Oxygen Health & Fitness

Fish Oil Supplementation. Do I need to?

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As part of a healthy Nutrition Plan I have worked for a while now with Matt O’Neill  advocating the Metabolic Jumpstart and the consumption of nutrient rich foods, a daily multi vitamin and fish oil supplementation.  I have been getting a lot of questions about why we need it and how much of it we need.  This blog post will give you an idea of some of the benefits of fish oil and the below video with Matt O’ Neill should give you all the info you need.

The health benefits of fish oil include its ability to aid in treatment of heart diseases, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, AHDH, low immunity, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, arthritis, IBD, Alzheimer’s disease, eye disorders, macular degeneration and ulcers. It is helps in weight loss, pregnancy, fertility and skin care (particular for disorders such as psoriasis, acne).

Matt O’Neill from Metabolic Jumpstart explains the how’s and why’s of Fish Oil here:

Matt O\’Neill Talks Fish Oil

Most of the health benefits of fish oil can be attributed to the presence of Omega 3 essential fatty acids.

The various types of fish which can be a good source of fish oil are mackerel, tuna, herring, sardines, trout and salmon. The health benefits of fish oil include the following:

Heart Disease: Clinical trials have proved that omega 3 is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Fish oil, which is abundant in omega 3, therefore, reduces the risk of heart diseases and heart arrhythmias. It lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol, and increases the HDL levels, which is good cholesterol. Fish oil prevents accumulation of triglycerides and further reduces the levels of excess triglycerides.

Weight Loss: Fish oil also aids in weight loss process. Research conducted at the University of South Australia has shown that fish oil improves the efficacy of exercise in reducing weight. Volunteers who were given fish oil diet showed greater weight loss as compared to those who did not consume fish oil diet. Exercise combined with fish oil had a positive effect on the body shape and body composition of the patients.

Diabetes: Type II diabetic patients are more prone to cardio vascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. As mentioned above, fish oil is helpful in treating various heart problems. Research conducted at the University of Oxford has proved that fish oil is useful in reducing triglyceride levels in diabetes as well.

Blood Circulation: It is believed that fish oil has the ability to improve blood circulation along with reducing triglyceride and serum cholesterol levels.

Immunity: It is believed that regular consumption of fish oil aids in increasing your immunity thereby enabling you to resist incidence of common diseases such as cold, cough and flu.

Inflammation: Fish oil has anti inflammatory properties; therefore, it is effective in reducing inflammation in blood and tissues. Regular consumption of fish oil supplements, tablets, pills and capsules is helpful to those suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Fish oil is effective in treating gastrointestinal disorders and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, which are typical disorders of the intestine.

Arthritis: Fish oil is useful in treating arthritis, rheumatism, Raynaud’s symptoms and similar conditions. Usage of fish oil can help reducing the dosage of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The Royal Adelaide Hospital and University of Newcastle, Australia have reported that large quantities of fish oil have shown positive effect on the treatment of arthritis. In case of osteoarthritis, fish oil can be helpful in reducing the impact of enzymes that destroy cartilages.

Depression and Anxiety: Due to the presence of Omega 3 fatty acids, fish oil is good for relieving depression, sadness, anxiety, restlessness, mental fatigue, stress, decreased sexual desire, suicidal tendencies and other nervous disorders.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Research conducted at the Louisiana State University has shown that fatty acids are effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease The Alzheimer’s Association recommends fish containing higher content of omega three fatty acids to patients as it acts as a protective diet during Alzheimer disease and dementia.

Eye Disorders: It is well known that fish oil is good for its ability to improve vision. It also helps in avoiding age related macular degeneration.

Skin Care: Fish oil helps in improving the condition of poor and dry skin by making it shinny and glowing. It is useful in treating various skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, itching, redness of skin, skin lesions, and rashes. In case of psoriasis, the EPA present in fish oil restricts the growth of pro-inflammatory agents by producing arachidonic acid.

Hair Care: Fish oil helps maintain a good luster of the hair. Omega three has hair growing properties as it provides nourishment to the follicles. It therefore aids in faster development of hair and preventing hairloss. A good supply of proteins is also necessary for hair growth. Since most fish varieties are rich in protein, eating fish helps in keeping healthy hair.

Pregnancy: Fish oil is very useful for pregnant women as DHA present in it helps in the development of the eyes and brain of the baby. It helps in avoiding premature births, low weight at birth, and miscarriage.

(ADHD) or ADD: Fish oil has the ability to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) due to the high concentration of fatty acids. Research conducted at the University of South Australia and the CSIRO has shown that when children suffering from ADHD were given doses of fish oil for 15 weeks, they showed significant improvement. Since brain consists of about 60% of fats, especially essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6, fish oil helps in improving the functioning of the brain. Further, it is believed that fish oil is useful in the normal development of the brain. It helps your kids concentrate on their studies better.

