I recon you have heard that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. We get told this all the time from our parents, friends and health geeks like me.

The research below not only shows that having breakfast is great for weight loss it also clearly shows the type of breakfast is also important….. AND I have to say that the research correlates perfectly what we have been saying is best for breakfast for years!

So, what to eat for breaky? 

Although I’m a firm believer of bespoke diets, when people ask me for general guidelines as to what to eat for breakfast the answer is always the same… A BIG, protein-filled breakfast! The studies below give even more weight to this advice for health and rapid weight loss.

Study #1 – University of Kansas Medical Centre

This study analysed the effect of a protein-rich breakfast on appetite and overall daily calorie consumption among teens who typically missed breakfast.

The test subject were broken up into groups. One consumed a protein-rich breakfast of solid foods, Group 2 a protein-rich breakfast smoothie and group 3 a breakfast containing minimal protein.  All meals contained 500 calories.

I expect you have guessed the results but….

In at first place the solid protein rich breakfast consumed considerably less calories during the rest of the day. At 2nd, the protein based smoothie consumed the second least number of calories throughout the rest of the day and then in last place carbohydrate based breakfast.

I find this interesting as A) people are always telling me that porridge (a carbohydrate breakfast), is filling but are they just being brain washed by the TV that tells them that this breakfast will keep them full. I recon 80% of people when I get them to test the theory found that they where not kept full by their carbohydrate based breakfast, between 10 and 15% of clients felt no different and 5% felt fuller and better on the carbs.

Next study please!

Study # 2 – Virginia Commonwealth University

As always participants where split into groups, 2 groups this time. Group 1 consumed a breakfasts which had a large protein content, also included carbohydrates and the breakfasts calories totalled 1/2 of their daily total calories requirements. The second group included a large protein + carbohydrate breakfast (totalling HALF of daily total calories) or a typical low-calorie diet.

The result of this one?

The group that at had half their daily calories at breakfast lost FIVE TIMES MORE WEIGHT than the typical calorie restrictive diet group.

If thats not enough to make you stop skipping breakfast or just consuming some cereal or toast than I don’t know what is.

So…

Eating breakfast is not enough, it needs to contain ample protein. Other studies have shown protein to increase your metabolic rate and be 30% more filling than other macronutrients.

If you struggle to eat breakfast then start getting used to it by having a protein based smoothie in the mornings as this is better than the use of carbohydrate based breakfasts.

If you can. make sure that you eat breakfast like a King, have a big breaky as you will be able to have smaller meals through out the rest of the day.

The guidelines that I give to people is to have 30% of every meal from protein, 25% from fats and 45% from low to medium starch carbohydrates, (fruit and vegetables).

Committed to your success

Keith and Clare

The process below is one that we use with our client once we know what their metabolic type is and they have got used to their diet plans. This is a fine tuning process designed to get your fat protein and carbohydrate (Macronutrient), level just right for you.

MOST people following the system below lose between 2 and 8lb in the first week. This will slow to a stead 1 to 2lb per week if you follow the process properly. Weight loss usually stops dropping off after about 1 – 2.5 stone has been lost, at this point if you have more to lose you will need to look a bit deeper at your body and what is and is not working properly inside. The same goes if you have NO weight loss. If when you do diets you don’t lose weight it’s time to find out WHY.

Step 1

Cut the Crap and drink more water, but you knew this already right?

Always remember that ‘nothing does what water does inside your body’. Your body uses about 4oz of water every 30 mins just to run your metabolism. Most chronic illnesses and diseases have a dehydration component to them. For instance joint ware and tear, coronary heart disease or even something simple things you may suffer everday…. Fatigue headaches etc.

Do not count tea, coffee, fruit juices etc etc etc as water… Just drink water with nothing with it and give you body a break.

I need you to drink about 1.5liters of water sipped throughout the day.

Remember water is also important for detoxification and liver function, after the Christmas excess I need to detox and wash through my liver, how about you?

Step 2

Is to with draw starchy carbohydrates for 7 days. We call this a starch detox. I want to keep this short so I’m not going to head into the biochemistry of why this works, I’ll save that for another time, the short version is that it allows the cells with in your body the opportunity to burn fat without carbohydrates getting in the way.

