Everybody has eaten way to much, exercised way to little, drunk enough to sink the titanic, is feeling toxic and there is still New Years Eve to go. We need to get moving and sweat some of it OFF and OUT before we explode.

As a big thank you for a great year I’d like to offer out a FREE group exercise outdoor bootcamp beach session on New Years Eve morning. It’s not going to be pretty, but it’s going to be fun.

Meet at North Curl Curl Car Park at 6:30am. We will be finished by 7:45. Then onto Curly’s on the corner for breakfast or a coffee. (If you can’t do Brekkie, come and do the session anyway)

Hell, I might finish the year with a glass of bubbly at breakfast as well… if you want to bring something feel free.

The session will be a mixed conditioning session. It’s free for all, Please come down and join in even if we haven’t seen you for a while or even if you haven’t done one of my sessions before and if you’ve got some friends who look as if they need my help, bring them down too.

I know it’s short notice but please RSVP asap

RSVP exercise session
RSVP brekkie

info@joebonington.com.au or 0402 855 659

I just thought I’d like to share with you what Jude, I and the kids are going to do this year.

Have you ever got to the end of a year and thought… What happened? Where did the year go? What have I done? or not done?
We have a way of avoiding that, of being able to fill the year with things we really want to happen instead of having the year just happen to us with little control of the content.

I’ve always been into goal setting.
For the last few years Jude and I have sat down after new year and set ourselves some goals to achieve in different areas of our lives, both individually and as a couple.
The kids are now 6 and 4 so we are now going to see if we can make this a family affair (maybe see if we can steer Edie towards learning how to ride her bike without training wheels that’s been sitting neglected under the carport for the last 6 months)

This whole process is one of personal preference so I thought I’d just let you know how we intend to do it. I’d love to hear back from you guys as to whether, you have any suggestions or tried and tested techniques.

Firstly we will set aside a day after the effects of New Year festivities have worn off. We’ve chosen the 3rd of January. We’ve blocked off most of the day to chill out, eat nice food and really focus on ourselves and plan what we would really like to happen over the coming year.

Jude and I will listen to some relevant audio from people like Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracey, Robert Kiyosaki. A good mate of mine James Holden (www.leadership-revolution.com) a Life and business coach has also given me a CD on the goal setting process. Another great resource is another mate of mine Michael Griffiths he has a program called Secrets of a Super Life, which is chock full of free resources www.secretsofasuperlife.com . You can also find plenty of resources on the web, a great one is http://celestinechua.com/blog/ . You can also look at my article “7 secrets to success”

We then list different areas we want to set goals:

Business/Career/Studies
Finance and Wealth
Health and Fitness
Social/Friends
Family and Kids
Romance and Love
Recreation and Fun
Contribution and Charity
Personal Growth
Spiritual

Depending on the ages of your kids if you have them as to how many areas they may want to get involved in.

We will then discuss over a glass of wine (for me and Jude that is), what we would all like to achieve that year. Have your Calendar handy. Identify times to take breaks and holidays and other scheduled goals, such as family weekends, date nights etc and get them locked in.

Don’t forget to discuss and write down, why you want to achieve these goals, what the benefits are for you as individuals and as a family.

You might want to create a family vision board. This is great fun to do with the kids, get images from magazines and print off the internet pictures of what you want and how you want life to look. The kids can cut them out and then arrange them on a pin board, with affirmations. Put it some where visible, say in the kitchen as a constant reminder of where your heading.

Good luck guys and here is to a great, prosperous and happy 2011. Let me know how you go and we’ll keep you informed as to how our goal setting has gone ….. I wonder if I can convince the kids that keeping their Bedroom tidy would be a great goal!!

All the best Joe, Jude, Edie and Honor

Would like something to keep you on the straight and narrow?

Here it is: 10 sessions in 2 weeks.

There’ll be fun, hardwork, sweat and maybe a few tears.

Starting 13th December and running every weekday morning for 2 weeks (5:45am till 7am).

Valued at $180, contact our office to book your place

We are also running a competition, so that 2 lucky people can do it for free!