Kiama's Metabolic Jumpstart

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This week a group of keen Kiama residents have taken on the challenge of a Metabolic Jumpstart to coincide with their 4 week Boot Camp Exercise Program. The Metabolic Jumpstart is a Nutrition program that offers you clear advice and a diet plan to re-wire your metabolism and discover a new level of wellbeing.

The Metabolic Jumpstart

The Metabolic Jumpstart is created by Matt O’Neill, one of Australia’s top Nutritionists and a regular on Channel 7’s Sunrise and Morning Show Programs. He is also the Weight Loss Coach for Men’s Health Magazine (Aust). His trusted advice has helped millions of people enhance their diet, wellbeing and body shape. He has delivered over 1000 media interviews, hundreds of seminars and has presented in 8 countries.

Matt O'Neill

Matt is on a mission- Mission Metabolism – to Jumpstart the nation (and the world) to eat well, be active and maintain a healthy metabolism. Please join in… it’s the Jumpstart we all need! If you’re not on board yet, I encourage you to visit www.metabolicjumpstart.com and quote OXYGEN as your referral code. It’ll be the best $30 you could spend! Oxygen Health & Fitness is privileged to be working with Matt O’Neill as an Official Partner in Mission Metabolism.

Oxygen Health & Fitness

Why do we need it?

Because to truly get amazing results you NEED to combine a balanced exercise program with nutrient rich foods. How many people do you know that exercise all the time and have a fitness program but their shape and figure has barely changed? Conversely, how many people have you met that eat well or have been on this diet or that diet and still aren’t fit and healthy? The people who succeed at being fit, lean and healthy are those that combine both exercise and nutrition. If weight loss is your goal, it is NOT negotiable!

Effort and energy saving devices like remote controls, electric car windows and computer-bound jobs rob us of our calorie burning movement. Junk food fills us with nutrient-poor calories from bad fats, sugar and white, fluffy carbohydrates that don’t even fill you up.

And there’s information overload about health, nutrition and fitness. Eat this one day, drink that the next. Many diet and weight loss programs just add to the confusion, reduce your metabolic rate further and make matters worse. In fact, many so-called weight loss experts are simply lying to you about how your metabolism works.

Which Plan is right for you?

Metabolic Jumpstart is different because your diet plan is metabolically matched for your needs. You choose if you want to lose weight fast, take your time to drop a few kilos, maintain your figure and fitness or bulk up.

Nutrient-rich eating targets show you the correct amount of each food group to eat each day, so you can be confident you are getting all the nutrients to optimise your metabolic function.

You can ‘Mix & Match’ your foods using the simple guide and Ready Reckoner. This gives you the flexibility and know-how to Tune-Up your plan.

I encourage anyone who has questions regarding their nutriton program to add their comments to the bottom of this blog post so we can all learn together. Chances are if you have a question to ask, someone else is thinking the same question? Post your diet and nutriton questions below.

Week 1 Bonuses at Oxygen

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Happy New Year!  Welcome back to Oxygen Health & Fitness for 2010.

Training is underway again for both Group Training classes as well as Personal Training sessions and we are very excited about the year ahead. If you received our Newsletter in the mail at Xmas time don’t forget to utilise the Bring a Friend Gift Certificate before it expires 31st January. What a perfect way to get your friends started on a health & fitness program.

Most of our clients know of our Trainer Alix Henniker.  Alix is a multi talented young woman who amongst juggling a career as a Personal Trainer and Solicitor, has now qualified for training to become a Police Prosecutor.  Along with this Alix has been selected to appear in the upcoming TV series “The Recruits” which sees rookies entering the Police Academy in Goulburn.

Alix Henniker
Alix Henniker - The Recruit

The Recruits Production Manager has requested to film Alix at work doing what she does best for Oxygen.  So, with that in mind we have decided to put on a BONUS workout this Friday at 5:30pm – 6pm as our New Year gift to you.  It’s a good chance to get an extra session to start your year and you may even get your mug on TV!

It would be a huge favour to Alix and some great publicity for Oxygen if we could get as many people as possible for the session.  Members, non members, wives, husbands, friends, whoever – if they have any interest in doing a good deed and kickstarting their health and fitness for 2010 then please email or call us asap (4233 2963) to confirm your spot.

