What a difference a month & a holiday makes!

On the 1st of November I embarked on my first major overseas trip with destination of choice being the USA. Week one was spent in Las Vegas, Nevada and the following two weeks were spent road-tripping from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in the beautiful state of California. And yes, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

True to form, the holiday predominantly revolved around cars, cars and more cars. I was definitely in my element and had the time of my life! I met some amazing people, saw some simply stunning scenery and experienced things that no amount of money in the world could buy. One of the many highlights of the trip was training at Gold’s Gym Venice Beach, AKA The Mecca of Bodybuilding where all the greats of bodybuilding in America have trained. That place is AMAZING! And yes there was food, and LOTS & LOTS of it!

Eating healthily whilst on holiday is a challenge many of us face but really isn’t that hard so long as you order items that you would normally eat back home and look at portion control. Ideally, it would be preferable to prepare & cook your own food; however this can be extremely difficult when staying in hotels. Being in the US, it really showed me how easy it is to misinterpret portion size and quantity. Unfortunately, their version of ‘portion control’ was essentially to fit on as much food as possible onto your plate. However this didn’t mean I had to eat it all! Thankfully, I had my Ultimate Nutrition Vegetable Greens supplied by CSA when I returned home to recharge my body and make me feel good, look good and have more energy.

Nonetheless, eating healthily goes hand in hand with training. Long haul flights take a lot out of you, mentally and physically, combined with being on holidays and being out of your normal schedule, getting in your regular training can be difficult. Most hotel gyms don’t have the equipment you are used to using, and more often than not, only have limited equipment like one treadmill, one bike and one cable weights machine for you to use. This is where you have to get creative and use what you have at hand and also incorporate a range of body weight, compound exercises, such as squats, lunges, push ups, etc. that don’t require much or any equipment. Consistency is key! Despite being jet lagged, I got back to my training regime when I returned with my coach (who incidentally recently competed in the World Natural Olympia in Las Vegas) and it definitely did the trick!

Reflecting on this 3-week trip of a lifetime, I now have a new found motivation and inspiration for life and training. Being fit is a way of life and the journey is only part of it. Setting and achieving incremental goals for yourself along the way allows you to gauge your progress and ultimately work towards the biggest goal you have set. Never lose sight of the big picture, keep yourself surrounded by positive people who believe in and support you and inspire others to do the same!

Today is exactly one month till I take on the Men’s Health – Survival of the Fittest Challenge!

The videos I’ve watched look intense and like no other. I’m actually quite scared and it’s made me really put myself back into gear. Earlier this month I had the biometrix assessment reveal in only 2 weeks of following a solid nutrition and training plan from CSA I’d lost over 3% body fat. I was quietly proud, (well overly loud and proud to my sister as I achieved more than her).

I unfortunately was unable to train for 2 weeks following surgery and I felt the struggle. I love working out and it was hard to stop myself. Especially after seeing my sister maintain her CSA programme in Bali. I miss her so much! But after the all clear from the doctor I’ve started mixing up my training. I’ve even tried the F45 gym and going to try new supplements from CSA this week. I can’t thank them enough for the new shoes which are going to take a beating in “no limits November” Before it’s time to smash out the training before “Die Hard December!”

– Rhiannon

Supermarket giant Woolworths could have easily avoided the controversy around its latest marketing campaign involving celebrity trainer Michelle Bridges, according to an expert in crisis communications.

Late last week Woolworths received a barrage of criticism over a series of videos promoting the supermarket’s new frozen meal range.

In one video, Bridges eats a handful of dirt before saying that healthy eating “doesn’t mean you have to act like a freak”.

Customers were quick to slam the video on social media platforms, describing the ad as “disgusting” and “shameful”.

“Last night I ate beans straight from my garden when I should have microwaved some crap-laden processed food,” another person wrote on Facebook.

“Thank god Michelle Bridges has shown me the error of my ways.”

