It turns out that it could have a positive impact on reducing inflammation and joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). [1]
Studies have been done in the past to examine the effects of pomegranate juice on arthritis and inflammation… however they were done on rats, not humans.

In this recent pilot study, published in The Israeli Medical Association Journal, researchers recruited eight participants diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
Each participant was given 10ml/day of pomegranate extract, for twelve weeks.

Also, the researchers assessed the participants’ joint status and serum oxidative status at the beginning of the study and at the end of the twelve-week supplementation period.

So what happened?

By the end of the study, the pomegranate extract helped alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. On average, participants were able to reduce their tender joint count by a whopping 62 percent! They also significantly reduced their serum oxidative status, which is highly indicative of a eduction in the body’s inflammatory response. As well, participants reduced the composite Disease Activity Index (DAS28) of arthritis by 17 percent.

The study’s authors added, “Dietary supplementation with pomegranates may be a useful complementary strategy to attenuate clinical symptoms in RA patients.” This is exciting news for anyone with chronic joint pain. And quite frankly, if you suffer from arthritis or similar pain,  there really is nothing to lose in trying pomegranate juice out, and see if it works for your body.

Just keep in mind, most of the  juice sold is quite high in sugar. So a  little goes a long way, especially if you’re trying to get or stay lean and  healthy. And as you would expect, the best way 0to ensure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants to keep your body healthy and disease-free is to eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables. The more colourful,  the better.

Job Description:
- Running Boot Camp classes
- Planning and preparing classes
- Conduction 1 on 1 personal training sessions.
- Sales Assistant work in our Supplement Store

QUALIFICATIONS:
- Certificate III and IV in Fitness
- First Aid
- Registered with Fitness A ustralia (Favourable however not required as we can organise this for the successful applicant)
- Boxing certification (Favourable however not required as we can organise this for the successful applicant)

We are looking for passionate, motivated people to assist our men and women clients achieve their fitness and health goals. We are a Outdoor Fitness Business and looking for people with strong and fun personalities. The successful applicant is someone that we think can build and show initiative within the business.

Location: Fitness Classes are run in Engadine.

Please apply at

info@lgbfitness.com.au

or pop your resume into

LGB Supplements & Apprel: Shop 6, 10 waratah rd, Engadine

But it seems that when it comes to food, “boring” is the way to go.

I’ve just come across a 2011 study published in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition that suggests being boring with your food choices can help you lose the kilo’s. [1]

For this study, researchers set out to investigate long-term food habituation in obese and non-obese people. So we’re on the same page, let me give you a brief explanation of what habituation is. Simply put, it’s when a repeated action no longer produces the same result.

A quick example… do you drink coffee?

If so, you can probably think back to the time when you tried your first cup of coffee. Chances are you felt jittery, and maybe even felt your heart beat a little faster. But if you kept on drinking coffee, chances are you felt that kind of reaction less and less. And you’ve probably noticed that the more coffee you drink, the more it takes for you to stay “awake” and get the effects of the caffeine.

This is habituation. Your body’s receptors become less responsive to the caffeine, so it takes more of it to get a response. So this study wanted to see what happens when you’re exposed to the same food, again and again. The researchers in this study recruited 32 women. Half were obese and the other half were not. They were randomly divided into two groups:

Group 1 was the “Weekly Group.” This group of women participated in once-a-week experimental food exposure. This lasted for five weeks.

Group 2 was the “Daily Group.” They participated in the same experimental food exposure for just five consecutive days.

During the experimental food exposure sessions, the women were asked to complete a series of tasks, after which they were given a 125-calorie portion of macaroni and cheese. The women were allowed to complete more tasks in order to receive more food, with no limit placed on how much more food they could “work” for. As you may have guessed, the “Weekly Group” increased their total caloric intake by almost 30 calories a day.

The “Daily Group” decreased their caloric intake by 100-calories a day. Also, it’s important to note that there were no significant differences in how obese women responded versus non-obese participants. This study suggests what many of us have suspected… making the same food choices on a regular basis will help you eat less!

Sure, it might be a little boring. But if your goal is to lose weight this coming year and get in the best shape of your life, it might be worth your while. Plus, if you analyse most people who successfully make a dramatic physique transformation, you’ll find that the majority of them eat the same foods day in and day out. Once you’re in “maintenance” mode, then you can go back to putting in a little more variety and mix things up accordingly.

Time to take an honest assessment of where you are in life, and decide what you’d like to achieve this coming year.  That said, it’s a sad fact that the majority of folks NEVER see those resolutions come to fruition.  That’s why today, I’d like to share with you a few tips that will help you stick with your resolutions, no matter what—creating a NEW YOU in 2012!

