With the mainstream media offering up plenty of articles about the health benefits of wine, it’s easy to see why many of us see it as something that might be good for us. However, such sensationalist articles often fail to provide the whole story, opting for soundbites that will entice readers as opposed to rigorous scientific reasoning. So how legitimate are these claims, and how might we enjoy a glass of wine in the healthiest way? These are very common…
In today’s blog I will be looking at overcoming lower back pain and becoming stronger, fitter and more aware of the things that may cause the pain. Please have a look at our YouTube channel for lots of interesting videos and this video above explaining the importance of learning the correct, basic exercise skills. Understanding your body and how it works We can use exercise to help eliminate lower back pain and become more flexible and mobile. The first thing…
A common misconception about people with high fitness levels is that they are almost immune to injury. However, this is simply not the case, and people at the top end of the fitness spectrum can actually be far more vulnerable to injury than those with average fitness levels due to the sheer amount of sporting activity they get up to on a weekly basis. Common injuries suffered by athletic people include knee injuries, muscle strains and sprains, shin splints, shoulder…
The world of chocolate is as complex as wine. From one bean, the magical cacao, comes a thousand different tastes; and just like wine, chocolate should be enjoyed with a developed taste. It is one of the spices of life. And just as scientists and doctors argue that in moderation wine can actually benefit health, the same may be said of chocolate. In its natural state chocolate is bitter from the flavonoids the bean contains. These flavonoids are celebrated for…
In a three-part video series, I’m offering insight into common signs of poor posture, including how to spot them and how to fix them. The video above is the first of these three, and it introduces what is known as lordosis. I discuss the tell-tale signs of lordosis, and what can happen as a result of this poor form of posture. What is lordosis? In the video, you get a clear demonstration of how to spot lordosis. It is essentially…
After having desensitised someone’s lower back pain, there is then a need to build a foundation from which to carry out pain-free activity. Essentially, it is time to create a certain extent of mobility and stability to suit the needs of the individual. In a video interview above, Dr Stuart McGill offers his expert analysis on how to go about carrying out a good quality core regime. Features of core stability When understanding the purpose of core exercises, it is…
One of the most common exercise programmes used by personal trainers, coaches and individuals is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which intersperses intense movement with periods of rest. As with many other forms of exercise it serves an important purpose. Done properly, with the right individuals, it can bring substantial benefits. However, it is not always fully understood and it can be detrimental when used incorrectly. In the Back to Basics series of videos, I exposed the truth behind exercise…
In today’s blog, we’re going to look at a question which gets asked every single day – is there any way in which chocolate can be good for me? In order to answer this question properly, you have to know a little about how chocolate is made. The main ingredient of chocolate is the cacao bean, which is picked, cleaned and sent for processing. In its raw form, the cacao bean is bitter, but once roasted for a couple of…
Mental stress and physical health are intrinsically connected. Whenever we feel mental stress, our bodies experience physiological stress which has an impact on our nutrition and ability to exercise. Subsequently, our overall health and fitness levels are affected. Mental stress can be caused by both positive and negative thinking, and that’s what we’ll be discussing today. I’ve created a video on this topic which features a simple diagram to demonstrate the balance of positive and negative thinking as a seesaw….
In my latest video, I discuss the ways in which dietary stress impacts health and general wellbeing. Dietary stress can be defined as the ways in which the food we take into our bodies affects the digestive system, making organs such as the stomach and intestines work harder in order to process the food we have eaten. Processed foods are one of the main causes of dietary stress due to the fact that they tend to be low in fibre,…