Is your tap making you fat?

Recently I saw an article which caught my eye regarding tap water, and some issues it has been having on people's health. I was really intrigued as it was specifically aimed at us in the west midlands.

Fluoride, a natural occurring mineral found in tap water may be causing lots of us thyroid problems. Our thyroid is a gland found in the neck which controls our mood, weight and other systems in our body. Studies are showing that in areas where the fluoride levels are higher, there are more rates of people suffering with an under active thyroid. If your thyroid gland is under active this can lead to depression, weight gain, fatigue and aching muscles.

Public Heath England have noted the evidence but say the water is safe to drink.

What are your thoughts?


Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is definitely a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving"

Flat Tum Tips

Not feeling happy with you stomach? Have a read of my hints and tips to help flatten your stomach, and see if you feel slimmer and less bloated after trying a them out.

We can believe we are retaining water in are tummy's, but normally it is a cause of gas build up. Retained water will normally start by swelling in our feet and ankles, so be careful you do not get confused between the two. My hints and tips will be focusing on those of us who feel bloated.

1. Don't eat to fast
Eating to fast can lead us to swallow air, by taking in extra air we will fill our stomachs with it, leading us to bloat.
Each meal should take around 30 minutes to eat, the digestive process starts with the mechanical break down of food in our mouth, if you chew your food correctly you will help the following digestive process' to happen more productively.

2. Say no to fizzy drinks!
Fizz fizz fizz, just say no. Carbonated drinks cause increases in the amount of gas in your stomach, causing a bloat, try peppermint tea to reduce it back down.
Even diet drinks cause bloating, artificial sweeteners in food and drink can be a main source of bloating.

3.  Avoid constipation
Try to add fibre, fluids and exercise into your diet to avoid constipation. Veggies, fruit, whole-grains, water and 30 minutes of physical activity should do the trick!

4. Watch out for beans and gassy veg!
Beans, broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts can cause a gassy feeling if you are not a regular user of them, introduce these slowly into your diet if you have not eaten them for a while. The vegetables are full of nutritional value so do not eliminate them from your diet.

5. Little and often
I suggest 5 - 6 small meals a day, watch out for your calorie intake when changing your diet to suit this, by eating smaller meals it will help your digestive system, control your blood sugar and hunger.

Experts agree that you shouldn't fast, skip meals, or use laxatives or water pills to help you de-bloat or lose weight. A few studies suggest that peppermint tea, ginger, pineapple, parsley, and yogurts containing probiotics ("good" bacteria) may help reduce bloating.

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is definitely a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving"

Is it really 30% exercise 70% diet?

You may of heard many sayings such as ' Abs are made in the kitchen' and '30% exercise 70% diet' but how true is it all?

If you were to run a marathon in 5 months and all you changed was your diet, would you complete it? No. Now let's try the 30/70 theory. If you changed your diet and started running 10 miles, 3 times a week would you complete it? Probably not. If we shared an equal balance between the two (diet and exercise) having a balanced diet and using a sufficient running program, would you complete it? Probably yes!

Still following?

So for certain sports the 30/70 theory may not work. If you are living a healthy lifestyle maintaining a reasonable fitness level and weight, I feel it will be a great theory. Healthy eating as much as possible along side a decent amount of exercise. Unfortunately there is no mathematical breakdown for a balanced lifestyle, it is all about finding what works for you as an individual.

Many of us believe that when we do fail in our diet we can 'make it up' in the gym, this would then be working on a 70% exercise 30% diet basis, if not worse. If we ate a high calorie/ high fat diets everyday we would most probably need to spend 4 hours on a treadmill per day to maintain your desirable weight. How realistic is that? So if you feel your failing on your current eating plan. Remember not to use exercise to compensate for your poor food choices. Stick to the right stuff and the results will shine through.

'Abs are made in the kitchen'
A healthy food choice is always a must when trying to improve your abdominal area, but do not expect by eating the right foods you will produce muscle. Lifting weights and working on core exercises will have to go along side healthy eating to be able to achieve your desired goals.

So to sum up, it is not about percentages, it is about working hard and fueling your body for the needs of your goals. Sit down and have a think if you are doing what you need to achieve your goals. If it is working that's great! If not, find what is best for you!

Richard Taylor Personal Training Club
www.richardtaylorpt.co.uk

"Changing your lifestyle to incorporate exercise and proper nutrition is not easy. But it is definitely a journey with endless rewards that are well worth achieving"