Woolworths said in a statement posted to its Facebook page it never intended to upset people.

“We’ve listened to your feedback about the latest Michelle Bridges video and have removed it,” Woolworths said.

“Our intention was never to upset anyone. As the fresh food people, we know how passionate our customers are about fresh food. We share their passion and want everyone to eat healthily – whether they grow their own or choose healthy foods from our supermarkets.”

Michelle Bridges also addressed the criticism on her Facebook page by posting a public apology.

“Our intention with our ads for Delicious Nutritious were to poke fun at myself and what many see as my completely fictional perfect life,” Bridges wrote.

“There was never any intention to offend and for this we sincerely apologise.”

The marketing misstep by Woolworths comes just seven months after the supermarket copped backlash over its Anzac Day advertising campaign that used the tagline “fresh in our memories”.

What can small businesses learn from the backlash?

However Nicole Matejic, a specialist in crisis communications, told SmartCompany controversy seemed to be the goal of the campaign, and that proved a mistake.

“If their strategy is to call people a freak, they’re provoking controversy and want that backlash,” Matejic says.

“Nobody would put that to print after any kind of market research or focus group testing without realising they would get backlash. Maybe that was their strategy.

“But courting controversy as a PR strategy is fraught with danger because you can quite easily miss the mark.”

Matejic says the customer backlash does not come at a good time for Woolworths, given the supermarket giant’s battle with Coles is in the public eye.

“This marketing campaign conflicts with their corporate messaging,” Metejic says.

“Businesses launching marketing campaigns of this significance should be doing market research beforehand to avoid this problem.”

via smartcompany

The video is a commercial for her new frozen meals range for Woolworths which is now stocked in about 950 stores around the country.

The Michelle Bridges Soil Eating video was posted to Facebook on Friday morning but removed soon after following a growing social media backlash.

“Like everyone I grow my own vegetables. Isn’t that right darlings?” she says gesturing toward a garden of flowers before eating soil.

“It’s time to get real, eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to act like a freak.”

Before the commercial was removed from social media it was “liked” more than 800 times and described as appalling, offensive and ridiculous by Facebook fans of the The Biggest Loser trainer.

“We’ve listened to your feedback about the latest Michelle Bridges video and have removed it. Our intention was never to upset anyone,” a Woolworths spokesperson told Fairfax Media.

“As the fresh food people we know how passionate our customers are about fresh food. We share their passion and want everyone to eat healthily whether they grow their own or choose healthy foods from our supermarkets.”

A Clarence Valley fresh food producer is now calling on farmers to boycott Woolworths over the ad.

“WTF eating like a freak = healthy. So Michelle you prefer us to eat processed sugar-laden CRAP from Woolworths. Your integrity is about to die a slow and embarrassing social media death … Michelle Bridges = money crazed freak,” Esther Attewell wrote.

Bridges recently launched the range of meals which contain three serves of vegetables, grains, legumes and RSPCA-approved chicken at a lunch in Sydney. She said the majority of the produce contained in the microwave meals is locally sourced.

“The majority of the food is locally grown, we’ve got a couple of products from Spain but the majority of the food is from Australia,” she told Fairfax Media.

“There aren’t enough healthy, tasty options available in the freezer aisle which is why we’ve created delicious, balanced meals with vegies, healthy grains and protein.

“We live in a bubble in Sydney where fresh, organic food is easily accessible and affordable. In places like far north Queensland and Alice Springs, where I used to live, fast food is more convenient than fresh, nutritious meals.”

While the frozen meal genre isn’t the most visually appealing offering in this era of #foodporn, she admitted to eating the dishes “two to three nights a week” even during her pregnancy.

The now deleted “Top Soil” video is one of a series of humorous ads the supermarket has begun rolling out online.

via SMH

IRONMAN legend Craig Riddington has created a device that he boldly claims ‘could absolutely change the shape of swimming’.

