Category: Other

October 20, 2011 Suzie

I have been very quite on this blog of late! I returned from my epic European adventure and hit the ground running at uni and work. I now only have three weeks of uni left until I complete my degree and begin full time work.

Spending seven weeks sitting on a bus for up to eight hours a day have done little for my health and with everything so busy since I got back I haven’t done much exercise at. When I begin my full time job I want to get back into some sort of exercise routine, and I’ll keep you updated on my progress in the coming weeks.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately looking into ovarian cancer for an article. Before I started my research and interviews I knew nothing about this silent killer. Ovarian cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in one or both ovaries.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer include abdominal bloating, lower back pain and changes in bowel or bladder habits – health complaints experienced by many women on a monthly basis. This makes successful diagnosis by even the most experienced doctors difficult. These symptoms often also indicate that the cancer is at an advanced stage, with ovarian cancer being the most common cause of death from a gynaecological cancer. The five year survival rate for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer is 40%, compared to breast cancer which has an 88% survival rate. As an early detection test is not currently available, researchers are working to identify markers that will help to detect ovarian cancer in earlier stages to improve the survival rate. Pap smears do not detect ovarian cancer.

I had the opportunity to speak to some ovarian cancer patients and their families, and it was difficult to keep a dry eye. Most of the women had experienced symptoms but were misdiagnosed, their concerns attributed to busy lifestyles, menstruation and age. I was really inspired by their courage and optimism despite their chemotherapy treatments and surgeries, and it made me think about how important having a positive attitude is for enjoying life and recognising what’s important. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that cancer has not touched my life, or the lives of my loved ones or friends, so to hear the first hand experiences of these women made me realise just how fortunate I am!

As difficult as it was for them to tell their stories, all of the women were really excited to get more information into the community, especially as gynaecological issues are often such hard conversations to have with mothers, sisters, girlfriends and doctors. I’m now taking their lead and speaking with as many women as I can about ovarian cancer – make sure you do too!

To make a donation to assist researchers with developing an early detection it, or for more information, visit www.ocrf.com.au

October 17, 2011 Suzie

That’s one small step for suzie, one giant height to look down from.

The harbor bridge is 134metres high, we climbed over 1000 steps… now that’s a step class people. For 3 hours we ooohed and ahhhed at our beautiful city from above. With just slightly wobbly legs.

Last year Mark and I were so lucky to be given a gift certificate for the Harbor Bridge Climb as a Christmas present, last Sunday I got the opportunity to see the city as never before.

We were super lucky with the weather after a rainy weekend it paused for us to take in the sights. We were fitted out in sexy climbing jumpsuit and got loads of equipment to ensure we were safe and comfortable (the wrist hankee was by far the best invention ever!) everything was attached so that we wouldn’t drop anything dangerous down to the traffic below.

We met our guide Lisa a bubbly fit young lady who looked genuinely excited to have us experience the climb. “Is anyone feeling nervous or anxious? If so maybe stay up the front of the line next to me” I thought about this for a second, I’ve jumped off a canyon, climbed on a terrifying ropes course and I frequent the blue mountains walks with their horrendous inclines and ledges…. I thought hey I’ve done all those things I’m cool and then I remembered hang on I was scared for all of them! So thought best to be up front ‘just incase’.

Turns out I was absolutely fine, I had to say the higher we got on the bridge the more at ease I felt…. Weird.  The wind was, well I wont lie to you the wind was an absolute pain in the behind, it thrashed you and when your on a small ledge 134m high you don’t want wind pushing you around. You are safely locked on the whole time but still your mind can play tricks on you if you let it.  Mark and I took in the sights, had fun choosing our future leisure boats on the water and enjoyed listening to the history of the bridge. After hearing all the stories it sure was a gutsy move to build it in the first place; but what an achievement and now iconic landmark.

I was surprised with just how many groups they had going up and down, what a striving and successful business. All thanks to the idea of just one man who fought for 10yrs to allow people to climb the bridge. I am so happy he stuck to his guns as it was such an amazing and worthwhile experience I will personally never forget. Thanks again mum and dad!