Look, the MAJOR reason people don’t follow through on their resolutions is FEAR.  Change is scary. And committing to change is a scary endeavour, to be sure.  But follow these tips and you should be able to nip fear in the bud and actually accomplish what you set out to achieve in 2012!

1) Be specific.

You may have heard this a million times, but all too often people make nonspecific resolutions like “I want to get fit.” Instead, drill down to exactly what you want. So, try a resolution like, “By March 31st 2012, I will be 10 kgs lighter.”  The specificity makes it more realistic and gives you a marker of success that lets you know you’ve ARRIVED at your goal.

2) Baby steps.

The fact that you’re making a resolution implies that you’re trying to change something in your life that’s pretty big. You’ve been unhappy with it for some time, which is why you’re resolving to change it. Therefore, most resolutions tend to be HUGE changes. Getting fit, getting out of debt, etc are all BIG goals.

So in order to achieve them, you’re going to have to break them down into itty-bitty steps.  It’s like the old adage, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”  So break down your resolution into “mini” resolutions that will serve as stepping stones to the bigger goal you want to achieve (i.e. I will walk around the neighbourhood for 20 minutes every day. I will eat only 1,700 calories for the next 30 days, etc.)

3) Don’t resolve to change what you can’t control.

This is a biggie. But make sure your resolutions are things that are directly under your control. For example, a resolution to get a “raise at work” is something that is ultimately beyond your control. Instead, make the resolution to “start my own part-time online business to give MYSELF the raise I want.”

4) Share your resolutions.

Let others know what you’re planning. Doing so will give you a sense of accountability that will help push you—especially during those times where you don’t “feel” like doing the actions you KNOW will get you to your goals. Finally, don’t let fear get in the way of what you really want. Instead of dwelling in “what if’s” take action.  Action, no matter how small, will help give you the momentum you need. And once you’ve started taking action, you’ll have a better understanding of what you need to do to get to your final destination.

So this year, set some resolutions… and follow through on them until you’ve achieved them!

It turns out a cheap ingredient— most commonly used in apple pie—  can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. What’s more, it can also help in the battle against diabetes!

The research comes out of the Human Nutrition Research Centre in Maryland.

Scientists were studying the effects of various foods on blood sugar. That’s when the lead scientist, Dr. Richard Anderson noticed something a little unusual…When participants ate apple pie, their blood sugar levels actually improved! Perplexed, Dr. Anderson and his team decided to investigate further. They discovered that the cinnamon in the apple pie was the cause for the improved blood sugar levels.[1]

It turns out that cinnamon contains compounds known as “polyphenol type-a polymers” that help insulin process glucose in the bloodstream.

Since this initial discovery, a whole wave of research has surfaced proving how powerful cinnamon can be in the fight against high blood sugar, and related diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome.. For example, another United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study, also led by Dr. Anderson, recruited 30 volunteers with type-2 diabetes. They were given cinnamon for 40 days. The result? The volunteers showed improvement in several health markers, including a significant decrease in blood glucose, triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol! [2]

Yet another laboratory test conducted by the USDA showed the active compounds in cinnamon can increase glucose metabolism by roughly 20 times.[3] Other European studies confirm the powerful effects of cinnamon—suggesting that it can lower fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic patients by 10-29%. [4,5] Bottom line: Start adding this tasty spice to your daily diet. Add a teaspoonful to oatmeal, fruit, yogurt or any of your other favourite foods. You can also get standardised cinnamon extracts in supplement form, if you want to maximise the benefits.

Research shows that all you need is around 500mg a day when using a supplement. You can find standardised cinnamon extract at most local health food stores. There’s no doubt you should use cinnamon to help ward against diabetes and high blood sugar. But don’t let that be the ONLY thing you do. Exercise and proper nutrition should be your first line of defence.

References:

1. Anderson R.A., et al. Diabetes. 1997 Nov;46(11):1786-91.

2.  Qin B, Panickar KS, Anderson RA. Cinnamon: potential role in the prevention of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2010 May 1;4(3):685-93.

3. Anderson RA, et al. Isolation and characterization of polyphenol type-A polymers from cinnamon with insulin-like biological activity. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Jan 14;52(1):65-70

4. Mang B, et al. Effects of a cinnamon extract on plasma glucose, HbA, and serum lipids in diabetes mellitus type 2. Eur J Clin Invest. 2006 May;36(5)

Kirkham S, et al.” The potential of cinnamon to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2009 Dec;11(12):1100-13

And if it wasn’t tough enough, it gets even harder as you age. That’s because your resting energy expenditure decreases significantly as you get older. Simply put, you burn less calories on a daily basis than your younger counterparts. The good news is, new research shows that a very unlikely supplement can naturally “boost” your resting metabolic rate – increasing the daily number of calories (and the amount of fat) you burn, even at rest.

