must be heavy shoes!

Weight fluctuation….

so you track your weight,

you may find that it seems to jump up every now and again seemingly for no particular reason.

maybe it does your head in?

this may get you thinking as to why this is?

hmm i cant take anymore clothes off???

But weight is only one variable to measure what is going on, and to be honest it doesn't really tell us a great deal on its own.

Like looking at a Monet from an inch away all you can see is individual brushstrokes,

 take a few paces back and you can see the bigger picture,

weight is a good overall indicator when you step back and look from a far and over time, rather than your weight on any given day.

So fluctuations may occur every now and then. Why is this?

-        did you got wasted broseph?

-         You just ate loads didn't ya?

-         Higher than normal salt intake, "hm thatsh a keeper"

-         You constipated!

-         Bloated from previous days higher than usual fibre intake

If you didn't get drunk and you stuck to your food intake as usual then we can assume it’s likely

1  - A higher sodium intake than usual. That may encourage you to hold a little more water than usual.

2 - Slight constipation – you will be slightly heavier for obvious reasons.

3 - Bloated – if you nailed a higher than normal fibre intake the day before.

As you can see, nowhere do I mention body fat or muscle

By simply looking at your weight on a given day we can't see that bigger picture.

remember. You are more than your weight;

if i had never seen you, and your only description of yourself you gave me was your body weight do you really think i would have any idea what you look like?

view from all the angles;

I suggest you also use the very sophisticated bit of kit – the tape measure! Simply keep a note of your waist measurement – I use 2 points – true waist - from the smallest point around your middle and waist in line with belly button.

obviously there is plenty of others you can keep an eye on but keep it simple.

you can do the odd caliper reading, the tape measure is a very simple tool.

Tool number 3 – the selfie! – no not for instagram, but keeping a photo log. This will tell you more than any numbers, especially when you match a few months progress.

not quite....

Tool number 4 – clothes – pick your favourite dress or suit or jeans, you know the one that is either slightly too tight or too big depending on your goal, when it fits a little better you know your changing.

"suits still a little baggy"

"my shute fitsh perfectly"

My point is your weight on a single day literally means jack shit! It's just part of the journey you are on, a bend in the road - nothing we can or should do about it, just as long as we don’t let them bog us down and affect our mindset thus affecting our plan, because it doesn’t matter.

so chill out, control the controllable's and don't sweat the small stuff!

Coffee - take a break.

Coffee vs. Cocoa

OK, nowadays I love my coffee!

Wasn't always the case

 back in 2002 i drank tea my dear.

and if you had of asked me if i cared for a coffee......

coffee maam?
you off your head Jeeves?

But one of my 1st jobs as a coach was opening a city club first thing. Alarm set for 4:30 in the morning check, snooze button obliterated check, the only creature that thinks that time in the morning is acceptable to be awake is the flaming cat!

once the club was opened i soon searched for a pick me up,  come 8 o’clock the smell of brewing coffee soon lured me over the road as they opened their doors to begin reviving the morning migration of zombie's, even though at 1st I despised the taste of coffee it performed its job admirably, although make sure someone can cover you.....

Since then, like many of you, coffee has been a part of the morning ritual.

I love to start my day with a black coffee with cinnamon, every now and then if i'm really low on carbs ill stick a very small amount of coconut oil in or even a drop of cream, but please don't stick a whole stick of butter in for the love of god!!!! or the last thing you will be is bullet proof!!!!!

don’t get me wrong I also like a salted caramel latte from Starbucks from time to time too but that’s a treat right?!

Black coffee, Little did I know then that its benefits stretch a lot further than just a morning buzz!

Here’s just few of Coffee’s other benefits:

•High anti-oxidant content. More than tea!

•Lowers blood pressure!! Wait back up…LOWERS blood pressure?? Yes at first you will get a rise in blood pressure, but it will return to normal once the caffeine is metabolized. It lowers blood pressure over time as caffeine has been shown to improve the health of blood vessels.

•Fat burning (very small, negligible). Increases metabolic rate .

•Performance enhancer. Caffeine directly impacts the muscles to enhance power output. Not only that, reaction time, verbal memory, and visuo-spatial reasoning are enhanced also.

•Lowers risk of disease. A host of studies show decreased risk of diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, cardio vascular disease and lowered risk of various cancers such as pharyngeal, breast, liver, colon, and prostate cancer.

Pretty impressive right?

So you can feel good about having your coffee in the morning.

However for the past 3 weeks ive decided to knock my morning cuppa Joe on the head!

Well I just felt like it;

Sometimes you need a break from the reliance of caffeine to get you going in the morning.