As for the physical side, well I recommend you be in good health when you do the climb, although I didn’t find it exhausting there were quite a few ladders to climb, And just a few stairs, yep just a few! Hehe The climb goes for 3 hours so make sure you well hydrated beforehand but not so much that you need to wee as unfortunately the bridge does not accommodate for that! I would recommend the bridge climb to anyone (well maybe not those people afraid of heights) it is a wonderful experience and one of those things you just have to do!

 

 

(like my great taking a photo of a photo skills? haha I need to scan this!)

October 10, 2011 Suzie

In the  following article Karyn (Diary of a busy mum) shares her experiences about trying to turn a breech baby.  Karyn is near the finish line of her pregnancy we wish her goodluck and a safe arrival of baby number 2!

I found out at my 34 week visit to my Obstetrician that baby had turned upside down. It made a lot of sense as I was getting kicks that were making me double over and fear that some part of the baby was actually going to come out– cheeky baby has been playing soccer on my bladder and cervix! So for the past three weeks I have been searching for and attempting every possible remedy in hopes of turning this stubborn baby!

First thing I discovered was lying on the floor, with legs up on the couch and pelvis tilted up off the floor. This is a really difficult position to get in and out of and I’ve stopped doing it since the last time I was climbing out of the position I pulled a stomach muscle and wound up in lots of pain.

Next was crawling around on the floor – yep, crawling! I read a post on some website suggesting you scrub your floors on all fours for half an hour a day. Well I wasn’t up for the cleaning part, but I did start playing, ‘tigers’ and ‘puppy dogs’ with my daughter for about ten minutes a day. She thinks it’s fantastic and it hasn’t hurt me so far.

I have also been trying a nightly meditation, where you lie down (propped up with plenty of pillows), place an ice pack at the top of your stomach to discourage the baby’s head from staying there and a warm pack down very low to encourage the head to gravitate towards that more inviting spot. At the same time you try to visualise your baby’s head down in the correct position. I didn’t like the feeling of the ice and warm packs, so replaced them with an iPod playing soft music placed very low on my stomach. It hasn’t worked yet but is so relaxing that I keep doing it every night.

My latest attempt has been a session of acupuncture/moxabustion. This is an ancient Chinese remedy for correcting breech positions that claims to have a 75% success rate. I met my lovely acupuncturist yesterday and had a 90 minute session, during which she stuck several needles in various points of my feet – the most important ones on my little toes.

As I lay back and listen to a hypnotherapy CD she also used a ‘Moxa’ stick on my little toes. A Moxa stick is a cigar- like concoction of a herbal plant that is lit and held close to (but never touching) the skin of the little toe for 20 minutes each side. It is believed that the heat source stimulates the acupressure point which is directly related to the position of the baby. I was given two Moxa sticks to take home and have to do this procedure myself every day for 10 days, finishing with another acupuncture session. I don’t have a clue how it physically works – but I’m willing to try anything – I will keep you posted on the result of the treatment!

 

(for a bit of extra information and to see the Moxa stick I found an article I found interesting click here to read – Suzie)

October 6, 2011 Suzie

Being sick sucks.

It’s no fun, I have recently been hit by the flu. I’m not talking  about the sniffles I’m talking fever, aches, chills, nausea, sore head, throat and a nose that dripped so much I thought my brain was melting. It’s been quite a while since i’ve experienced a full blown flu and I have to tell you I wasn’t happy.

However I thought just for fun how bout I look on the positive side to being sick. Here I go:

PROS to being sick

  • You re-evaluate your health status and look at possible ways to improve once you are better
  • You appreciate good health
  • You usually have time to focus on ‘you’, having a lone time seeing as no one wants to be around a sick person
  • You break any bad eating habits (I don’t know about you but I lose my appetite when I’m sick, I’m actually very happy that my sugar cycle has been broken and I crave no more!). Sometimes lose weight from this.

