WHAT SUPERFOODS SHOULD I BE EATING?

What is a Superfood?

While there is no official scientific definition, a Superfood is something that contains high levels of nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fiber. It is thought that by including Superfoods into your diet, you could be reducing the risk of various chronic diseases while remaining (on average) fitter and healthier than those who don't include Superfoods in their diet.

However, with the exception of Blueberries and Salmon, do you know what foods are classified as 'Superfoods' and, most importantly, are you incorporating them into your diet? Below are some of the best Superfoods around that can be easily sourced in local supermarkets and can be used every day.

1. Cocoa Powder/ Raw Cocoa

As well as it’s chocolatey taste and low calorie count, Cocoa contains flavonoids, which work to improve blood flow to the brain and heart as well as lower blood pressure.

2. Chai Seeds

Chai seeds are packed with nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and fiber. These native Mexican seeds are well worth having in your cupboard – they can be added to your morning cereal/ omelettes or to put in cooking to add a crunchy texture.

3. Avacado

Packed with nutrients such as vitamin E, monosaturate fats, vitamin B12, lutein and gluthathione, the avacado is a huge health booster and helps protect your body from heart disease, cancer and brain disease. This is a Superfood that can be easily mixed into any meal, including smoothies, salads or even as a side to go with your morning scrambled eggs.

4. Kale

Kale is low in both saturated fat and cholesterol, and is a great source of fiber, protein, iron and magnesium, while also being packed with vitamins. This is one Superfood that everyone should have in their kitchen. Cook it as you would cabbage or spinach, or you can do what I do and add it to your daily juices and smoothies.

5. Black Beans

Full of fiber, antioxidants and iron, a tin of black beans contains 15grams of protein. Add to your pastas, curry’s and even salads - with none of the saturated fat found in meat, this is also a great meat alternative.

6. Broccoli

Packed full with vitamin C, this is a great immunity booster. It is one to indulge in on those colder months when the flu starts to be passed around.

7. Kiwi

Kiwi offers a huge array of nutrients and minerals such as fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin E as well vitamin C and antioxidants; it keeps the immune system strong and helps fight disease. A must have in that fruit bowl.

So there you have it! A few of my favourite Superfoods that can be picked up from the local supermarket and are easy to include into your daily/weekly cooking. By introducing Superfoods into your diet, you will be giving your body a nutritional boost that will benefit you in so many ways. 

Happy Eating!

ps. for more food tips, fitness plans and workout ideas, follow me on Twitter @georgiedonk and Instagram @georgie_donk

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BECOME A PERSONAL TRAINER

I am extremely excited to announce that I will be starting my Level 3 Personal Training course with The Training Room in Manchester next week (14^th September 2015).

After working in an advertising agency for the past 3 years, I have now taken the step to follow my passion and become a Personal Trainer.

I have always enjoyed sports and exercising, however it wasn’t until I began university in 2009 that fitness became a real passion of mine. I found myself constantly researching and developing my own workout plans to make them fun and effective and began to see great results from the programmes I was writing. I realised that by combining high intensity interval training (HIIT), strength, endurance and flexibility into every workout, I could get faster results from a more diverse and interesting workout. I actually enjoyed planning what workout I was going to do next just as much as completing the workouts themselves.

When I finished university, I felt that I should put my degree to good use, and so got a job in an advertising agency. However, my interest for fitness only grew stronger and, after 3 years of work, I decided to take the jump to do what I love and become a Personal Trainer. By working in a completely different industry before making this career change, I have the confidence to know that being a Personal Trainer is absolutely what I want to do and I have the drive to make it a success.

When looking at Personal Trainer course providers, I was immediately drawn to The Training Room; their learning options were flexible, the location of the Manchester academy was practically on my doorstep, and I liked the fact that I would be qualified within 6 weeks - this meant that I did not have to worry about being out of work for too long.

What attracted me most to The Training Room, however, is that they have a great reputation for offering the best career support once their students are qualified. When I finish my course, I have a few areas I want to go into; I would like to set up an outdoor Bootcamp to offer people classes that are focused on their own individual goals and that will guarantee results. I would like to focus on pre and postnatal fitness, helping women to stay fit and safe throughout their pregnancy and after they have had their baby. And, I would also like to work in an independent gym in order to continue my learning and training among fellow Personal Trainers.

