Keep that Fuel Tank topped up!
Sep0
By Guest Blogger Coen van Schijndel, Topvorm - www.topvorm.com
Keep your Energy Tank fuelled!!!
An important concern of cyclists, as well as marathon runners or triatletes and all those that go for the longer nuance races is their energy supply. The energy sources which you have available to support your effort, are your body fat store and the storage of glycogen (carbohydrates) in your liver and muscles together with whatever you manage to consume and add during the actual ... Read More
Summer sweetness
Aug0
It’s summer fruit time! I love it – lots of sugar and sweetness and you can always pretend you are eating your five portions of vegetables and fruit in one sitting because it is GOOD for you 
So two great sorbets* I like to make because they are totally refreshing and ofcourse wickedly sweet…
Pomegranate Sorbet
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup ... Read More
Calories
Aug0
Here’s another one of those great topics that you could spend hours on…Calories. We all know what they are used for – basically as a measurement of the richness of food in the sense that if you eat too many calories, you will gain weight and if you eat less – you will lose some. But then I got the question – what is a Calorie? Hmmmm, nice subject for a Saturday morning.
So a Calorie is indeed a measure of energy – to be exact, originally it was a ... Read More
Block training for strength
Jul0
If you are looking to build strength and resilience – you might want to consider block training. Simple word – very hard training! I do block training on the bike in the gym since this is one training session that I really like to control v. closely in terms of effort and time.
The idea is simple – you alternate between high RPM (revolutions per minute) with a low resistance, and low RPM with a very high resistance. Aim for 3 mins. for each block but you can build up ... Read More
Treat time…
Jul0
If you read my blog over the weekend, you can imagine that when I opened the washing machine today and took out my stuff, I found myself spraying sand all over the place. After my great, fun, brilliant bike ride on Saturday I added a beautiful run through a quiet Sunday morning wood – catching deer at their breakfast. And a hike today to kick off the day… what a way to start the week.
In any case, after all that, I figure it’s treat time!!
Here’s two ... Read More
Peanut Butter- friend or foe?
Jul0
Always a great debate about Peanut Butter, is it GOOD for you or not??
Well – let me help you a little – Peanut Butter is definitely packed with calories, so eating a jar will make you gain weight. However, it is packed with the good kind of oil/fat – the non-saturated fats that you also find in olive oil and avocados etc. and you don’t need to avoid all of them. It is classified as a vegetable fat, rather then animal fat.
You do need to look at the jar ... Read More
The Light in your Eyes…
Jul0
During the summer I exercise outdoors as much as I can. The feeling of air and sun on your skin is the best there is and only enhances the work-outs I do.
More and more people are aware of the fact that the sun, whilst great and healthy and necessary in a lot of ways, can also be harmful to your skin and we are beginning to all plaster ourselves with the appropriate SPF’s. But one thing you do need to be aware of when exercising outdoors is the effect on your eyes too! Your eyes ... Read More
Long bike ride and dessert…
Jun0
I love long bikerides – and am heading out today on one. Get a map of your local area, and discover the trails near your town. It’s so good to just enjoy the scenery but moving at a slower pace and taking it in, instead of speeding by in a car. For me long means 3 hours (or more). Great for my basic level condition since I am not blasting at full speed the whole time, and good for burning those calories and get my metabolism moving.
Tonight I’ll have one of my ... Read More
Tips from a Pro – Diets
Jun0
Following my write-up yesterday, I am getting more and more feedback – thank you! It’s interesting to see that whilst we collectively know quite a lot about fitness, and looking after our health, we still get totally fazed by all the myths that are out there. So Nando, PT and Masseur at 1-2-1 Trainers pulled some myths out of his healthy hat and asked me to share them with you.
Here’s some of Nando’s thoughts on food/diets:
There is so much misinformation ... Read More
Quick sweet treat
Jun0
One great sweet treat that you can prepare v. easily is the following:
Grab a sheet of aluminium foil.
Half a ripe necatarine or peach – take the stone out and put both halves on the foil.
In the bowl where the stone was on one half – add a crumbed amaretti biscuit (italian), preferably the softer variety.
Sprinkle over a little Grand Marnier, Almond liqueur or almond essence – don’t worry – the alcohol will evaporate.
add a ... Read More
Energy – where do you get yours from??
Jun0
I love this topic, but it is one of the hardest to tackle in a simple blog. If you want to achieve anything with your exercise or sport though, or simply want to maintain a healthy balance in life, you need to understand how your body is fuelled.
Let me break it down to basics – there’s three major sources of energy that your body can use: carbohydrates, protein and fat. All day long, these sources are broken down into usable format by your body, which is effectively just ... Read More
Singing for your Dinner?
Jun0
Right – so now we are at the final meal of the day. Don’t forget that you can adapt my suggestions by adding more or less carbohydrates if you need to. For instance, if you are training a lot, or working out hard – then the suggestions I gave thusfar are possibly on the light side (depending on your weight and gender). The menu items I have given you are for those that want to eat healthy and light, even possibly getting leaner then they are.
Carbohydrates can be ... Read More
3 Lunches
Jun0
If you aren’t still trying to get the oatmeal scraped from the bottom of your pans – you may be ready for some lunch options
I like the following – if you have other suggestions, please feel free to post a comment and share.
1. Happy Meal
Not the McDonalds variety – but one that gives you a mid-day boost. Mix chopped endives in a bowl with ... Read More
Food for thought – Breakfasts
Jun0
Breakfast.
So what should you eat? I had a response yesterday after my post that it’s all well and good to say that it should not be processed, but could I give some examples.
So let me start by giving you three different breakfasts. Breakfasts that will last, that will give you energy to do a workout and then some and that are healthy options. Tomorrow I will post three lunches and then Friday three evening meals – and I will refresh these from time to time so you ... Read More
What to eat?
Jun0
Sometimes it can be totally baffling to know what you should actually eat, whether related to exercise or not! Today you might read in the paper you should not have too much caffeine, tomorrow the world decides that it is the best thing since sliced bread – and oh, by the way, you shouldn’t drink wine anymore. Which ofcourse in a year from now will be the most beneficial drink you can have….
I have a very simple rule that you can apply in case you really are not sure ... Read More
