Healthy foods
May0
My last blog resulted in a number of comments and emails showing that you all do care about WHAT you eat, not just when or how much. In replying to some of you, I talked about food combinations, which can help you lose weight more quickly then just eating or leaving out one staple food item. For instance, if you are losing weight, you will need to make sure that despite the fact that it seems easy to cut out carbohydrates completely – this is not a good thing at all. You need ... Read More
Fuel your body
Apr0
What I have noticed, and definitely like to see, is that there is a growing awareness of the need to feed your body the fuel it needs to perform. I know, it’s been around forever – sportsnutrition is definitely not a new phenomenon and no, I am not so old that I have forgotten that! But even though I have been around in the sports world for 25 years (and a bit more), it strikes me that now, finally, even the average person is starting to understand that food does make a huge ... Read More
on the right path?
Apr0
Life is all about ups- and downs. Maintaining a healthy body and healthy mind is no different!
This weekend, I was trying out some fitness wear. When showing my choices to my patient shopping friend, the sales woman said to him “I hope I will look like her when I am as old as she is”…
I think I’ll take that as a compliment…. 
... Read More
Running, shoes and good advice
Mar0
Got an interesting question today from one of my frequent readers (I do have them it seems, quite nice to hear…) She has started to run and is enjoying it but just recently started to get an odd feeling in her groin after running. Nothing too painful, but just a twinge that is annoying.
Whenever you start running (or any new sport) it’s good to keep a check on yourself. I mean that in two different ways – 1. Don’t overdo it, build it up and go slow! and 2. ... Read More
Age
Mar0
Bet this title got your attention!
Age seems to be the new mass obsession. We have had smoking, and banned it – drinking, banned that too – coffee, diminished our intake but what to do about Aging? We seem to want to control everything these days, we seem to want to be healthy and look young until we are about to step into our coffins…but aren’t we ... Read More
Your best accessory
Mar0
Whether you are an Oscar winning actress, or simply someone like me – I can tell you exactly which accessory will always work and make you look your very best.
You don’t need expensive dresses, amazing bling-bling jewelry or even a goodlooking guy on your arm .
The world’s best accessory is Self-Confidence. Hold your head high, back straight and you ... Read More
the importance of Protein
Feb0
There are tons of myths about protein and sports. For instance, that simply eating more protein will increase your muscles. Now – it would be nice if it worked like that but then again, when have you ever found something to be that easy? No, unfortunately, eating protein alone will not build all that nice toned muscle for you – you have to work at it yourself!
But protein is a very important nutrition source for muscles and you should look closely at your diet and ensure ... Read More
Trail riding
Feb0
If you are in an area where you can get up into the hills – GOOOOO! It’s so incredibly exhilarating to ride high over the ridges – even though the climb up to the ridge and the bit down again usually will take the most time and the easy riding on the top will only be a fragment of the journey
To find great trails, first find your local bikestore, ... Read More
In sickness….
Feb0
Here I am writing a blog about health… and end up talking about illness. However it’s the natural other side of being healthy and worth spending a few words on. And those words are “don’t let being sick stop you from being healthy!”. What I mean is that too often a slight cold, or even light flu does not mean you have to stop exercising (obviously you need to consider how sick you are! I am only talking about minor illnesses here). As with all things though, you ... Read More
You’re only as good as…. your equipment
Jan0
As regular readers know by now, I am all for exercising outdoors. I run outside, bike outside, ski, skate, do my weight sessions and stretches outside whenever I can. Part of my love of sports, is that I CAN do all these things outdoors, get some much needed oxygen into my system and feel that sense that I call “love of the universe” as a result.