 

Then I couldn’t help myself and looked at the bad side. Just in case you may be thinking about deliberating trying to pick up a bug!

 

CONS to being sick

  • Decreases your immunity and makes you more susceptible to picking up other bugs
  • You don’t feel like eating (this is also a bad thing people, you need energy and nutrients to sustain you otherwise your body will go into survival mode and hang onto fat for dear life)
  • Sets your training back. I couldn’t walk around without getting out of breath let alone run or do any circuits. When your body needs rest it will let you know, listen to it. Depending on how long you’ve been sick for be prepared to notice a difference when you get back to training, don’t get disheartened.
  • Due to your unappealing contagiousness ( not a real word I know) people don’t really want to be around you in fear that they might catch what you have.
  • You are pretty much useless at work and at home.
  • When you’re sick you lose motivation for other things. (I had a business meeting whilst I was sick and achieved about as much as a broken down car in a drag race)

 

To conclude, my advice is try avoid getting sick in the first place (mum’s out there with small children you are giving me a nasty frown right now).

 

  • Keep your drinking cups and cutlery separate if you are sick or living with a sick person.
  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Sneeze and cough into a tissue and then wash your hands after if the situation allows
  • Use some supplementation to help you through i.e garlic, vitamin C & B (i’m not an expert on supplements but have found these help out)
  • Like your mum always tells you; drink lots of water and rest

 

I have decided to do a bit of research into how to boost your immunity levels and will let you know what I find out.

 

Stay healthy people! 🙂

 

September 26, 2011 Suzie

Vegetarians listen up.

As promised here is a topic I come across quite often but I am not an expert on – is a vegetarian diet actually healthy? I have enlisted the help of nutrition expert Karen Taylor to give you the details you need to know.

Karen, I have had quite a few clients who have been vegetarian. Could you please explain what exactly the vegetarian diet involves?
A vegetarian diet is a plant-based diet which limits foods from the animal kingdom.  There are several categories of vegetarians, as outlined below:

Semi-vegetarian  – Dairy foods, eggs, chicken and fish, but no other animal flesh
Pesco-vegetarian – Dairy foods, eggs and fish, but no other animal flesh
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian – Dairy foods and eggs but no animal flesh
Lacto-vegetarian – Dairy foods but no animal flesh or eggs
Ovo-vegetarian – Eggs, but no dairy foods or animal flesh
Vegan –  No eggs, dairy, fish or meat

The biggest challenge I have with my vegetarian clients is their protein intake. How can vegetarians get the necessary protein?
It is certainly more difficult for vegetarians to optimise their protein intake.  This is a problem for all vegetarians but even more so for those looking to speed up their metabolism, lose weight and get the most out of their training regimes.  Along with protein deficiency, deficiencies in key nutrients including vitamin B12, iron and several other vitamins and minerals are common for vegetarians.

The good news is that vegetarians can get the necessary protein in their diet by combining plant protein sources.
Combining Plant Protein Sources

Animal sources of protein contain all eight essential amino acids which means they are a “complete” protein.  Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, generally don’t contain all eight essential amino acids, thus they are termed “incomplete” protein sources. For optimal protein intake, a vegetarian must “combine” their protein sources to ensure they are getting adequate “complete” proteins each day.

The following combinations will provide a complete protein.

•    Grains with legumes
•    Grains with eggs or dairy
•    Legumes with nuts and seeds
•    Legumes with eggs and dairy
•    Nuts and seeds with grains
•    Nuts and seeds with eggs or dairy

Following are some examples of these foods.

Item & Healthy Sources
Legumes – Lentils, all types of beans, peas, chickpeas, sprouts, peanuts
Grains – Wheat, rice, corn, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, spelt, quinoa (all available as a whole grain, flour,  bread,      pasta or noodles)
Nuts – Almonds, cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamias
Seeds –  Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), linseeds

When clients don’t eat any red meat, chicken, seafood or even eggs, I find it challenging to give them nutrition advice. Their simple carbohydrate is usually through the roof and their body fat quite high. What type of healthy and nutritious meals would you suggest?
Following are some meals which are quick and easy and provide a complete protein in the one meal.

