I’m a big believer in constant self education and evolving with the times, I always try to stay on top of the latest when it comes to health and fitness, and in particular how it can help me to help you.
I know there’s just so much out there when it comes to the health and fitness industry, it’s often hard to separate the good stuff from the bad, truth be told there’s alot of B.S information and products.
Anyway, along those lines, I’ve compiled a bunch of random, unrelated things that l think are quite cool and you might find useful. Some of these things I’ve been privy to for quite some time, and some i’ve just stumbled upon recently.
Here goes:
IPHONE & ANDROID APP – ‘MYFITNESSPAL’
The is a great app for keeping a food diary, its very easy and intuitive to use, and the best part is it will calculate your calorie intake whilst your recording what you eat. Whilst I don’t think it’s a good idea to obsess about calories, there’s no denying that it is relevant if weight loss is your goal, so it’s sometimes good to see where you’re at for a few days to make sure you aren’t way off. It has a big Australian foods/brands database which is where a lot of other phone and online apps drop the ball. Just be conscious of the fact when you start it up and create your profile, it will give you quite a low recommended calorie range, too low in my opinion so aim a bit higher. To find it just search for ‘myfitnesspal’ in your app store, and if it doesn’t show up type in ‘calorie counter’ – it will show up for one of them.
BALL IN A SOCK
I’ve written about this before but just a recap. I’ve never paid for a massage that’s been as effective as rolling on my ball in sock. It’s a great, practical, easy to make tool which is awesome for getting in to tight spots, knots and trigger points in muscle, especially in your upper back, lower back, and glutes. You actually get better and more efficient at rolling on the ball the more you do it, you learn about where your tight spots are and how to get into them. For a more thorough rundown you can read this old blog post I wrote HERE
COCONUT YOGHURT
I discovered this stuff a month or so ago in my local health food store, and I’ve been extremely excited ever since. This yogurt has no sugar, no dairy, is full of good fats, and healthy bacteria. It also tastes great and has a bunch of different flavours to compliment the coconut. If you like a bit of yoghurt, it’s a great, guilt free replacement. If you want to get some, to find your nearest location- click here – http://www.coyo.com.au/stores/?address=St+Kilda+East+3183
COOKWELL BLENDER OR BAGIC BULLET BLENDER
I’ve had about 3 of these blenders, they’re quite similar to the magic bullet blender (which you could also buy) but a bit cheaper, and they’re awesome. Great for making healthy protein shakes / smoothies, baby food, grinding your own organic coffee beans etc. The best thing is you put your ingredients in the cup, place the lid on which is actually where the blades are, blend it all up, take the lid off then drink straight from the cup, or take it with you to work or the gym. Very simple, easy, and not much mess to clean! I’ve seen these at Kmart, Homemart, Harris Scarfe for under $50, but i’m sure you can find it at other places too.
Book – ‘The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth‘
Yep you might have seen this book sitting on the coffee table at the gym, it’s a really great, easy to read, visually pleasing book, and the author is spot on. If you want to learn a bit about good nutrition but the thought of reading a dry, boring nutrition book cover to cover is not appealing, then this is a good start.
Great coffee table book to have in the house, and it will definitely help you to make the right food choices.You can buy it from Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/150-Healthiest-Foods-Earth-Surprising/dp/1592332285/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330655508&sr=1-1-spell
RESISTANCE BANDS
One of the harderst things about working out on your own at home for an extra workout is the lack of ‘pulling’ or ‘rowing’ exercises you can do. It’s easy to get the ‘pushing’ movements in (push ups, overhead pressing etc) but if anything, most people need more ‘pulling’ exercises to strengthen the postural musles in the upper back, and counteract the seated, ‘hunched’ posture most of you are in all day. Too many push ups without balancing out the ‘pulling’ will further exasperate any issues you currently have (and most people have issues to a certain degree). I do 50-100 band pullaparts or face pulls almost every day to keep the shoulders healthy and to make sure to counteract any muscle imbalances. If you do sit at a desk all day, then it’s a good idea to do these – you’ll feel a lot better for it, reduce injuries and tightness, be stronger when you’re body is all aligned and you’ll save yourself some grief down the track! You can purchase some on ebay easy enough – I found some for you right here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RESISTANCE-FITNESS-EXERCISE-BANDS-TUBES-SET-KIT-P90X-/200626753438?pt=AU_Strength_Training&hash=item2eb6494f9e
THE NEW ‘PROFESSIONAL WHEY’ PROTEIN FORMULA
This has always been the best quality protein, but in the past it has come unflavoured so you had to flavour it yourself. Not a huge deal for me, but it’s an extra thing to do, and for many people who struggle to find time to eat and prepare food it can be that little bit too much of a pain in the butt, and can be hard getting the flavour right. But now there’s a new formula which comes pre-flavoured with only organic natural ingredients and natural sweeteners. In an industry full of poor quality products which can actually do more harm than good if you don’t know what to look for, this stuff is easily the best quality, healthiest, and affordable protein on the market. I’m stocking this at the gym now so if you want any just ask, at $40 for a 1kg bag you won’t get it much cheaper, and definitely not for this quality!
FEEDMEE
I often go to the FeeMee on Carlisle St, just down the road from the gym. This is a great place to get an actually healthy meal, so if you’re ever stuck for lunch or dinner after training this is a good option. They’ve got a big selection of salads / veggies and protein sources, you can get a pre-made salad from the menu or create your own if you like! You can also choose to get a potato, sweet potato or healthy soup. Just be careful not to go overboard on the potato’s or the dressings etc if you’re on a weight loss plan (a bit of potato is ok after training though), but apart from that this is about the only ‘fast food’ or ‘take away’ in the area which I condone.
There’s actually 2 stores locally:
– 215 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
– 104 Chapel Street, Windsor
That’s it for today, i’m sure i’ll be back for part 2, but in the meantiem I hope this has given you some new things to add to your health & fitness reportoire!
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