Here is the list of what you need to remove for your 7 day detox;

 Rules of the Starch Detox

1. No starchy fruits or vegetables
2. Root and starchy vegetables – carrots – turnip – swede – beet root – chickpeas – sweet corn – etc
3. Beans – lentils
4. Rice brown or white
5. Potatoes
6. Bananas
7. No Cows Dairy (Goats, Sheep’s, Buffalos are all fine)
8. No processed foods – microwavable meals – pasta – pastries – pies
9. Artificial / non foods – sweeteners – flavourings and preservatives
10. No grain or grain products – cereals – bread –  baked goods
11. NO Sugar
12. No chocolate unless is 85% or above
13. No alcohol
14. No Caffeine
15. Soya

During this period you may experience the following symptoms;

• Headaches
• Cough, cold, aches and pains (flu like symptoms)
• Cravings
• Depression
• Spots and skin disruption
• Changes in bowel habits

Step 3

So, what do you eat?

All meals should be based around having 30% protein, (meat, fish or eggs). 25% fat and then 45% of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables.

When I say all meal I do mean ALL meals, Breakfast lunch and dinner. There is not point trying to rebalance yourself at a cellular level if you keep have cereal or toast for breakfast.

Step 4

7 days later…..

You may have had a bit of a rough ride but are now feeling awesome OR you may still not be feeling at your best.

Lets see if we can either make you feel ‘even’ better or make you feel… better!

I still want to keep away from the powerful carbohydrates such as rice, potatoes, bread and pasta but I want you to carefully add in starchy vegetables these are root vegetables.

The table below will show you how:

As in the table above you add in carbohydrates one tablespoon full at a time starting on day one at dinner. The following day have starchy carbs at both lunch and dinner and then on day 3 a tablespoon full at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You then add more starch day by day at each meal.

You should feel better and better. As soon as you don’t feel better and in fact feel worse decrease the amount of carbs back to where you were when you were feeling great.

If you felt worse the moment you added in starchy carbs then go back to low carb veg so that you can keep feeling great.

Step 5

Once you have found your correct Macronutrient balance it time to add in some more NUTRITION. This is best done in the form of superfoods. Below is a list of superfoods for you to try.

Sprouted beans, seeds and nuts

Wheat grass

Barley grass

Chorella

Spirilina

Aloe vera

Follow the process and you will have weight loss and after a small and short process of detoxification energy and even regulated moods and weight loss.

If you have any problems or want more information than contact us

Happy new YOU!

Committed to your success

Keith Tucker and Clare Valvona

01494 783 685

info@absolute-training.com

The A-team never step out without a plan as Hannibal says, ‘He loves it when a plan comes together!’

This year I want you to feel the same I want you to love it because your plan has come together!

But first you have to plan!

Start with a blank sheet of paper and decide what it is you want to achieve, what are your goals.

Now decide on a time frame for achieving them.

And finally for this section ask yourself, ‘is this goal of mine realistic in this time frame I have set? ‘

Once you have done the above you have completed step 1 you should be able to feel the beginning sparks of success.

By placing your goals down in black and white you have made a map but this is not good unless we have a route to follow to get to our destination.

Planning the route is the hardest part but is the most important. Everyone gets excited by their goal but you don’t have the steps or route to get to your destination you’re likely to get lost on the way.

New sheet of paper required I think or if your green you can write on the back.

I want you to write all the things that you will need to do to achieve the goal. Group them under different headings so that you understand all that is involved in achieving your goals. As you know absolute training is all about healthy weight loss. So if your goal was to lose weight then your headings and list might look a little bit like this:

 Diet

• Plan day by day what to eat
• Make a shopping list
• Clear the cupboards of all crap food
• Etc etc etc

 Exercise

• Decide what type of exercise I want to do
• Find classes or get a membership
• Place into my diary with the same importance as a business meeting my training days and times

 Motivation

Identify all factors that could cause you to have a decrease in motivation.

• Slow results
• No results
• Busy at work
• etc

 Support

Build yourself a support network.

• Get a training partner
• Keep a food diary with a friend and compare
• Tell people your goals and time frame and ask tem to help you when you are out with them buy not forcing you to have coffee and a cake or to have that sweet, sticky pudding etc.

Build yourself a strategy for coping with any problems that might appear. For instance always keep nuts in your desk or car, so that if a meeting over runs you have a healthy snack to get you through rather then hitting the garage and a chocolate bar!