Competition details are on our facebook fanpage

Sweat and Tears on Curl Curl Beach

1. Think well

Everything we do starts with a thought. Well what kind of stimulus’s and thoughts are we subjecting ourselves to. For a start turn off the news. Use your car or workout time to do some Personal Development. Get some CDs by Anthony Robbins or another Personal growth Guru and listen to them whilst you drive or when your working out.Surround yourself with positive vibes not negative ones.

Also take time out for yourself, “Me time” to be truly by yourself even if it just 5 minutes at the start of the day and plan the good things you are going to do to help yourself that day.

2. Breath well

We won’t survive long without breathing and yet we pay it so little attention. Focus on breathing nasally and from the diaphram. Breath slowly and deeply, maybe focus on it whilst your doing your 5 minutes of “me time”. This will slow you down, help you focus and importantly can help keep Cortisol levels (stress hormone) down… which in turn can help with weight loss and just general well being.

3. Drink well

Keep the system flushed. Drink good water, that is either filtered or pure. You can add a small amount of Himalayan Salt to add to the bodies mineral content. Everybody is different. I’m 90Kg my wife is 55Kg. We have different requirements. So times your bodyweight in Kilograms by 0.03 and that is the minimum you should be drinking each day. For every cup of coffee or drink of alcohol replace it with double the amount of water.

Just by drinking the right amount of water and cutting out excess coffee and alcohol you can see an almost instant change to yoru well being.

4. Eat well

Food and  nutrition is a passion of mine and I could write for ages but this is not the post. I want to keep this brief and simple. So here goes. Joes answer to the worlds dietary problems in a nutshell:

Eat plenty of Garden Veggies, Nuts and seeds and  meats. Cut out Sugar and flour and most grains (high glycemic carbs*). Eat 5-6 small meals per day to keep your metabolism amped. Eat as many green leafy veggies as you can, preferably raw. Live food high in phyto-chemicals (green stuff) is the source of life! and eat protein at every meal. If the cavemen didn’t eat it…. neither should you!

If you follow this advice I promise you, you will make a massive change to your health and well being.

*The problem with high-glycemic carbs is that they give an elevated  insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been  linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a whole host of disease and disability.  A low-glycemic diet consequently severely blunts the negative insulin response.

5. Move well

Just get out there and get amongst it. No excuses. Our general daily movements are decreasing year after year with the development of technology. Pre-second world war it was nothing for somebody to average 15Km per day. Now our governments recommend a measly 10000 steps as a healthy recommendation. A study in UK showed that as recent as between 1995 and 2005 walking trips fell by 16%. Think about the ways we are designed to move. Look at how we developed as a species before all these machines came along. Get back to the basics.

1. Squat
2. Lunge
3. Push
4. Pull
5. Bend
6. Twist
7. Gait (moving over terrain, walking, running, sprinting)

All of the above 7 “Primal Movement Patterns” should be incorporated into your exercise program and you should be exercising 5 times a week…. Just walking by itself does not cut the mustard. Increase the amount you walk and get more structured exercise.

6. Rest well

We need to sleep and we need to recover. We get alot better quality sleep if we are in bed before 10:30. In the last 100 years the average amount of sleep we take has halved!!! for a creature that has fine tuned itself over a couple of hundred thousand years that is horrific. GET TO BED!!!

I’d also advise focused relaxation, meditation. Just 20 minutes a day of sitting and breathing through your nose, counting your out breaths can make a fantastic difference to your stress levels.

You need 1 or 2 days rest from exercise a week depending on what kind of program your on. On your rest days, still get some fresh air, go for a stroll, sit in a park, walk on the beach.

So that’s it. Joes guide to life!!! I hope you like it. Do it and it will make a massive difference to you and your well being. Take care, have fun and be healthy. Please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on this article. We’d love to hear from you.

Joe Bonington

Thought I’d post some photo’s from our Sweat and Tears group. These were taken on North Curl Curl Beach a couple of weeks ago. I’d love to get some feedback and comments about what you think.

But, this effect is very short term and leads to a crash in mood shortly after the high – in turn triggering more sugar cravings, mood swings and you guessed it, weight gain.  What your body really needs is a sustained, even production and release of serotonin.