For those of you who are interested in knowing what becoming a Personal Trainer involves, I will be taking you through the next 6weeks of my life as a PT trainee to give you an insight into what the course entails; what I learn, who I meet and most importantly, how I am prepped to make my mark as a Personal Trainer once I am qualified.

Follow my journey through Twitter and Instagram on the below handles:

@GeorgieDonk (Twitter)

Georgie_Donk (Instagram)

Wish me luck!

10 MINUTE AB BLAST

This ab workout is a great one to do whenever you have 10minutes to spare whether that's just before you get ready to go out, in the evening while watching TV or, like me, on a Sunday morning out in your garden just after breakfast.

It's works your abs, core and obliques all together and will help you take that step closer to toned abs:

1min x crunches (feet just off the ground)

1min x toe touches

1min x bicycle

1min x plank (optional: with leg raised)

1min x half boat hold

1min x side plank (left)

1min x side plank (right)

1min x scissor kicks 

1min x russian twists

1min x bridge

Crunches (make sure your knees are in line with your hips):

Bicycle (don't let your knee come too close to your chest when twisting):

Plank with leg raised (if raising your leg, make sure your bum stays in line with your body and does not lift up):

Half boat (try to keep your chest raised):

Side plank:

Scissor kicks:

Russian twists:

Bridge (keep your hips lifted as high as possible - you will feel this in your glutes):

Ps. Follow me on Twitter @georgiedonk and Instagram georgie_donk for further tips and workouts ideas.

DO TRY THIS AT HOME!

Whether you’re studying for an exam, working from home to a tight deadline or have little ones who don’t want to leave your side, it is sometimes hard to get out of the house at all and so exercise tends to get bumped down the priority list and can even be missed completely.

If you are struggling to leave the house, there are still some great exercises you can do at home that don’t take up much space and will get your heart going. All you need is 20 minutes of a high intensity workout to make you feel great and to give you an extra energy boost for the remainder of the day.

One workout that I like to do at home is the 10-time mountain climber. This consists of 20 x 1minute moves with every alternate exercise being mountain climbers. This works to keep your heart rate high while the exercises in between are more strength based and give your whole body a workout. Try it out:

1min x mountain climbers

1min x squats

1min x mountain climbers

1min x bicycle

1min x mountain climbers

1min x tricep dips

1min x mountain climbers

1min x plank

1min x mountain climbers

1min x lunge with twist

1min x mountain climbers

1min x leg raises

1min x mountain climbers

1min x left leg kick backs (place hands and knees on the floor, kick your leg back into the air)

1min x mountain climbers

1min x right leg kick backs

1min x mountain climbers

1min x side plank (left)

1min x mountain climbers

1min x side plank (right)

You can do this anywhere in the house and even in the garden (although I would recommend using a mat if you are to go in the garden). It’s great because it’s so quick and yet you still feel like you’ve had a good workout. It’s one that you can do each day and will make a difference to your body. You can adapt some of the moves as you wish and can even add on a few extra minutes once this becomes a little easier for you – this will ensure that your body continues to change and get fitter.

Happy Training!

WHY EVERYONE SHOULD DO YOGA

Yoga is about being at one with the body and mind through breathing techniques, postures and meditations.

Since I began to practice yoga, I have seen noticeable progression in my overall strength and fitness ability, as well as improvements in my stress levels and my sleeping patterns.

So what is it about yoga that really benefits the body? Below are 8 reasons why everyone should practice Yoga:

1. Improves your Physical State

Yoga works to help improve your flexibility, strength and balance. By practicing yoga you will find an increased improvement on your total fitness levels and in other workouts that you do.

2. Acts as a De-Stresser

In yoga, you are encouraged to leave all of your stress and worries ‘outside the door’ so that you can shift your focus on your breathing and the energy going into each position. With each out breath, you are encouraged to relax further into each pose.

3. Reduces Back Pain

Due to the careful twists and full body moves, yoga works to loosen and strengthen muscles around your body. Research suggests that with back pain, yoga can be more effective than regular treatments.

4. Aids Fertility

Stress plays a big part in problems couples come across when trying to conceive. Due to this, yoga has become a go to form of exercise for couples to decrease their levels of stress and therefore increase their chances of having a baby.

5. Helps with a Hangover

When you have had a heavy night, exercising is probably the last thing you want to be doing the morning after, however certain postures and body rotations practiced in Yoga work to increase your metabolism and detox your body, which in turn makes you feel much more fresh and revived afterwards.