Become a member of the A-team and Plan to succeed as ‘I pity the fool’ who doesn’t have plan!

We are here for you every step of the way if you need help with the planning or execution just call or email.

Committed to your success

Keith and Clare

01494 783 685

info@absolute-training.com

Once you have your diet right i.e you know and are eating to your metabolic type, there are 4 fundamentals to nutritional therapy that you need to optimise. Get these right along with your diet and you should not need to count calories or do anything extreme. You should get healthier, thinner, and sexier with more energy, strong hair and nails and clear skin if after following your metabolic type and maximising the list below you are not moving in the right direction it is time for you to look a bit deeper and possibly get some lab tests done, NOT cut calories!

These 4 fundamentals are;

1. Hydration
2. Digestion
3. Assimilation
4. Elimination

Hydration

Are you drinking 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day? Rain or shine the basic Metabolic processes that occur in each of your 3 trillion cells require 4oz of pure water every 30 mins to run efficiently! ‘Remember nothing does what water does in your body!’ So fruit juice, tea and coffee don’t count as they all require further metabolic process to retrieve the water or to digest and assimilate them to get the nutrients out of them.

Bottled water is generally better than tap water but if you want to go one step further then look into getting a reverse osmosis water filter here;

www.healthy-house.co.uk

At this site you can get many other health products I recommend spending some time going through it and making a shopping list so that over time you can reduce all the blocking factors to your health that reside in your environment. First steps though, the water you drink and shower/wash in!

Digestion

‘You are what you eat!’

Is this a true statement?

Personally I think it’s a great line to get people to start thinking about food and what they are placing in their mouths but is it accurate…… NO.

You are only what you can DIGEST and ASSIMILATE, in other words, you are what you can break down and absorb into your blood stream and therefore use to build and fuel your body. You can eat the healthiest organic foods and take the best supplements but if you don’t have the digestive capacity to break stuff down into small enough elements so that they can pass through the wall of your small intestine then it really does not matter and you are probably waisting your money.

With this in mind we started to talk about supplementation primarily Hydrochloric acid (HCL) and digestive enzymes.

The stomach’s ability to produce HCL and pepsin is often inadequate.  It is affected by high carbohydrate diets, medication; particularly pain relief meds and allergy medication and it also reduces with age.

You will often hear people refer to this or that as the bodies first line of defence against parasites, bacteria, viruses, yeast, mould and fungi. The first step in your defence against invaders is the acidic condition of your stomach as most can’t survive the low pH of this environment.

HCL helps in the digestion of proteins along with pepsin so that it can be ASSIMILATED by the intestines. If too larger protein molecules are absorbed by your intestines then you immune system is called into action. This can lead to allergies such as hay fever or if you have continued exposure you could end up with an autoimmune disease.

HCL also triggers the pyloric sphincter to open (exit of the stomach), so that the pre-digested contents can pass into the small intestine. The pyloric sphincter is pH (acid/alkaline) sensitive. This means that it only opens when the pH of the stomach gets low enough or acidic enough.

Inadequate HCL causes many health problems and is a very important issue that is not addressed by mainstream diets, doctors or many other health professionals. As this is a big issue, a root cause of disease, we will be talking about HCL, HCL supplementation and a condition called hydrochloride in the future.

But in a nut shell…. If you don’t have enough HCL you can’t provide the right environment to maximise digestion, if you can’t maximise the breaking down of food you CANNOT therefore maximise assimilation which means you can’t give your body the nutrition that it needs. As you can see from this, inadequate HCL can be one of the root causes of all disease.

Digestive Enzymes

Breaking down food particles into small enough pieces that they can pass through the wall of your small intestine and be assimilated into the body. We have a finite ability to produce enzymes but have many environmental factors that inhibit or use up our enzyme capacity. Taking a digestive enzyme is beneficial as it will relieve the stress on our bodies digestive capacity as well as slowing the use of our enzymic capacity.

Digestive enzymes should not be taken with your meal, unless otherwise directed they should be taken about 20 minutes after eating.

I think that that’s probably enough information for one post. We’ll cover probiotic and elimination real soon.

If you’re struggling with your diet or your health then contact me for a free consultation.

Committed to your health and success

Keith, Clare and the Absolute Training team.

