ROAD TO FITNESS

It may seem intuitive that exercising more and eating better will naturally result in weight loss. This generally is true, but with a major caveat. Not everyone will lose weight and it is virtually impossible to tell how much any one person will lose. Most exercise programmes and typical diets result in a weight loss of not more than 3 to 5kg (32); the average “overweight” adult wants to lose 10 to 15 kg! This discrepancy between what people want and what exercise and healthy eating are able to deliver highlights the fundamental problem with using weight loss or reductions in body fat to judge the success of an exercise programme or nutrition plan.

High sugar content foods are well known to suppress the immune system which makes you vulnerable to colds, flu and other infections. There is also the “empty calorie” issue in high sugar foods. They provide lots of calories but few nutrients. And of course, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there is the issue of an over stimulated pancreas from the absorption of high sugar foods. This over stimulated pancreas means you have too much insulin in the blood. This leads to excess fat storage, hypoglycaemic reactions, inflammatory conditions (asthma, arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, migraines), yeast infections and hormonal imbalances and even depression. If you are interested in or concerned about your health it would be wise to control your insulin.

PATH TO FITNESS

Knowledge is power and knowing what works is very important. Understanding the factors that contribute to habit formation will provide you with the basics to change your behaviour. However, you must know how to apply this information correctly. Beginners are easily confused while attempting the difficult task of changing their lives. Therefore, below is a priority checklist to help keep you on track: