FitGenes Blog

1.  Why should I avoid caffeine with meals?

 Caffeine should be avoided before, during and just after all meals due to the effect of caffeine on nutrient absorption including iron, calcium and B vitamins. Try to avoid caffeine for at least 1 hour and preferably 2 hours after each meal to ensure complete digestion. Make sure you look out for caffeine sources as they’re not just found in coffee! You’ll find caffeine in tea, chocolate, sports and energy drinks. As caffeine is not currently a requirement for Australian food labels, it is not always clear if a food or beverage contains caffeine. You will need to look at the label ingredients and for sources of caffeine such as guarana or ginseng.  

2.  What is Homocysteine and why do we measure it?

 Homocysteine is the by-product of protein metabolism. It is an essential compound that is required for normal brain hormone production. However it is the excessive accumulation of Homocysteine that is dangerous.  Homocysteine is used in conjunction with Folate, B6 and B12 for the production of your brain hormones such as adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. If these vitamins are missing in your diet or are consumed in inadequate amounts, the levels of Homocysteine simply build up in the blood. Homocysteine is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and some experts say that it is a more accurate predicator than cholesterol for stroke or heart disease risk. A good Homocysteine level is under 7umol/L and an optimal level under 6umol/L.

3.  How does caffeine influence my homocysteine levels?

 Caffeine dials up the 2-homocysteine gene variants MTHFR-1 & MTHFR-2 therefore increasing the effects of poor Homocysteine metabolism and contributing to the effect of Homocysteine’s influence on your cardiovascular health.

Three universal goals nearly all of us share are: (1) to live longer,
(2) to live free of illness and (3) to control our weight.  Amazingly,
walking lets us achieve all three. In fact, walking may be your best
medicine for slowing the aging process, reducing your chances of illness
and slashing your body fat. For anyone out of shape or not athletically-
inclined, walking is the no-stress, no-sweat answer to lifelong
conditioning. All you need is a good pair of shoes, a little time, some
common sense, a few guidelines from a fitness professional and you're
ready to go.

Unfortunately, there's more misinformation floating around today about

fitness walking and weight loss than ever before. Some experts even say
walking is not effective for weight loss at all and they insist that
only higher intensity forms of cardio will do anything to improve your
body composition. Others fitness experts believe that you should not do
cardiovascular exercise every day - even walking.

There may be a little truth in each of those statements, however,

walking always was and still is one of the best exercises for
strengthening your bones, controlling your weight, toning the muscles in
your lower body, maintaining good posture and improving your self image.

Walking uses almost every muscle in the body, it improves circulation of

blood to the joints and massages the blood vessels, keeping them more
elastic.  Walking also helps you maintain muscle and an efficient
metabolism as you get older (not to mention keeping you young 'in
spirit.)'

Walking is incredibly convenient too. Since you don't need a gym or any

special equipment, you can walk any place, at any time and that allows
you to lose weight and get fit with little or no interruption to your
busy schedule.

People who diet without exercising often get fatter with time.  Although

your weight may initially drop while dieting, weight loss from low
calorie and especially low carb diets consists mostly of water and
muscle.  When the weight returns, it comes back as fat.  To avoid
getting fatter over time, you must increase your metabolism by
exercising daily.

To get the maximum benefits of a walking program, you need make it more

challenging than a leisurely 'walk in the park.' Walking at a steady and
brisk pace burns more fat simply because it burns more calories. Just
remember to begin slowly to avoid muscle soreness, and increase your
pace over time as you become more fit.

To lose weight, it's ideal to alternate your walking sessions between

high intensity and lower intensity days.  For example, on one day walk
for 30- 45 minutes as a steady and moderate pace. On the next day, walk
at a faster pace. You could even do 'road work' like the boxers do,
where you break up your walk along the route with some sets of squats,
lunges, bench push ups or other body weight or callisthenic exercises to
make it a real cardiovascular and muscle blaster of a workout! It
doesn't have to be boring or the same thing every day.  Make it fun and
keep it up consistently, leading an active life-style 365 days a year.

Slow and casual walking has benefits, but you will not get as much out

of walking at a very slow pace because we all have a built-in mechanical
advantage for walking long distances at normal speeds.

Our bodies, via the spinal column, muscle attachments and bony

structures, reserve energy in the musculoskeletal system and release it
back to us without asking for additional energy output. In other words,
as you walk, your spinal column keeps energy in reserve because of the
way you straighten and extend your spine during normal walking.

As you step, your spine is stretched, and as you take another step, the

energy reserved in the spine is used in propulsion. The spine acts very
much like rubber band as your walk, harnessing this reserve energy.

To get substantial cardiovascular, muscular and weight loss benefits,

this is why you must walk briskly or create extra movement patterns
beyond casual, slow walking in order to optimize your walking program
for weight loss and cardiovascular fitness.

Walking the right way will also improve your posture and tends to help

keep you upright (because you must see where you are going). Just hold
your chin up and shoulder slightly back. Walk with your heels hitting
the ground first and your feet pointed forward. Swing your arms fully
and make lengthy strides. To produce more muscular involvement and burn
more calories. Raise your arms over your head like a referee calls a
touchdown. This will get your heart rate moving and blood pumping Do it
for a minute and alternate 1 minute on 3 minutes off or figure out a
pattern That works for you.

To lose weight and achieve optimum health, exercise and diet are both

necessary and interrelated.  Exercising without maintaining a balanced
diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining a couch potato.

Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel.  They provide energy for movement

and help raise internal body metabolism.  They're also satisfying.  The
key is to avoid adding high-fat and high calorie toppings to your
carbohydrates. Also be sure to focus on fruits and vegetables and do not
eat the majority of your carbohydrates from the starch category such as
bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. These type of carbs can create an
insulin spike, which in turn feeds your fat storing system.

Fruits and vegetables are the ideal health, diet and fat loss foods for

many reasons.  They're relatively low in fat and calories, high in fiber
and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. The National Research
Council recommends eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables
a day.

Your everyday habits will determine your long term body weight and body

composition.  Make sure you get enough sleep, drink enough water to
expel toxins, avoid processed food as much as you can, eat your fruits
and veggies, eat organic when ever possible and work hard.

Just one last thought: taking a three-minute walk after each meal is

worth a four pound reduction in body fat in a year's time.  Climbing two
flights of stairs a day burns off half a pound of body fat in a year.
On the other hand, one candy bar eaten daily will cost you 20 pounds
annually.

Happy Walking, Matt :)

Salad dressings are the perfect disguise for loads of salt, sugar and saturated fat. Making your own salad dressing will give you the easy opportunity to get good quality antioxidants into your diet.

Here are some of my favourite recipes:

Lemon Dressing:

Pour 6 tablespoons of olive oil into a jar or salad dressing container. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper . Put the lid of the jar and shake well.

Flaxseed Dressing:

Pour 2/3 cup of flaxseed oil with a 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. Add a teaspoon of dijon mustard and a crushed clove of garlic. Add chopped flat leaf parsley and ground black pepper. Place all these ingredients in a jar and shake well. Store in the fridge for 1 week. 

Tomato & Basil Dressing:

Combine 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves with 1 medium chopped tomato in a food processor. Add 2-4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (you can substitute this for balsamic vinegar), 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 crushed clove of garlic and sea salt and ground black pepper to taste,  into the procesor and blend until creamy. 

Don't like salad dressings? Try my 2 yummy salsas served best on a fresh green salad. 

Avocado, Chive & Basil Salsa:

In a small bowl combine a whole diced avocado, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. To the bowl add a small bunch of chopped fresh basil and finely chopped chives. Mix in 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. 

Yoghurt, Mint & Cucumber Salsa:

In a small bowl combine 2 cups of natural greek yoghurt and 2 lebanese cucumbers, finely diced. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon and a small bunch of freshly chopped mint with a dose of cracked pepper. 

Eat like a king for breakfast!

Throw away the cereal box for a day and have a nutrient dense breakfast. Try our breakfast recipes:

Blueberry Smoothie:

• Handful of fresh/frozen blueberries
• 1 Banana
• 1 Teaspoon flaxseed oil
• Small handful of almonds
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• Ice

Optional (add a scoop of whey protein)
Blend until smooth.

Slow cooked oats with fresh rock melon:

• Half cup of dry slow cooked oats
• Few slices of fresh rockmelon
• Ground nuts-almonds/walnuts/brazil nuts
• Almond or rice milk

Optional (drizzle honey over the top)

Cook the slow oats in water over the stove for 3-5 minutes. Top with fresh rock melon, ground nuts and almond/rice milk. Sprinkle honey if necessary.