There has been a slight tweak to our Group Training Timetable this year with a re-arrangement of 6pm sessions and also the addition of a CORE class for our 6am Bootcampers.  Keep an eye out for additional classes being added at 7:30am for our Heart Health crew, 9:30am for the Mums and Shiftworkers and also afternoon classes for the Kids.  We’ll have Oxygen shirts running around all day long by the end of the year.

Just on that note, be sure to add your comments at the bottom of this blog post for anything you’d like to see added to our schedule for 2010 (be that timeslots, class types etc).

As for Week 1, we have seen some good numbers in attendance.  With a few people still on holidays and a tonne of people with New Year’s Resolutions to be fit, health and lose weight, January and February should mean busy times ahead.

On the topic of resolutions and being fit, did you know there are 5 key components to a successful exercise program?  One of those important steps is to assess where you are at right now.  It’s one thing to know where you want to go but if you don’t know where you are right now how can you measure your improvements?  Oxygen has the answer…

Fitness Age testing takes girth measurements all over your body – weight, strength testing, abdominal endurance, cardiovascular and flexibility assessments and calculates your Body Age, Strength Age, Cardio Age, Flexibility Age as well as an overall Fitness Age.  Oxygen conducts Group Fitness Age testing on the first Saturday of every month at 6:30am before Boxing.

For those of you who have already done Fitness Age testing before, you need to reassess to see if you have improved.  For those who have never completed Fitness Age testing, I highly recommend you participate.  It’s that perfect time of year to record your assessment so that you have a roadmap for where you need to get to in terms of fitness and health in 2010.

Good luck, train hard and may all your wishes come true in 2010.

Regards,

Dave Lambert

P.S – Don’t forget to leave your comments below to tell us what you’d like to see from Oxygen in 2010.  You may even want to publicly declare your health and fitness goals via this blog to keep yourself accountable.  Don’t laugh about it, it works!

Think Before You Eat for Weight Loss

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If you learn to think before you eat, you will achieve kiama weight loss by making the right choices.  When you eat foods simply because you like them without regard for their nutritional content, it is easy to choose foods that are not good for your body.  Losing weight doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience when you learn how to choose healthy and tasty foods with high nutritional content.

Thinking It Through to the End

There was once an old expression that went something like “a moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips”.   You don’t hear this expression often anymore, but it really sums up the need to be fully aware of what you put into your mouth.  When you thoughtlessly prepare and/or eat meals that are unhealthy, the food tastes great in your mouth but quickly turns to fat in the body.

Even worse is the fact the wrong food choices can lead to disease and shorten your life span.  Almost everyone knows that high cholesterol foods can cause cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, or even cancer.   Foods that are high in sugar can cause type-2 diabetes and heart disease.

All too often, people decide to go on a diet and make a big production of the decision.  They announce their decision to family and friends, make a date to start the diet, and begin weighing religiously.  Most diets start out well, but it’s not long before the cravings for certain foods begin and the constant effort becomes tedious.

Instead of deciding to go on a diet, you should decide to start living a healthy lifestyle.  Going on a diet for kiama weight loss is a short term solution.  Living a healthy lifestyle is a choice you are making that will endure the rest of your life.  You can begin by simply thinking about what you eat and when you eat it in order to achieve weight loss.

Lose Weight By Living the Healthy Life

When you embark on a healthy lifestyle, it is important to begin thinking about your decision related to food and physical activity.  When it comes to food, you want to mentally evaluate your choices.  For example, when you reach into the refrigerator for an evening snack, you can choose ice cream or a piece of fruit.  When it’s time for breakfast, you can choose a bowl of oatmeal or bacon and eggs.  Do you really need that in-between meal snack?  Are you that hungry, and if so, why?

You can begin to substitute foods with high nutritional value for foods that are not good for your body on a meal by meal basis.  Instead of being obsessed with  weight loss, you can focus on your energy level and how well you are aging.  When you make the right food choices and manage the quantity of food you eat, you will lose weight.

Your diet management should be combined with regular exercise too.  If you just think about each food item you put into your mouth, you are bound to maintain weight loss as you learn to make better choices.

Keeping Off the Kilos You Lost

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Everyone who cares about weight loss has heard of yo-yo dieting where you lose weight and then slowly (or quickly) put the weight back on and then lose it again and so on.  It is unhealthy to treat your body in that fashion, and it puts a lot of stress on your organs and cardiovascular system.  In fact, you can do permanent damage to your body’s ability to maintain equilibrium.

Maintaining the Right Weight and a Lifestyle

When you lose weight by following a calorie restricted diet, you are not making a lifestyle change.  You are simply dieting.  This makes it very difficult to keep lost weight off, because as soon as you start eating again the weight will return.