I often take people off cows dairy for a period of time when I work with them due to the high levels of adverse reactions it causes. Many people are reacting to dairy and they don’t even know it and it’s therefore a stressor and a blocking factor to their weight loss efforts or their desire to be healthier.

The first thing that people often say when I get them off the dairy is whether they should go out and buy a dairy substitute such as soya.

There are substitutes that you can use such as almond milk, (remember none of the milk substitutes taste the same as milk), but soya is NOT a substitute that I would recommend.

There are many people who come to me who have already taken out dairy and they can wait to tell me how they are making good choices as they use soya instead. Yep thats right I then take them off this as well but…. Why

Why don’t I like soya products? Why can I not recommend them to you?

Lets start with dispelling a myth about soya and Asian cultures;

Myth – Asians Consume large amounts of soya based foods and have done for 1000′s of years and it’s healthy for them!

Truth – Average consumption is about 2 teaspoonfuls per day in Japan and China. It is consumed as a condiment and NOT as a replacement for animal proteins in a meal. Soya has been used in China from about 1134BC but they ONLY consumed it once it had been fermented making tempeh, natto and tamari.

Fermenting soya makes it healthful and eliminates all the problem causing elements that are found in soya.

The soya we use in this country has NOT been fermented. It is a highly processed ‘food’.

Unfermented processed soya food has the following problems;

• When soya is digested, a by product is made called phytic acid. Phytic acid disrupts the assimilation of the minerals calcium, magnesium, copper iron and zinc. It’s worth knowing that high phytate diets have caused growth problems in children. Other foods also release phytic acid but it can be neutralised by soaking, sprouting, slow cooking or fermentation.
• Soya releases substances that can act like hormones in our bodies called phytoestrogens. This can disrupt endocrine function (hormone function), leading to infertility and breast cancer. Phytoestrogens are also antithyroid agents which can cause hypothyroid conditions and thyroid cancer. Autoimmune conditions of the thyroid have a strong link with infants that have been fed a soya formula.
• The Vitamin B12 analogues that are found in soya are not usable, we cannot absorb it. These forms of vitamin B12 do in fact increase the bodies need for vitamin B12. The consumption of soya also increases the bodies need for vitamin D. In a country where most people are deficient in Vitamin D we don’t want to be eating anything that causes further requirements for it.
• Soya products often have higher levels of aluminium in them which is toxic to us effecting both the kidneys and the nervous system.
• Many people are now aware of, and trying to avoid, a product call monosodiumglutimate (MSG). This is a substance that is formed during the processing process of soya and many soya products have extra MSG added to them.
• Further more the processing process of soya requires the soya to be heated to high temperatures. This part of the process denatures the proteins. Your body does not recognise the proteins and they will therefore place stress on your digestive system; possibly even your immune system as your body works out what to do with them. This stress could lead to inflammation in your gut over time causing you digestive problems possibly even IBS symptoms or if your immune systems involved you may find an increase or the development of allergies over time.
• Finally for this article the processing of soya also leads to a nasty chemicals called lysinealanine being formed. This substance is carcinogenic nitrosamine and to be avoided!.

So the question is, do you really want to eat it?

You may be a cynical sort and are thinking to yourself… It does not seem to be harming me or just plain and simply… Prove it Tucker, show me some proof.

I understand and so right here I have included studies and references for you viewing pleasure. So please once you have been convinced, for me and for you…. Stop eating soya.

Committed to your success

Keith and Clare

Sources and references;

Studies showing the adverse effects of soy 1939 – 2008

Studies showing the adverse effects of isoflavones 1950 – 2010

Even if none of this completely convinces you…. I have only one question to ask; If there is doubt why take the risk?

Good health to you

What is a balanced diet and who is it balanced for? Is a balance diet the same for an Eskimo as it is for a Tropical Rain Forest Indian?

There is so much information out there and so much of it conflicting. To really find the right diet for your genetics you need to do a metabolic typing test which we can run for you (£50), but you can start right away by using the information we have given you in the previous post and combine it with the  information in this one.

Below you will find a table with different types of diets in. The first day is a carbohydrate diet, the second a balanced diet and the third a higher fat diet.

Using the daily check record (DCR) sheets that we provided in the previous article and using this meal plan you should be able to determine which food plan makes you feel and perform at your best and therefore how to balance your diet for optimum results.