• Eating seasonally and keeping your diet high in complex carbs is an easy way to keep your diet in check, plenty of winter crops are low in fat and calories so stock up on squash, onions, oranges, artichokes, kale, Brussels sprouts (yes, they are tasty if cooked correctly!) and cauliflower.

• Making healthy food choices by substituting any cravings for lollies, ice cream, cookies and pies with fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread without butter, cereals such as millet, oats, and muesli – and eating as much fresh, whole food as possible.  This will increase your fiber intake, keep you fuller for longer and control serotonin production.

• Limit yourself to just one alcoholic drink a day, if you must.  Alcohol is another winter evil containing a lot of empty calories but also contributing to a slower metabolism.

Exercise

Boy, can it be tough to stick to your exercise program when winter hits.  A shortage of daylight hours, the bitter cold, often wet & grey weather and a strong urge to stay in your nice warm bed can all work against staying focused on your workouts.  But, the benefits to maintaining your exercise routine during the winter months far outweigh the discomforts!

Exercise is your best weapon against winter weight gain.  Benefits include an increase in your metabolic rate which will help prevent weight gain, a decrease in the bodies stress hormones such as cortisol and an increase in endorphins.  Endorphins are the body’s natural feel good chemicals, and when they are released through exercise, your mood is boosted naturally.  Nice!

Some ways to make your Winter exercise program more enjoyable:

• Dynamic warm ups. Don’t waste time with static stretches but, instead, focus on doing activities to get your body ready for the coming workout. If you’re walking or running, start with a brisk walk and stay at that pace until you start to feel warmer. Gradually increase your pace and give your body extra time to get the blood flowing. (1)

• If you exercise outside, how you dress can make the difference between misery and just generally being uncomfortable.  Sports Medicine Guide, Elizabeth Quinn suggests in her article, Dressing for Winter Exercise that you focus on three layers - the base layer with thin fabrics like silk or wool, a mid layer like fleece to keep you insulated and an outer layer like a wind jacket to protect you from the elements. (2)

• Don’t be afraid to break your routine and try something new.  Commit to group exercise sessions, indoor or outdoor, for that extra motivation to get out of bed or find a heated indoor pool and swap a run for a swim.

• It’s also a great time to increase or introduce strength training to your program.  Increased muscle mass means increased resting metabolic rate and an added bonus, your body will continue to burn calories at an increased rate for at least 16 hours following a strength session.

And finally, don’t forget to reward yourself.  Plan rewards for completing all your workouts in one month or managing to keep those winter kilo’s at bay.  A weekend trip, a new pair of running shoes, a day at the spa … choose something that makes you smile when you think about it and get moving!!

Sonya Lovell Sonya is a fully qualified Personal Trainer, Experienced Trekker and Mum with an interest in Holistically based nutrition and training.

Want to know more about Sonya’s take on nutrition and training? Drop us an email

References:

(1) How to make Winter exercise easier by Paige Waehner

(2) Cold Weather Exercise Tip - How to Layer Clothing by Elizabeth Quinn

Ingredients:
3 tbs coconut oil
2 small chilli’s, diced
2.5 cm piece fresh ginger root (peeled with spoon)
3 cloves garlic
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
1 onion diced
3 chicken breasts cut into chunks
3 tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cashews
2 cans coconut milk

Directions:
Grate ginger and garlic together to form a paste.  You can do this in a small food processor or by hand using a micro plane.

Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add ginger, garlic, chili, curry, and cinnamon and cook for 2 minutes, stirring the whole time to be sure garlic doesn’t burn.

Add in chicken and onions and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add in all other ingredients except cashews.  Turn heat down to medium low and cover pot.   Cook for about an hour until veggies are tender.

Uncover, add nuts and cook for 15 more minutes to thicken.

Recipe sourced from: www.paleomama.com

New to Sweat & Tears: Sweat and Tears is available in 1, 2 and 3 month blocks. Sign up for 3 months and get your entry into the Pub2Pub fun run paid for by us!! How good is that!

Current Sweat & Tears member: Email us your interest in joining the team to get your entry paid by us!

Personal Training clients: If you train with us 1 or more times a week email us your interest to also get your entry paid by us!

More info on the event is available here.