WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO FEEL REALLY WEL - ALIVE, STRONG, MENTALLY CLEAR, ALMOST BURSTING OUT OF YOUR SKIN EACH DAY WITH A SENSE OF VITALIT?

I read this QUOTE in The Press & it resonated with me. We didn’t evolve to live like this. With one in two Kiwi’s on tract to become Obese. We need to reconsider some lifestyle choices. It’s sad that some parts of our population just keep eating too much, or too processed food or too much sugar. Some don’t know how to change often thinking it’s too difficult. It’s not! Simple foods - eggs for breakfast, soup for lunch and meat & those 3 vegetables for dinner with healthy fats once thought of as BAD now a MUST! Life is for LIVING not existing! Why watch when you can participate! I believe we are all INSPIRING others even if we don’t always know it. We don’t need to shout out healthy living we just need to lead by example. It’s about trying to make a change not being perfect. It’s about being REAL and living a great & fun life, realising that NOURISHING foods are exciting & tasty & easy & fitness gives us energy & flexiblity & a life where NO is not an answer! It's a choice you make along with determination & consistency...I want to help with everything I have, but ultimately you need to CHANGE somethings you do currently but know that the outcome will be a HEALTHIER, ENERGETIC & FUN life!

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE, CHANGE YOUR CHOICES!

CARBOHYDRATES - what are they & what can they do?

When you consume carbohydrates, whether they are starchy or sweet carbs, they are broken down into glucose. Sources of carbohydrates include bread, pasta, rice, all types of potatoes and the other starchy vegetables (including pumpkin and corn), fruit, dairy products, candy (sweets and chocolate), cakes, biscuits (cookies), pastries, honey, maple syrup and sugar.

To avoid getting caught in the latest fad, I remind you that nature gets it right, and it is human intervention that gets it wrong and makes food less nourishing and sustaining. Glucose from the carbohydrates ends up in your blood­stream after digestion, and your body identifies that blood sugar levels have been elevated. Your body does not like it when blood glucose goes high, as too much sugar in the blood can damage the lining of the blood vessels, in a similar way to a free radical. To protect the blood vessels from damage, the pancreas secretes insulin into the blood. It is the job of insulin to remove the excess glucose from the blood so that homeostasis (balance) returns to the blood. The health and contents of the blood must be maintained at all costs.

Insulin first takes the glucose to the muscles and the liver, where it is stored as glycogen, places from which it can be released easily when we need a fast source of energy if we haven’t eaten for a while. But the size of our muscles is finite, meaning they have their storage limit. Once they are full of glycogen, if more sugar from the blood needs to be removed, insulin will transport it to guess where? The fat cells. Fat cells have an infinite capacity to expand.

An essential point to make here is that our muscle mass is critical. Do not allow yourself to lose muscle from this point forward in your life. At best, increase your muscle mass. At least, maintain it where it is today. Given the glycogen storage capacity of muscles and the ready source of energy they offer, coupled with the metabolismdriving power of muscles, I cannot encourage you enough to grow them. You do not need to become a body builder. You do not need to lift huge amounts of weight.

I suggest you focus on strengthening the muscles housed in your core. Of course you can also work on the pretty ones that everyone can see, but make sure your core gets attention. Think about this. All of your organs that keep you alive, other than your brain, are housed inside your torso. These organs are held in place by muscles. Over time, due to gravity, poor posture and poor lifestyle choices, these muscles want to go south and, when this happens, they no longer work as efficiently as they once did. Bring awareness to how you hold yourself and how you move.

Cancer: If exercise were a pill, it would be prescribed to every cancer patient - Oncology Society of Australia

Exercise is the best medicine and should be prescribed to all cancer patients, some of Australia's leading experts say. The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia has launched its position statement on the role of exercise alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in cancer care.

Endorsed by a group of 25 influential health and cancer organisations, including Cancer Council Australia, it is the world's first ever researcher-led call for exercise to be an essential component of treatment. "Really we are at the stage where the science is telling us that withholding exercise from cancer patients can be harmful," Professor Cormie said. "Exercise is the best medicine someone with cancer can take in addition to their standard cancer treatments. That's because we know now that people who exercise regularly experience fewer and less severe treatment side-effects; cancer related fatigue, mental distress, quality of life.” They also have a lower risk of their cancer coming back or dying from the disease, said Professor Cormie.

People with cancer are recommended to do two to three resistance sessions a week and at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, or such as walking, cycling or swimming.

Gone are the days of wrapping cancer patients in "cotton wool", says David Speakman, Chief Medical Officer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. "Our attitudes to treating cancer, what it takes to give people their best chance at survival, have to change. All cancer patients will benefit from an exercise prescription," Dr Speakman said. Nicole Cooper, 33, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer last year, and believes a big reason why she is still alive is because of the exercise regime she followed while undergoing treatment. "When I received a terminal cancer diagnosis, I was prescribed two potentially lifesaving cancer treatments: chemotherapy and exercise," she said. "A year later, I am in remission, having taken just as much exercise as I have chemotherapy," Ms Cooper said.

DO YOU NEED TO SNACK?