The Seaforth resident has spent the past three years creating Swimfassst, a simple, but effective stroke-training device that he claims will overwhelming improve your ability to swim.

Mr Riddington, a surf ­lifesaving legend who has also represented Australia in the swimming pool, said Swimfassst had already received positive feedback from Olympic swim stars Tom Fraser-Holmes and Grant Hackett.

Ironman Craig Riddington with his Swimfassst device. Picture: Braden Fastier

The flotation device ensures people don’t drop their elbows, instead putting more emphasis on forearms to power through the water.

While attached to the device, swimmers move through the water using a technique similar to doggy paddling.

Swimfassst – which comes in three age-based models – forces people to keep their elbows up through locking them into a sleeve.

Mr Riddington said Both Olympians praised the device with Fraser-Holmes saying he felt it would help with his breaststroke and butterfly and Hackett saying he could feel it in his hands and forearms, which was an indicator to him of what the device was trying to achieve.

Mr Riddington – the founder of Surf Educate Australia – said the device was suitable for helping all, but it would be of particular benefit for the everyday swimmer.

“The average punter is the one who will benefit the most from it,” Mr Riddington said.

“There’s nothing like this in the world.

“Everyone who has put it on has said the same thing: ‘Wow, I can feel what it’s like to be a swimmer’.

“The muscle memory (from using Swimfassst) will eventually lead to a change from a hacker to a decent swimmer.”

Mr Riddington said the intention was for people to use it periodically during their swim sessions in order to get their bodies used to an improved swimming technique when needed.

Narrabeen swimmer Paul Bailey, 53, has been using the device for a week and has already noticed a huge difference in his swimming ability.

“It’s superb, it’s absolutely superb … I think you could use the word ‘revolutionary’,” Mr Bailey said.

Ironman Craig Riddington with Willem and Nate. Picture: Braden Fastier

via DailyTelegraph

It has been estimated that around 60% of Americans over the age of 18 report that they are “regular” coffee drinkers. No doubt what most motivates this consumption is the familiar and dependable lift that coffee provides.

What may be less familiar to us consumers of this popular beverage is the ever-widening base of information that reveals some significant health benefits associated with this drink.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, coffee consumption has been associated with a reduced risk for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). T2D is characterized by elevation of blood sugar and that can have implications for any and all parts of the body. From my perspective as a neurologist, T2D is thought to actually double a person’s risk for the development of Alzheimer’s disease (more on that in a moment).

Harvard also reports that regular coffee consumption could lower the rate at which liver cancer progresses, may help prevent gallstones, is not harmful with respect to heart attacks or strokes, and may well be associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder now diagnosed in about half a million Americans.

To be fair, there are some possible downsides. Women who are consuming high amounts of caffeine may be at increased risk for miscarriage or stillbirth, and caffeine can raise blood pressure and heart rate.

Aside from reducing risk for T2D and its implications for dementia, there may well be other mechanisms at play with respect to coffee’s ability to protect the brain. Researchers presenting data at the Alzheimer’s Europe annual conference in Glasgow have studied the risk of developing dementia in a group of adults over a four year period. They found that those who consumed three to five cups of coffee per day had about a 20% less chance of developing dementia. Their research revealed that the brains of the coffee drinkers actually showed less development of amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Their conclusions focused on the role of chemicals in coffee called polyphenols, which function as protective antioxidants and are known to favorably impact the gut bacteria. Caffeine itself is known to have some direct and positive effects on the brain which may also play a role.

Dr. Iva Holmerova, serves as vice chairman of Alzheimer Europe. She commented on the research stating:

The findings presented in this report are very encouraging and help to develop our understanding of the role nutrition can play in protecting against Alzheimer’s Disease. Coffee is a very popular beverage enjoyed by millions of people around the world, and I’m pleased to know that moderate, lifelong consumption can have a beneficial effect on the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.

via davidperlmutter.com

Do you want to be a champion? Do you want to be the greatest? If you’re reading this article, I assume that you probably do. Well, me too! Then the real question becomes, how do we get there? As a sport psychologist and someone interested in peak performance in general I am constantly looking for good answers to this question.