In the table you will find a 3 day meal plan for each diet type. Eat to a specific type for the 3 days keeping a DCR for meal so that you can determine which is the right style of eating plan for you.

So, next step, plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and then the best bit… EAT the FOOD and find out what the best meal plan is for you.

Remember we are always at the end of the Phone or email to help

Committed to your success

Keith

Article 1 – How Does Food Make You Feel

Article 2 – What do my food reactions mean

Some reactions mean that there is too much protein in your meal other reactions mean there is to much carbohydrate (or sugar) in your meal.

To keep this article short and simple, proteins are animal products such as meat, fish and dairy and carbohydrates are vegetables, fruit, rice, pasta, bread, cake and sweets. Fats are Cheese, full fat milk and oils such as olive oil or coconut oil and butter.

Below are specific food reactions and what they mean.  The DCR can be used to gauge the effectiveness of any meal in providing your body with energy and the nutrients it needs to keep you feeling full and happy.

Too much protein

• Lethargy, sleepy, Depressed
• Mentally sluggish / slow
• Heavy feelings in your gut
• Full but still hungry
• Sweet cravings
• Cravings for caffeinated beverages or foods

Too Much Carbohydrate

• Tired but wired
• Nervous energy
• Energy highs and lows
• Jumpy mind / ADHD type behaviour
• Headaches, anxiety
• Not satisfied / Get hungry quickly
• Fat / Protein cravings
• Sweet cravings

If you missed the first post on using the DCRs Click Here. Remember to fill in the daily check record sheet (DCR) 1.5 hours to 2 hours after every meal and with in a week you will have a good idea of which meals gave you energy and made you healthier and which meals tanked you out!

Committed to your success

Keith and Clare

I’m talking about the important stuff, headaches lethargy, weight gain and illness. If you know how to listen you can start formulating a better diet - one more suited to your body; one that is more suited to your genetic makeup. This is a tool that we use with our nutrition clients to help them become experts in what foods are good for them and moving them towards their goal and what foods are bad for
them. People are often surprised by which foods make them feel great, full for hours and full of energy.

This simple tool will also allow you to cut through all the rubbish that the press pushes on us calling it health and nutrition advice and enabling you to make an informed decision as to whether a food, or diet is actually good for you.

The tool that we use is called a daily check record sheet (DCR). It is a way of keeping a food diary but is more comprehensive than just writing your foods down. Here is a an example of a section of a daily check record sheet;

This session was awesome they all worked so hard and were so focused I’m sure some of them lost a pound or two just in this workout!!!!

I know that some of the moves are a little extreme but if you look closely you’ll find that everyone is working to their own ability.

Our boot campers build their exercise complexity carefully over time. We always offer options for people who are new to exercise or have injuries as you will find on the Bootcamp website, just check out the testimonials and then come meet the people!

Enjoy 52 seconds of other people doing the hard work!

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAll1jZHp4]

This stuff work and works fast so come and try out the Bootcamp. Click here to find out how you could have 2 weeks of training for £1 with us!

Click Below;

Boot camp Berkhamsted

It was awesome but I’m not writing to give you a case of the green eyed monsters, I want to make you think about your eating habits?

Clare had too much food on her plate for her to finish so she asked if I wanted any.

“No I’m just fine,” I replied.

“Keith, there are children staving in Africa,” she replied in an almost monotone voice.

“And your dying to have a heart attack or diabetes,” I replied.

Clare blinked slowly and then a light went on inside…. “You have got to turn that into a blog!” she said!

So here we are….

There are children staving in Africa and other countries for the want of a good meal but there are also hundreds of thousands if people in developed countries dying from diseases of over eating every day.

In the Boot camp, Personal Training sessions and the Personal Nutrition course food is a major subject day in and day out. Not only do we discuss what we should and should not eat but also our psychological and behavioural attitudes to food.

There are many things that come up time and time again such as depression and comfort eating, the feeling of loving or looking after your loved ones or demonstrating your love for them through food treats, but the biggest one is the inability to leave food on your plate due to a few simple words that have been said to you as children time and time again.

You have to finish your dinner, there are children staving in Africa!!!!

If there was a way of measuring the health effects of a few simple words I’m willing to bet that this sentence is one of the most deadly!

Think about it!

Committed to your success

Keith, Clare and the Team

P.s 3 body fat scales sold already!!!

To Find out more and get yours click here