I’ll bet you never guess what it is!

It’s a seaweed extract called fucoxanthin (pronounced fyoo-koh-zan-thin). It’s fat burning powers were discovered by accident, when Japanese marine biologists were studying the effects of fucoxanthin on animals. They found that mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) was expressed in white adipose (fat) tissue.[1].

Translation: fucoxanthin can “switch on” the fat-burning potential of white fat. That means you can safely increase your metabolic rate and enhance your body’s fat-burning ability. Your body has two kinds of fat – white fat and brown fat. Brown fat is used to generate body heat. It actually uses your body’s energy stores to create heat by “burning” the energy stores (thermogenesis.) And while it did this in animals, researchers wanted to find out if fucoxanthin did the same thing in humans. Early studies suggest it does, quite well.

The study, published in the January 2010 issue of the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that fucoxanthin is remarkable when it comes to weight loss. Obese, non-diabetic women who took fucoxanthin for 16 weeks (with a controlled, 1,800 calorie diet) dropped an average of 15 pounds.

The placebo group (also on a controlled, 1,800 calorie diet) only dropped three! [2]

Fucoxanthin is showing promising results as a safe, natural fat-burner. If interested and would like to order this product please get in touch with us. It could give you the little extra “oomph” you need to drop that last little bit of fat. But remember, nothing should ever take the place of a solid weight training/cardio program, combined with proper nutrition.

Fucoxanthin should only be used in addition to these healthy habits to boost your fat loss efforts.

References:

1. Maeda H, Hosokawa M, Sashima T, Funayama K, Miyashita K. Fucoxanthin from edible seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida, shows antiobesity effect through UCP1 expression in white adipose tissues. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005 Jul 1;332(2):392-7.

2. Abidov M, Ramazanov Z, Seifulla R, Grachev S.”The effects of Xanthigen in the weight management of obese premenopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and normal liver fat.”Diabetes Obes Metab. 2010 Jan;12(1):72-81. Epub 2009 Oct 13.

But here’s what you may not know…

There’s a “forgotten” vitamin many people don’t know about that’s far more effective at helping you build strong, healthy, impact-resistant bones. Before I tell you what this “forgotten” vitamin is, let’s look at why calcium is NOT the answer when it comes to bone health.

First, let me set the record straight—some amount of calcium absolutely IS necessary for healthy bones. The problem is that—no matter how much calcium you take– if it isn’t metabolised and used by your bones, then it doesn’t do you one bit of good.

Consider this: A report from the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable found that Australia has one of the highest rates of calcium consumption in the world. Despite this, Australians suffer more bone fractures than people in countries who get a LOT LESS calcium. ¹

Another study published this year, was conducted by Uppsala University in Sweden. They tracked over 60,000 women for 19 years and looked at the link between calcium intake and bone fractures.² It turns out that the Australian recommended doses for calcium are WAY too high. Eva Warensjo, the study’s lead author stated:

“… yes, the Australian recommendations [for calcium] might be set too high…  we would say that based on these results of this study, it’s probably not necessary to go that high in order to have an adequate intake of calcium to prevent osteoporotic fractures.”

The issue isn’t getting enough calcium. It’s making sure that enough actually gets used by your bones. That’s why this “forgotten” vitamin is so important. It’s what helps your bones “get” and use the calcium to make themselves stronger.

What is this “forgotten” vitamin? I’m talking about Vitamin K2.

Vitamin K comes in two forms… K1 which is found in abundance in green leady veggies like spinach and kale. This is the form of vitamin K that helps with blood clotting. Then there’s vitamin K2… this form of vitamin K is only found in very specific foods.

Here’s what you need to know about it: it’s crucial to your bone health because it helps your bones metabolise calcium. It’s so powerful, that one Japanese study found that vitamin K2 is just as powerful as drugs regularly prescribed to help prevent bone fractures.³

For the study, Japanese researchers divided women with osteoporosis into three groups. The first group took just 45 mg of vitamin K2.

The second group took the drug Dridonel, commonly prescribed to prevent fractures. The third group was the placebo group. So what happened? Those taking the drug had a fracture rate of 8.7%. Those taking K2 had an even lower fracture rate of 8%. The placebo? Their fracture rate was a whopping 21%!