Luckily, my sport psychologist colleague Dr. Jim Afremow (link is external) has some really good answers. He recently wrote a cool book called The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train and Thrive, which breaks down the mental strategies that champions use on the field, supports these claims by drawing on examples from all fields of athletics—and then shows you how to adapt those same techniques to further yourself as well.

To start with, Jim says, you must realize that nobody has a “champion’s mind” gene. You are not born a champion, you become one—and the empowering truth is that almost anybody can become a champion. How? You need to practice thinking like champion; think like they do and you will act and feel like they do.

So how do champions think? Champions think gold. (link is external) They never aim for silver, nor do they settle for it. They are always on a personal mission to perform at their best. In his book, Jim lays a lot of stress on the idea that mental conditioning is key, using the analogy of stacking blocks to build a castle. Here are the building blocks you need to arrange in order to become a champion:

Technical: Your mechanics, your coordination.

Tactical: The strategies you use to outmaneuver your opponent on the court, field, etc.

Physical: Strength, stamina and conditioning.

Mental: – Your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions. Note that this is different from Tactics — it doesn’t relate to the mental techniques you use on your opponents, but upon yourself. It’s more about psyching yourself up than psyching someone else out.

Coaches and athletes focus overwhelmingly on the first three blocks. But Jim argues that if the mental building block isn’t in place, then the entire stack will tip over under pressure, and victory will evade you.

So here are some Champion’s Mind tips about being a Champion on your big day of performance:

Make practice as close to the big day as you can. Our intensity level is often too low during practice . Try to get the most out of your practice by devoting the same intensity to your practice that you do to your performance. Make it as close as possible to actual performance conditions.

Minimize the magnitude of the big day. In fact, don’t even think of it as a big day. Consider it a “fancy practice”. Jim talks about athletes turning on their “game face”. His advice: get rid of game face. Just bring your face, which is always game-ready.

Roll with the punches when you lose. What makes a champion a champion? Not just their skill at achieving victory, but their resilience in springing back from defeat. Champions have thick skins. Are they devastated by defeat? Absolutely. But are they discouraged? No! Champions relish the opportunity to perform to confront adversity. They lose, they lick their wounds, they come back, and they win in style. If you practice thinking about yourself with that level or resilience, so can you.

via Psychology Today

Don’t believe that old cliché about middle-aged dogs and new tricks. Lots of wildly successful people found big success in careers they began after their fiftieth birthdays. Here are just a few examples.

1. COLONEL SANDERS

Harland Sanders was no slouch as a young man, but he didn’t become the string-tied chicken mogul we know and love until he was 65. “The Colonel” had a relatively successful restaurant and motel on U.S. 25 in Corbin, KY, but when Interstate 75 opened seven miles from Sanders’ restaurant, his business begin to dwindle. Rather than go broke, he began to work on perfecting his spice blend and quick-cooking technique for making fried chicken in 1952. He then began touring the country selling Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises, and by the time he sold the business for $2 million in 1964, there were over 900 of them.

2. LAURA INGALLS WILDER

Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series may be some of the world’s most beloved children’s books, but she was no spring chicken when she sat down to write them. Wilder didn’t publish her first novel until she was 65 years old, and she still managed to crank out 12 books in her series, although some were published posthumously.

3 & 4. TIM AND NINA ZAGAT

The husband-and-wife team behind the popular dining surveys of the same name were corporate lawyers when they first started printing their restaurant guides. Eventually the guides became so popular that Tim left his job as corporate counsel for Gulf & Western to manage the business in 1986 when he was 51 years old. Nina eventually left the corporate law world to work on the dining surveys as well. In 2011, Google bought Zagat for $151 million.

