cooking – Dave Ruel

If you’re keen for some “Lemon” tonight come join me at the Blue Diamond Bar from 6pm onwards.

Today’s Thursday Thought is a reminder for you that the Dave’s Birthday Sale ends tomorrow 5pm.  If you’re still weighing it up,

Now is the time to……

Seek Value

Don’t view things by price.

They often bear no relation to genuine value.

In all things, be guided by value.

Whether objects or experiences,

consider their value to you and your real needs.

With your needs clarified, select your target,

only then compare prices.

“Price is a crazy and incalculable thing, while value is an intrinsic and indestructible thing.”

G.K Chesterton (1874 – 1936)

I know you have lots of choices available to you when it comes to working out.  There’s home gym equipment, numerous gyms or even working out with a buddy or on your own. But how long will it last?  Are you following the right info?  What if your workout buddy can’t train today?  And Gyms?  Check out these stats:

“90% of people who join gyms will stop going in the first 3 months – don’t be a statistic.”

Dr Donald E Wetmore, Time Management facts & figures.

Hopefully you see the value that Oxygen Health & Fitness provides you in the way of world class exercise programming, motivation, accountability, education, nutrition tips, social support and a positive environment that fosters self improvement and personal growth to name just a few.  We have a community of staff and other members that care about your results. We appreciate your ongoing support and our aim is to develop lifelong relationships with our clients.  Because if you want to live a long and healthy life guess what? You need to work out for the rest of your life.

Why Dark Chocolate can actually be healthy:

Chocolate is made from plants, and as such contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body.

Heart Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate:

Dark chocolate is good for your heart. A small bar of it everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running well. Two heart health benefits of dark chocolate are:

* Lower Blood Pressure: Studies have shown that consuming a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can reduce blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.
* Lower Cholesterol: Dark chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

Other Benefits of Dark Chocolate:

Chocolate also holds benefits apart from protecting your heart:

* it tastes good
* it stimulates endorphin production, which gives a feeling of pleasure
* it contains serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant
* it contains theobromine, caffeine and other substances which are stimulants

Doesn’t Chocolate Have a lot of Fat?:

Here is some more good news — some of the fats in chocolate do not impact your cholesterol. The fats in chocolate are 1/3 oleic acid, 1/3 stearic acid and 1/3 palmitic acid:

* Oleic Acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil.
* Stearic Acid is a saturated fat but one which research is shows has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
* Palmitic Acid is also a saturated fat, one which raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

That means only 1/3 of the fat in dark chocolate is bad for you.
Chocolate Tip 1 – Balance the Calories:

This information doesn’t mean that you should eat a kilo of chocolate a day. Chocolate is still a high-calorie, high-fat food. Most of the studies done used no more than 100 grams of dark chocolate a day to get the benefits.

One bar of dark chocolate has around 400 calories. If you eat half a bar of chocolate a day, you must balance those 200 calories by eating less of something else.

Chocolate Tip 2 – Taste the Chocolate:

Chocolate is a complex food with over 300 compounds and chemicals in each bite. To really enjoy and appreciate chocolate, take the time to taste it. Professional chocolate tasters (yes there is such a job) have developed a system for tasting chocolate that include assessing the appearance, smell, feel and taste of each piece.

Chocolate Tip 3 – Go for Dark Chocolate:

Dark chocolate has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate. These other two chocolates cannot make any health claims. Dark chocolate has 65 percent or higher cocoa content.

Chocolate Tip 4 – Skip the Nougat:

You should look for pure dark chocolate or dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel or other flavorings. Avoid anything with caramel, nougat or other fillings. These fillings are just adding sugar and fat which erase many of the benefits you get from eating the chocolate.

Source: About.com Longevity