6. Fights Heart Disease

Yoga gets all of the blood flowing throughout the body, which is extremely healthy for the heart and plays a role in reducing the risk of heart problems and heart disease. It has also been shown in recent studies, that yoga can also help to improve the health of patients who already have heart disease.

7. Eases Asthma

The strong and rhythmic breathing exercises in yoga, have been known to improve people’s symptoms of asthma.

8. Kicks Insomnia

Yoga as a whole calms the body and the mind through the deep breaths and resting postures, which helps relax the body into sleep. When I suffered with very broken sleep, I would lie down and consciously relax each part of my body; starting with my toes, up to my feet, ankles, knees etc and I would take long, deep breaths in and out. With each breath, I would find my body relaxing a little bit further and within a couple of minutes I was drifting back to sleep.

So next time you find yourself with 20 minutes of time to spare, go onto Steff Whites site (http://www.steffyoga.com/ ) and follow one of her quick yoga videos. It will make you feel so good afterwards and could be all you need to unwind and de-stress after a busy day.

Happy workout!

BIRCHER MUESLI BREAKFAST RECIPE

WHAT IS BIRCHER MUESLI?

Put simply, Bircher Muesli is oats soaked overnight with milk or yoghurt. It was created by a Swiss Physician in the early 1900s as a nutritious morning food with the aim to aid therapy. I was introduced to this breakfast by my friend Lucy and have been in love with it ever since. The best thing about Bircher Muesli is that it’s so quick and simple to make and you can pretty much add whatever you like into it, using whatever you have in the cupboards to make it as yummy and as healthy as you like.

I add seeds, nuts, frozen berries and dried fruit into mine, however you can adapt the ingredients to fit your preferences. I also use almond milk instead of dairy milk, however; again this is just a preference.

Lucy’s Bircher Muesli Recipe

40g Oats

5tbsp Almond Milk (enough to cover oats)

2tsp Chai Seeds

Handful mixed frozen berries

1tbsp chopped dried fruit (I like cranberries)

½ tbsp coconut flakes

1tbsp nuts and seeds of preference

Make this the night before and enjoy in the morning or even as a mid day snack. You can also sprinkle over more berries and seeds before eating to add some extra nutrients.

Happy eating!

THE BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR TRAINING

With the weather we get in England, it is sometimes difficult to motivate yourself to get outside at all in the week. However, venturing outdoors is extremely beneficial for the body, and exercising outside has benefits that go beyond the fresh air. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should put on your outdoor trainers and get down to the park for a spot of outdoor exercise:

1. Brain Stimulation

Interacting with nature gives your brain a break from everyday overstimulation, which can have a restorative effect on your attention levels. By looking at nature rather than the four walls you see when you workout inside, your mind will switch off more effectively and will get a much deserved break from the constant stimulation it has in everyday life.

2. Mental Positivity

Studies have shown that simply looking at photos of nature can lower your blood pressure and stress levels, therefore working out in the nature enhances these effects; it is known to reduce stress and anxiety and even helps with depression. Whether a hot sunny evening or a cold winters morning, getting your heart racing in the fresh air makes you feel more active and helps to give you that positive boost that you sometimes lack.

3. Quicker Results

Without realising it, your body tends to work itself harder when exercising outside. The terrain is varied which means that all sorts of muscles that you don’t necessarily train on a daily basis have to work overtime to remain balanced. Working out on concrete, grass, mud and earth helps to keep your muscles constantly stimulated. Weather conditions also work your body in different ways, adapting to sun, rain, wind or snow.

4. A Better Workout

Having the view of trees and greenery rather than the four walls at the gym helps to relax your mind and therefore stops you focusing all of your attention on how tired your body is. This, in turn, allows you to push your body a lot harder than you usually would without even realising.

5. Health Kick

Exercising outdoors is also known to boost your immune system. Recent research from Tokyo Nippon Medical School has shown that people who spend more time outside have an increased white blood cell count (white blood cells fight sickness and disease in our body). Therefore, moving our workouts to the outdoors could help improve our health and stop us getting as ill when those viruses start to circulate in the colder months.

So next time when the allure of the gym starts to beckon, think about the above and remember that the fresh air, tree surroundings and muddy terrain could be all you need to give you the health and positivity boost you need.

Love my workouts in @didsburypark

Interested in more fitness facts? Follow me on Twitter @GeorgieDonk