5. TAKICHIRO MORI

You don’t have to start early to become the richest man in the world. Mori was an economics professor until he left academia at age 55 to become a real estate investor in 1959. Mori had recently inherited a couple of buildings from his father, and he jumped headfirst into Tokyo’s real estate scene. Mori started his second career by investing in the Minato ward where he spent his childhood, and within a matter of years he was presiding over Japan’s real estate boom.

When Mori died in 1993, he was Forbes’ two-time reigning world’s richest man with a net worth of around $13 billion. He was something of a Japanese precursor to Warren Buffett, though. Mori never seemed totally comfortable with the fame and fortune his second career won him. He dressed traditionally, abstained from alcohol, and lived a fairly modest life.

6. GRANDMA MOSES

Anna Mary Robertson Moses is one of the biggest names in American folk art, and she didn’t even pick up a brush until she was well into her eighth decade. Grandma Moses was originally a big fan of embroidery, but once her arthritis grew too painful for her to hold a needle, she decided to give painting a try in the mid-1930s. She was 76 when she cranked out her first canvas, and she lived another 25 years as a painter—long enough to see the canvases she had sold for $3 fetch prices north of $10,000.

7. A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

The founder of the Hare Krishna movement was 69 years old before he started the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In his native India, Prabhupada had been a chemist and a Sanskrit scholar in Calcutta, but in 1965 he came to New York City with just fifty bucks, a pair of cymbals, and a desire to spread the teachings of Lord Krishna.

Prabhupada got off to a modest start by sitting on a sidewalk in the East Village and chanting, but by the time of his death in 1977 his legions of followers were rumored to be thousands strong.

8. EDMOND HOYLE

Whether or not you know it, you probably owe Hoyle a tip of the cap each time you reach for a deck of cards. The Englishman is considered to be the world’s first technical writer on the rules of card games, and he didn’t put pen to paper as a young card sharp. Hoyle was around 70 years old when he first began recording the rules of various card games in 1741; over the last 27 years of his life, his smash hit A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist went through over a dozen editions.

9. JACK COVER

You may not recognize Cover’s name, but you’ve surely heard of his invention, the Taser. Cover spent most of his career as a nuclear physicist who worked in aerospace and defense, including playing a significant role in supplying parts for NASA’s Apollo project. In 1970 the 50-year-old Cover started Taser, Inc. in an effort to find a weapon that could incapacitate assailants without killing them. He received a patent for his design in 1974, and by 1980 Cover had sold the Los Angeles Police Department on using his new gadget to help apprehend violent suspects. When Cover passed away in 2009 at the age of 88, his device was in use in over 45 countries around the world.

10. RONALD REAGAN

Sure, Reagan had been a famous actor, but he wasn’t elected to his first public office until he was 55 years old. In 1966 Reagan won California’s gubernatorial race by over a million votes. Prior to his election, Reagan had done some politicking as the president of the Screen Actors Guild and as spokesman for General Electric, but nothing on his resume made him look like a sure-fire two-term president. (And after a tennis tournament benefit for the Nancy Reagan Drug Abuse Fund in 1988, the Gipper got to meet a young Johnny Depp.)

via Mental_floss

It is so hot and humid here. It feels like I’m training in a sauna. Running for 10mins feels like you’ve run a marathon. A swim afterwards is definitely in order!

Nevertheless I want to keep fit whilst I am here so I have been using the gym at the resort which is air conditioned. Although there are no leg weights in there, so I am having to improvise and get creative using the dumbbells like wall sits, lunges, squats, step ups etc. Plus lucky I packed my skipping rope! My new Icebugs have been great for this type of training; so light but still so supportive – my knees feel great.

I am being supp free over here for the 12 days so I am concentrating on eating clean. Lots of salads and fresh fruit and juice by the pool every day.

Looking forward to coming home revitalised and relaxed, ready to train hard with CSA in the lead up to the new year.

– Jenna