TSTM July Challenge: Learn to Breathe
The team at TSTM have been setting sustainable monthly challenges and we’re hoping you’re joining in and feeling the benefits. Hopefully, the monthly challenges to date have been helping you through these self-isolation times. Have you been working on your squat mobility with the daily squat challenge? Are you resetting your diet with a paleo reset? Maybe you decided to increase your spinal health with the cat-cow daily challenge? So what's next?
Our next TSTM monthly challenge is going to be useful for both stress management and performance. We are going to encourage you to experiment with Nada Shodhana Prānāyāma, otherwise known as alternate nostril breathing.
Get off your butt: Sitting may kill you.
Get off your butt: Sitting for prolonged periods throughout the day may kill you, even if you exercise regularly. If you sit for 6 hours a day or more, your risk of dying early jumps by 19%, compared with people who sit fewer than 3 hours a day. [5]. For the study, Patel's team collected data on nearly 128,000 men and women who were part of a cancer society prevention study. At the start of the study, all were free of major chronic diseases. During 21 years of follow-up, nearly 49,000 participants died.
"The simple message is that we should be moving more," said lead researcher Alpa Patel. "The less sitting you do, the better it is for you. Breaking up an hour of sitting with 2 minutes of standing or light activity can improve cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure."
Spine Health and Awareness Part. 2
In our previous blog ‘TSTM monthly challenge: spine awareness’ we discussed some of the main functions of the spine from a movement perspective and common problems associated with them as seen with the general population. We then explored how we address spinal health from a movement perspective with health and longevity in mind. Using the cat/ cow segmentation exercise for you to self-assess, self-manage and begin to regain control of your spine.
If you have begun the practice you most likely found the process to be challenging and tedious to say the least. In this blog I will share some more exercises to help you develop the practice. but first i wanted to bring you in on a personal reflection of mine when it comes to spinal health and another reason why being able to control all movable joints of the spine is important to me.
Is there such a thing as an essential carbohydrate?
We’ve all heard of essential fatty acids. We’ve all heard of essential amino acids. But is there such a thing as an essential carbohydrate? Essential macronutrients are required in the diet because the body can't produce them. Chemical reactions in the body can provide non-essential macronutrients.
It’s important to note that ALL carbohydrates in food are broken down and converted into pure sugar (glucose and fructose) or indigestible fibre. Although glucose, fructose, and fibre are all technically carbohydrates, they each have a different effect on the body.
Women's Health: Diet, Training and Hormones - Part 2
In part 1 of this women’s health post, I talked about the importance of nutrient density, diets, carbohydrates and the need to talk to your female clients about premenstrual syndrome (PMS), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), insulin sensitivity, pregnancy and breastfeeding. The unrealistic media images and social pressure to look a certain way comes at a cost to our health, happiness, and longevity. Women need to be especially careful because their hormones can be particularly sensitive to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. The overuse of specific diets and training methods can create serious hormonal issues in women and impact fertility.
TSTM JUNE CHALLENGE - SPINE HEALTH
Spinal health has been a growing topic for many years and may well be for many to come.
“80% of people at some point in their life will experience significant back pain”. This has been a growing statistic and with our sedentary lifestyles, this should come as no surprise. Pinpointing the cause of the problem is difficult because there are many contributing factors. Common factors include tightness of the hips, sitting for prolonged periods, stress, poor breathing mechanics, high volumes of repetitive movement patterns, physical activities such as running, CrossFit or yoga. It's scary to say, but being more physically active can be detrimental to your spine health. The quality of your movement patterns and your ability to move loads safely is often overlooked in the pursuit of fitness, but at what cost to your spinal health?
DAY 30- COCONUT CRUSTED COD
A fantastic alternative to breaded fish fillets! Courtesy of our friend @alessia_beltrame
DAY 28- GEORGIAN AUBERGINE ROLLS
Georgia is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever visited, and its cuisine is as unforgettable as its sceneries.
DAY 27 - PLANTAIN CHIPS
This month the team at TSTM are publishing health Paleo recipes. Our professional chef Helena is leading the way with the Paleo challenge we’ve set, but she has asked me to add a couple of recipes in the final week. How can I compete with a professional chef?
Paleo snacks are often a struggle for most people, so I was thinking my first recipe should be a snack. Plantain chips can be eaten hot or cold. You can make up a large batch and save them for snacks. Green plantains are a resistance starch, which makes them suitable for diabetics as resistance starch does not raise insulin levels. Resistance starch is also very healthy for the gut microbiome, you can read more about it here.