Vitamin K2 is a MUST if you want strong, healthy bones. The bad news is that it’s all too easy to be deficient in vitamin K2, since it’s only in a limited number of foods. That said, here are a few ways to get enough of this “forgotten” vitamin to make sure your bones are strong and stay that way for a lifetime:

1. Natto.  This is a popular Japanese dish. Some grocery stores carry it, especially local Asian markets. It has the highest natural concentration of K2. It’s fermented soybeans and is definitely an acquired taste, so watch out.

2. Egg Yolks. You may already know that egg yolks are a great source of healthy omega-3 fats… they’re also a good source of vitamin k2!

3. Menaquinone (MK-7). This is the supplement form of vitamin K2. You can find it at your local health food store. It’s probably the easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough K2 for the bone-health benefits.

References:

1. Willett W. Calcium: too much of a good thing? Report from the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Roundtable.

2.  Warensjo, E, et al. “Dietary calcium intake and risk of fracture and osteoporosis: prospective longitudinal cohort study” BMJ 2011; 342:d1473

3. Iwamoto J, et al “Combined treatment with vitamin K2 and bisphosphonate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. “Yonsei Med J. 2003 Oct 30;44(5):751-6.

Diet, Exercise…And SLEEP

It may be as simple as having a regular schedule of good nights’ sleep.  Adequate sleep is necessary for healthy functioning.  Research shows that sleep regulates mood and is related to learning and memory functions.  When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed and alert for our daily activities.  Sleep affects how we look, feel and perform on a daily basis, and can have a major impact on our overall quality of life.

What happens when you sleep?

 To get the most our of our sleep, both quantity and quality are important. When we are sleeping, our bodies follow a pattern of alternating REM (rapid eye movement) and NREN (non-rapid eye movement) sleep throughout a typical night, in a cycle that repeats about every 90 minutes.

NREM is about 75% of the night; during this stage we are relaxing, our breathing and heart rate slow, our body temperature drops, we begin to fall asleep and move toward the deeper sleep.  During this stage, the blood supply to the muscles increases, hormones are released, such as growth hormones, allowing for tissue growth, repair, and development (especially in the muscles).  Also happening during this stage is our energy levels are restoring.

REM sleep accounts for about 25% of the night.  During this stage, we are in deep sleep, where our body becomes fully relaxed and our muscles are shut off.  While the brain is active (and typically dreaming) during this stage, this is the sleep stage that will support our daytime performance and function. If our sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases it needs for muscle repair, memory consolidation, and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite.

Here are a few key benefits of regular good night’s sleep:

• Learning and memory. Sleep helps the brain to commit new information to memory.
• Metabolism and weight. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
• Safety. A lack of sleep contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
• Mood. Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
• Cardiovascular health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
• Disease. Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

How much sleep do you need?

 There’s no ‘magic number’ here.  Different age groups need different amounts of sleep and sleep needs vary by individual.  Here are the recommended ‘rule-of-thumb’ ranges:

• Teens (11-17) 8.5-9.25 hours
• Adults 7-9 hours
• Older Adults 7-9 hours

To determine how much sleep you need, it’s important to assess your own individual needs and habits.  See how you respond to different amounts of sleep, pay close attention to your mood, energy levels, and health after a poor nights sleep, versus a good one.  Determine how often you get a good night’s sleep, if it’s not often, then you may need to consider changing your sleep habits.

Quick Tips To A Good Night’s Sleep

8 Tips to Get Better Zzzzzz’s….

1. Cut Caffeine.  The effects of caffeine can take as long as eight hours to wear off.  So if you drink a cup of coffee or soft drink in the afternoon and are still tossing at night, caffeine might be the reason.  Cutting out caffeine at least four to six hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep easier.

2. Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid.  Alcohol may initially help you fall asleep, but it also causes disturbances in sleep resulting in less restful sleep.

3. Relax before bedtime.  Stress not only makes you miserable it wreaks havoc on your sleep.  Develop some kind of pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between all the day’s stress and bedtime.  These rituals can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.

4. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and comfortable.  Use earplugs, window blinds or curtains, set the temperature to 20 degrees—everything possible to create the ideal sleep environment.

5. Eat right, sleep tight.  Try not to go to bed hungry, but avoid heavy meals just before bedtime. And avoid any specific foods that you know cause you trouble, such as spicy foods that cause heartburn.

6. Avoid napping.  While a nap sounds like a good idea after a long day, napping can only make matters worse if you usually have trouble falling asleep.  If you do, keep it brief, between 15-20 minutes.