An area of food confusion for many people is how often I’m suppose to eat and the answer is within you…maybe twice maybe three times or more.

Take note of the following:

1. How often do you feel hungry? If it is an hour after eating then what you ate needs changing as it did not serve you!

2. What do you crave? If sweet food - is it a physical need to top up blood sugar levels because of a diet (way of eating) predominantly high in sugar or processed food or is it emotional & the sweetness provides joy!

3. Is there a time of day you crave sweet food? If mid afternoon then look to increase the healthy fat of your lunch & after a week of consistently doing this has this changed your afternoon sweet seeking? Or mid morning look at breakfast.

When you reduce how much fat you eat, you get hungrier. You also give your body the message that, because fat is restricted in your world, it is not safe for you to use it for energy. So, you had better utilise more glucose (colloquially and not quite accurately referred to as “sugar’). When you predominantly use glucose as your fuel, your blood levels of glucose go up and down constantly and when they are low your body gets the message that it needs to replace what has been used. So you want/crave sweet food to top up your levels. Your hunger won’t stay at bay for more than about four hours when you live like this, and you can end up in a vicious cycleof eating too much sugar, despite knowig better.

Factors other than carbohydrate intake that influence your need for glucose can be anything that leads you to make adrenalin, such as caffine or fear both real and perceived (real maybe a flood & perceived a full inbox at work leading to panic). This drives your body to believe it needs to use sugar as fuel and leads to snacking.

Healthy fats are likely to satisfy you and communicate to your body that its safe to use body fat as fuel. Increase your green vegetables which helps reduce sugar cravings, reducing caffeine, sauerkraut also helps bacteria in the gut deal with sugar seeking bacteria too. Healthy fats include - avocado, oily fish, nuts, seed, butter, coconut, tahini, just remember portions (this information is from “what am I suppose to eat” - Dr Libby)

Ask yourself some of the questions I’ve asked these may make you consider what your choosing to nourish your bodies with? Does your plate have healthy fat? Protein & healthy carbs? “DON’T MAKE CHANGE COMPLICATED JUST BEGIN”. Nutritious food is simple foods often found around the perimeter of your supermarket & as I’ve said before does not have numbers, preservatives or ingredients you don’t understand! Keep it simple.

Kathrine Switzer’s Advice on Staying Fit at 70—and Beyond

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon—then open only to men. She went under the radar by signing up under the name K.V. Switzer—only to be discovered, and chased after, by the disapproving race director. Now 70, Switzer is as passionate an advocate for seniors as she’s always been for women. She ran the 10K at the National Senior Games, & we read below what it takes to be an athlete at 70.

Sarah Klein: How have you had to adjust your mindset about racing as

you’ve gotten older?

Katherine Switzer: When you’re running well, you feel like you’re flying.

And then you wonder why there are all these people passing you. You

realize that naturally there’s going to be a slowing process. I had to also

realize that I needed more recovery time.

SK: What advice do you have for older athletes who are just getting

started, who might not have that “snapping back into shape” experience?

KS: My tips are really very simple. Leave your shoes by the door and put

them on and go out even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Start with a walk if

that’s all you can do, even if it’s just to the mailbox. Then go to the

lamppost, and then the next lamppost. Work up to 30 seconds of a light

jog and take it from there. To help you stay motivated, get a buddy who is

just like you. If a buddy is waiting for you, you won’t worry about being

embarrassed or feeling slow; it’ll just be the two of you. You share the

secrets of your soul when you’re walking or running together.

I think women in particular need to be convinced that they deserve to

have that time for themselves. They come up

with every excuse: The house, the kids, the

dishes, even the dog deserves attention before

they themselves deserve attention. You can

just say it’ll wait and go out alone for 10

minutes! It’ll be worth it even if it really is only

10 minutes. And usually when you’re out for 10

minutes, you take 20!

Also, for older runners, don’t make too much

of a fuss of it. You don’t have to completely

change your clothes and get into special gear.

Get the shoes on and go out in what you have

on. Just move.

SK: Do you think being so active has helped you avoid aches and pains

and illnesses often associated with aging?

KS: I think about why I don’t get as sick as most people or why I have a

higher energy level—I think there are real physiological reasons. When

you run every day—or every other day, as I do now—you’re pushing your

body. You’re sweating all the time. You relieve stress, which I think helps

prevent [illness]. You increase your optimism, and optimistic people have

healthier lives. You keep your muscles strong, and when you raise your

heart rate, which is a muscle, you prevent cardiovascular disease. I don’t

take any drugs except

eye drops. Do I

occasionally get

something like a

cold? Sure. But I

think running is a

magic potion. I think

exercise is a

magic potion.

SK: Have you ever

gone for a run and

wished you’d just

stayed on the

couch?

KS: I think in probably

55 or 56 years of

running I’ve had

maybe three runs

where I didn’t feel

better when I came

back than when I

went out. I can tell

you about thousands

oftimes when I didn’t

want to run and I

did and I came back

saying I’m glad I did

that. Except for those

three times, there

hasn’t been a crummy

day that hasn’t been made OK by a run.