Training methods like HIIT and Tabata are so popular because of the “afterburn effect” they create in our bodies. In simple terms, the more intense your workout, the more oxygen your body burns to recover and the more calories you burn from your increased metabolism post workout. Whilst the calculation of exactly how many calories you burn from a workout …
Wrap your inner chimp up this Xmas
As we head towards Christmas and New Year, lots of familiar patterns and narratives tend to creep into our worlds. And they often centre around: why there’s little point in starting/continuing healthier habits pre-Xmas periods of excess and being more sedentary (which typically leads to us feeling less great and becoming even more sedentary) a focus on changing who we …
Navigating Christmas eating
Christmas is a time for family & celebration and I think we’ve all earned a place on the nice list for surviving the antics of this year. If you’re focusing on your health and eating habits though, Christmas can sometimes be quite stressful with excess and temptation lying at every corner. And the average Brit consuming c. 6000 calories on …
Due dates & Christmas
Counting down to Christmas can be a bit like counting down the weeks until your baby is born. Christmas, however, can be relied upon to happen every year on 25 December, whereas only around 5% of babies will arrive on their due date. Whilst many of us know this fact, it can still feel quite stressful to spend 9 months …
The positives in taking a break from alcohol
Some of us drink alcohol… to relax or treat ourselves (so a reward of sorts for a hard day) to celebrate things or as a social interaction with friends to make ourselves more sociable than we would otherwise feel or to let go of our inhibitions to console ourselves / cheer ourselves up / try and escape our problems simply …
Enjoy the journey
Christmas can be both an amazing time of year and a super stressful one as we rush around trying to make everything “perfect”. Most of us have visions in our head of how things should be and this applies to life more generally, not just Christmas. We have specific ideas about the kind of person and parent we want to …
Your non-dominant hand
Try challenging both your body and your brain today by using your non-dominant hand to complete as many simple tasks as you can. Try brushing your teeth with it, your hair, using your phone with it, try catching with it, writing with it, etc. Not only will it provide you (& potentially your family members) with a bit of amusement, …
The humble sprout…and Covid-19
Love them or hate them, sprouts always feature highly on the list of festive foods and they should rank more highly all year round because of their amazing properties. Did you know that sprouts are a good source of…? vitamin A (so great for your skin & eyes) B vitamins and folic acid (which is even more essential when it …
The parable of the fisherman & the businessman
At a time of year when our focus often turns to material possessions, wealth & plans for the New Year, take a moment today to enjoy the simple things in life & to focus on what truly makes you happy. Don’t let that inner voice take over unless it’s truly serving you. “A successful businessman on vacation was at the …
Protein powder in pregnancy & when breastfeeding
I’ve had a couple of conversations recently with people about their protein intake and whether protein powders are safe in pregnancy or when breastfeeding. As with most things, pregnant / breastfeeding women are never the population that these things are tested on so it’s difficult to say for sure, and there’s a real lack of independent advice out there.What I …