But at times you are forced to go indoors – either because of (extreme) weather, or because you are travelling or you live ... Read More
Power of Positive Thinking
Jan2
I was watching a programme this week on TV, whilst on my treadmill of course 
, which was claiming this wonderful new fitness movement. Basically, what it boiled down to was the fact that it combined a good solid exercise routine based on yoga moves, pilates and cardiovascular work-out elements with positive thinking. Well – I must say – I couldn’t agree more then ... Read More
Crosscountry Skiing
Jan0
Adding a bit of variety seems to be quite easy at the moment – the winter weather is throwing in all sorts of challenges and obstacles but at the same time – it makes it a great time to do something out of the ordinary. Ofcourse, you can continue your workouts as you did before indoors, but why not make the most of the cold weather (across a lot of the western hemisphere at least) and go out in the snow and on the ice?
Cross-Country skiiing – like many sports really ... Read More
Great set of stretches!
Dec0
Here’s for all of you who didn’t buy into my winter fun suggestions of earlier this week… a nice half an our stretch work-out you can do in the warmth of a fitness centre or even at home.
Start loosening up – just take a couple of deep breaths in, letting your stomach extend as you inhale. Exhale through your mouth.
Do all off the below about 20 times (either side for arm/leg movements) not forcing the pace, but letting it flow ... Read More
Snow fun
Dec0
This time of the year offers heaps of new types of entertainment and fitness-ability… due to that one special ingredient: snow.
Snow means you can go skiiing, or cross-country skiing, often at the same time as skating etc. But even without resorting to special sports – it offers so many ways of getting a flush on your cheeks and your heart pumping. Simply taking a walk becomes a different kind of work-out. Don’t be put off by the fact that it is cold, bundle up and ... Read More
Soft tissue
Dec0
An expansive topic – Soft Tissue. Meaning all the tissues that are not bone, effectively so skin, underlying layers as well as muscles and tendons. Often injuries start occurring when layers of tissue get “glued” together – causing less flexibility and more friction for other parts to move. Or your muscles develop tiny tears which can lead to scar tissue which in turn can lead to more tearing etc. So all in all, keeping your soft tissue loose is definitely something ... Read More
Skipping
Nov0
As I am still fighting some very annoying and persistant injuries, I am struggling with my normal calorie-blasting activities. I keep telling myself this is a mental challenge instead of a physical one for once, and I can deal with it… but it is still v. hard not to experience that feeling of exhilaration when you have completed a good run or great, very muddy, bikeride through the woods…
So Caleb, my cross-fit trainer, managed to find one thing I can do… jumping ... Read More
Cross-Fit
Nov0
I am just discovering a whole new way of training… or maybe I shouldn’t call it new, since it is a natural progression in many ways from all the “old” philosophies about training. But new or not, I am loving it! My trainer at Equinox, Caleb Chiu, is taking my through my paces, and despite the injuries I still have (read my prior blogs) I am finding that after a couple of sessions those are becoming less even though I have done some pretty nice workouts. Feeling ... Read More
Pain in the backside…
Oct2
It literally is a pain in the bum….
Sometimes, you cannot balance everything that is going on in your life – and I have found that out yet again. Of course, I have had times in my life before where I was struggling to keep an equilibrium between work, play, sports, family, friends and so on.
You may be different, but it took me a good number of years to figure out that “balance” doesn’t mean that every moment, or even every day is in perfect ... Read More
Timing your supplements!
Oct0
Following my blog yesterday on B Complex, I got an immediate response from Jody de Groot on when to take these supplements to get the best result… so here goes!
There are many schools of thought on when to take supplements and I think some of this will be down to personal preference as much as anything else. But there are a number of things that might be good or even fun to know…
In general it is best to spread out your vitamins and mineral intake during the day ... Read More
Supplements – B Complex
Oct1
This time of year, tons of people on the Northern Hemisphere start suffering from the winter blues. As I wrote in my last post, getting out in the fresh(est) air is still a good idea as you will get some oxygen but also a little bit of light which can be amazingly good for you. But there are other things that will help you get through those winter months with spirits lifted and body in great shape.
One of these supplements is Vitamin B. There is a range of different B’s in the ... Read More