7. Keep pets off the bed.  Allowing pets to sleep with you can cause you to wake during the night, either from pet movements or allergies.

8. Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed.  These activities can wire up your brain, making it difficult for you to fall asleep.

And here’s something very interesting:  If you think your kids are immune because you monitor what they watch and they only watch “educational” television… you might want to read this quote from Dr. Aric Sigman, “It is the number of hours and the age which they start which produces the biological effects.  It is because of the medium, not the message, that these effects are occurring,”

In other words…

It’s NOT What Kids Are Watching On

Television… It’s The Television Itself

That Is The Problem!

Who is Dr. Aric Sigman? Dr Sigman is an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and author of “Remotely Controlled: How Television Is Damaging Our Lives.”  In his report, he analysed 35 different scientific studies carried out into television and its effect on the viewer.  He has identified 15 negative effects he claims can be blamed on watching television.

Some of the most alarming discoveries are the links he claims to have found between long hours of television viewing and cancer, autism and Alzheimer’s. According to the February 19^th 2007 edition of The Scotsman (Scotland’s National Newspaper), “The effects on children watching TV have been well publicised in Britain. Fears of a time bomb of obesity have sparked a wave of ministerial initiatives to promote sport and tackle the couch-potato lifestyle.

However, today’s report suggests the consequences of television are far more serious. They range from myopia and attention deficit disorder to diabetes, autism, Alzheimer’s and a generation whose brains are being numbed by on-screen imagery.” with an onslaught of novelty on screen.

Early Puberty?

Dr. Sigman’s work not only associates television watching with obesity, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, attention span and the body cells’ ability to heal wounds… it claims a significant body of research now leads him to believe it is a major factor in reducing levels of the hormone – melatonin.

Why is this important?

This is important because melatonin is the hormone that regulates the body’s internal clock and also helps determine the onset and progression of puberty. Since melatonin is produced at night and makes you feel “sleepy,” it is believed the bright screen may decrease production.  This may lead to disturbances in sleep… which can be linked to many health problems. And according to Dr. Sigman, suppressing melatonin levels in this fashion may lead to children starting puberty much earlier than nature intended.

What’s more, the study found that children’s resting metabolic rate decreased as the amount of TV they watched soared – meaning that physiological changes compounded the fact that they were not exercising.

No TV Under 3

And according to the US Paper “The Guardian”, “Between the ages of birth to 3, particularly when children are acquiring language, their brains are going through rapid development and are being physically shaped, like a piece of clay, in response to what they are exposed to. It’s called structural neuroplasticity.

“Key stages of development are language acquisition and social skills, and if they’re displaced at this stage, they may be irreplaceable.” Dr Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and member of the Institute of Biology, said exposing children to fast-moving images at a very young age for a sustained time may inhibit their ability to sustain attention.

And children who were left for long periods with only a screen to interact with, not only had less time to speak to adults, but also failed to develop social skills.” Dr Sigman believes children under three should not watch TV, and those between 3 and 7 should watch no more than 30 minutes to an hour a day. And this includes so-called “educational” programming…

“I was told by the head of BBC children’s TV [Richard Deverell] that TV ‘helps children get interested in the outside world’. I believe the world around them gets them interested in the outside world.

“We are told children need electronic entertainment or they get bored. It is not true. Children have an infinite ability to entertain themselves which television seems to erode. What children are exposed to under the age of 7, and particularly under the age of 3, is of paramount importance. It’s really the under 3’s we’re most concerned about and dramatically limiting the amount watched between three and seven.”

Here Are Dr. Sigman’s Recommendations

For Television Watching:

• Children under 3: no screen exposure
• Ages 3 to 7: 30 minutes to an hour a day
• 7 to 12: One hour a day
• 12 to 15: one and-a-half hours a day
• 16 and over: 2 hours

According to The Guardian article, a Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said the government had no plans to introduce a recommended “daily allowance” rationing the amount of TV children watch.

(Serves Two)

120 grams penne pasta
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
3/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon white wine
1/2 tin (400 mls) diced tomatoes
120 grams of prawns, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Mix in wine and tomatoes, and continue cooking 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Mix prawns into the frying pan, and cook 5 minutes, or until opaque. Toss with pasta and top with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Prep: 10mins
Cook: 25mins
Ready: 35mins

Amount Per Serving – Calories: 342 / Total Fat: 5.7g / Cholesterol: 86mg / Sodium: 246mg / Total Carbs: 48.1g / Dietary Fibre: 3.5g / Protein 20.6g

Recipe from AllRecipes.com ]]> http://www.lgbfitness.com.au/penne-with-prawns/feed/ 0