Giving the opportunity to focus on recovery, as well to prove you are not a slave to a drink, It is not needed to function!

Plus taking the caffeine out now for a period of time will increase its effectiveness when it is later reintroduced.

So what shall we substituted it with…

Introducing my magical morning elixir.

Start the day like an Aztec.

In replacement of my coffee, every morning ive been making myself my modified Aztec beverage.

Quite simply hot cacao with the addition of a few simple ingredients.

Here are just a few reasons why I chose to swap my coffee for cacao and why I just might not go back!!

1. ANTIOXIDENT DENSITY – Cocoa’s concentration of antioxidants is three times stronger than that of green tea alone and four to five times stronger than that of black tea. However unlike the Aztecs I like it hot! Having it hot as in “hot chocolate” was created by the Spanish when they nicked it off the Aztecs, having it hot also increases its antioxidant release.

2. BLOOD PUMPING – improves blood flow and helps lower your blood pressure and improve heart health.

3. PURITY – cocoa is a single ingredient, it contains much less fat and sugar per serving compared to the 8-10 grams of fat in a standard chocolate bar. Although a regular chocolate bar is relatively antioxidant dense, a chocolate bar is a multi ingredient food, the health benefits are outweighed due of the combination of fats and sugars also present.

4. BRAIN HEALTH – associated with number 2 – the flavanoids in cacao increase nitric oxide production like coffee, aiding in blood flow and increase oxygen to the brain!

5. SUPER COMPOUND COMBINATION – Combines well with other super healthy compounds like;

– Cinnamon – a nutrient partitioning compound that improves insulin sensitivity actively aiding the body’s ability to store nutrients like carbs in muscle instead of fat.

– Honey – a better choice than sugar, although metabolically it will act pretty much the same so in terms of fat loss treat honey the same as any other sugars, however it contains some nutritional value and antioxidants, anti inflammatory and disinfectant properties also.

– Chilli powder – obviously adds a spicy kick! Chilli powder is famed for its health benefits as an anti inflammatory, pain reliever and immune booster.

How to make it!

How I make it – warning! Its gotta a kick, its a little bitter and spicey but surprisingly moorish and if you like to experiment I urge you to try this little concoction too.

Morning kick version 1 – 1-2 heaped teaspoons of pure cacao powder, ½ teaspoon honey to sweeten, pinch of chilli powder that’s it, makes 1 cup! Chocolaty spicy, slightly bitter, slightly strange but trust me after a few your hooked!

Per cup:

Protein = 1g
Carbs = 6g with honey – 0.4 – 1g without
Fats = 2g

The Sunday afternoon -  feet up version:

Needed – 1 cup of any milk (i prefer almond milk or even hazelnut milk)! 1-3 heaped teaspoons cacao, 2-3 squares 85% dark chocolate squares, 1-2 teaspoons honey, pinch of chilli powder or ½ chilli pepper deseeded too and let infuse, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
a little British whipping cream on top.

Process:

1.In a small saucepan melt chocolate with a little of the milk. Whisk in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

2.Remove from heat and let flavours infuse for 10 minutes then strain.

3.Cheeky optional extra that my grandma loves!! Add a little shot of brandy to your mug and top the spicy modified Aztec delicacy!
4. shake up a pot of British whipping cream - and top your drink 1-2 tablspoons should be enough, sprinkle some cinnamon on top too.
5. Put Elf on.

6.Enjoy in front of roaring fire (a gas fire will do)

Tip: If you want to keep it as low carb as possible exchange milk for almond or hazelnut milk. You can also swap for coconut milk which will also lower the sugar content but it will up the fat content which is definitely not a bad thing seeing as there largely saturated and mct’s, but just so you know.

The alternatives:

A date with the Aztecs – 3 tablespoons canned coconut milk, 3/4 cup water, 3 soft pitted Medjool dates, 1 tablespoon cacao powder, Dash of cinnamon.

Put all ingredients in the blender and puree until very smooth, gently heat in a pot on the stove.

Hot snickers – 1-3 tablespoons peanut hottie, 1 heaped teaspoon cacao, 10-15g chocolate whey protein powder, pinch of cinnamon, ½ can coconut milk, ½ cup water.

just for reference, peanut hottie!!

Blend up and gently heat in a pan.

Maybe this just serves as a reminder that there are way more things for us to try right under our nose.

Hiding in plain sight around the markets and health store and even the supermarkets just waiting to be discovered are herbs and spices and ingredients that mean living healthy is in no way living boring.

Go mix it up, grab a few ingredients and try and improve my version of the Aztec hot chocolate!!