The ideal healthy diet is really not a diet but more of a fitness plan.  You learn to eat right and get regular exercise.  The fitness plan is not something you follow for a few weeks until the weight is lost, but it is a plan for living a healthy life.  There is a big difference between dieting to lose weight and getting fit while losing weight.

Maintaining weight loss is a lot easier when you adhere to a healthy lifestyle.  The key is to make your fitness program interesting by eating a variety of healthy foods and choosing physical activities you enjoy.

If you are uncomfortable working out at the gym then you can hire a trainer who can develop a varied exercise program.  If you like exercising outdoors, there are many different athletic and recreational activities which you can do to burn calories.  At Oxygen Health & Fitness, it’s what we specialise in.

Paying Attention to the Details

The key to  weight loss is to continue your weight maintenance program in your daily living while paying attention to habits which could lead to weight gain.

  • Stay focused on your daily weight loss maintenance program by becoming aware of physical symptoms indicating the body is distressed (i.e. eating high fat food that causes indigestion)
  • Weigh yourself regularly without being obsessive
  • Learn how to choose a variety of healthy foods
  • Learn how to cook foods in a healthy manner
  • Exercise 5 to 6 days a week
  • Change your exercise program regularly so you don’t lose interest
  • Don’t let your body feel starved which lowers your resistance to eating junk food or extra calories you don’t need
  • Only eat when you are hungry and not because it is “meal time”
  • Eat smaller meals more frequently
  • Make sure your exercise program includes aerobic,strength and flexibility training exercises
  • Look for ways to burn more calories as you go through the day (i.e. stand instead of sitting, parking far from the store door and so on)

Keeping the pounds off for  weight loss is not difficult as long as you pay attention to your diet and continue to exercise regularly.  Even as you age and the metabolism naturally slows down, low fat diets coupled with increased exercise can help you stay at the right weight.

Managing Fitness And Diet: Good Calories Vs. Empty Calories In The Battle For Weight Loss In Kiama

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When trying to achieve weight loss in Kiama, gaining a balanced diet can be confusing.  There is a lot to include and there are real moderated needs for protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and even calories.  As most people know, quantity of calories is a major concern; but then, calorie quality is important, too.

Good Calories, Bad Calories

All calories are not created equal; not all calories are evil—you need calories to live and have energy.  A diet capable of supporting health and fitness is one that is packed with good calories.  So what’s a ‘bad’ calorie?  You might recognize it by another name—an empty calorie.

An empty calorie is a calorie with no nutritional value.  It is a calorie largely based in fats and sugars devoid of vitamins, minerals, and important nutrients. When trying to achieve weight loss in Kiama, you should learn which calories are empty calories and try to avoid them.

Protein, carbohydrates, and fats are all macro nutrients.  There are good sources of these needed dietary elements, but there are also a lot of bad sources that are nothing more than empty, useless calories.

Good calories and good sources of macro nutrients have necessary carbs, good fats, and proteins, and they also have micro-nutrients such as fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Useless, Empty Calories

The problem with empty calories is that they provide little to no energy, no restorative and constructive properties (for muscle, bone, and tissue), and add to fat stores.  Very simply, empty calories have none of the necessary elements needed to support body function, workouts, and good health.

Fitness depends on having good sources of calories that also provide other needed elements and energy for working out.  The right caloric sources will result in improved energy, enhanced muscle formation, and increased weight loss.  Empty calories will negate these efforts, making it harder to achieve weight loss.

How To Spot An Empty Calorie

In a hurried world it is easy to consume many empty calories throughout the course of the day and not even realize it.  This can leave you feeling sluggish and thwart the best of fitness efforts.  Many people trying to achieve weight loss eat mainly empty calories and do not even know that they do it.  So how can you easily spot an empty calorie?

First off, consider that all ‘junk food’ is empty calories.  Avoid sugar-laden foods and refined grains (white flours).  Eat natural sugars (fruits and vegetables) and whole grains.  Avoid fried foods, lollies, and sugary drinks (soft drink, but also sugary ‘energy’ drinks that are often nothing more than sugar and caffeine).

Also look out for beer and alcohol; these are sources of sugar and stored fats with nothing else to offer.

Depending on preparation, even good calories can turn empty quickly (fried foods and more).  To really learn to quickly spot empty calories you need to get educated—talk to a nutritionist, your doctor, or your personal trainer.  These professionals will give you the basics of good calorie consumption, help you balance out your diet and point you to reliable resources for more information about weight loss in Kiama.

Your health and well-being depend on your good diet.  Reaching your fitness goals does, too.  Many a person has found that simple dietary changes, a switch-over to good calorie sources rather than consuming empty calories, has made the difference between a stalled fitness campaign and reaching and exceeding fitness objectives.

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