•    Brown rice with lentil dahl
•    Wholemeal toast with a poached egg
•    Stir fry tofu with sesame seeds and cashews
•    Chickpea curry with yoghurt
•    Almond spread on spelt bread
•    Seed/nut mix sprinkled onto fruit and yoghurt

Processed foods, especially simple carbohydrates, can be quite addictive (ever tried to stop eating those chips or lollies once the bag’s open?).  This leads to excess calorie consumption and ultimately an increase in your fat stores.
Alternatively, one of the golden rules of healthy eating is to avoid processed foods.  Unprocessed foods tend to have more fibre for satisfaction, and if you add some protein, this will contribute further to satiety and reduce those cravings.   In this way, you will keep your metabolism firing and be able to achieve and maintain your goal weight.

Do you believe a vegetarian diet is healthy?
I believe that a vegetarian diet has the potential to be one of the healthiest diets on the planet.  Unfortunately, the majority of vegetarians get it wrong and the lack of protein and nutrient deficiencies from their diets result in fatigue, low muscle mass and excess body fat.

For a vegetarian to be healthy, they need to invest their time into ensuring that they are getting the nutrients they need.  The importance of protein combining cannot be overstated.  It involves some work and preparation but the hard work will be more than worth it when you are firing on all cylinders and burning fat like a champion!

 

Karen Taylor is a nutritionist and naturopathic herbalist and is the owner of Taylor-Made Nutrition, a busy nutritional consultancy providing advice on diet, health issues and methods to achieve optimal health.  

 

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September 20, 2011 Suzie

Beware of vampires. No not those vampires with the good looks, charisma and pointy teeth (thank you Robert Pattinson) i’m talking about those people who suck something else that is vital to you; energy.

How to define an energy vampire? Urban Dictionary defines Energy Vampire as “ A person who boosts his own energy by taking energy from others by means of an argument, belittlement, criticism or other one-sided conversation”. I like to think of them as those people who are emotionally draining and leave you feeling down.

We all have that person in our lives, maybe more than one. Perhaps all they do around you is whinge, complain with a pessimistic attitude. Perhaps the person is emotionally dependent on you; offloading all their problems to you and rely on you to solve them. Energy vampires take many forms. They are quite a negative force to be around and can have a detrimental effect on you and your wellbeing.

I once attended an interesting workshop and was listening to one of my business idols and he told us ‘show me what you’re reading and who you’re hanging around and i’ll show you where you’ll be in 5 years”. It’s a statement which resonated with me.

Have a think about the people in your life, what are they like? And most importantly how do they make you feel? Are they positive and leave you feeling energised?

I have seen first -hand the negative effect of energy vampires. Over the years there have been a few clients which stand out as the most effected by energy vampires. Their kind and caring natures were taken advantage off. I witnessed their stress levels increase and take its toll on their health. Stress manifests itself in many ways i.e increased blood pressure, weight gain/loss, loss of hair, acne, digestion problems, illness, fatigue, depression etc.

Some clients were able to cut the ties with their energy vampires whilst others were not. For some it was too late and it turned them into a negative person also.

Everyone’s situation is different, some people are tied to their energy vampires and can’t do much about it. They can however work on stress management and perhaps new ways of dealing with their vampires.

Personally I am becoming less tolerant of energy vampires, life is too short to waste being negative. I’ve noticed it’s something I am losing patience for. I will always be there for genuine problems and to be supportive, but if all I hear is negativity and pessimism I will either try my hardest to change your perspective or cut you off mid negative sentence.

How do you deal with energy vampires?

Positivity breeds positivity. 🙂

 

(The above image is courtesy of guardian.co.uk)

 

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September 12, 2011 Suzie

How much do you pay attention to the people around you? Do you know what’s really going on in the lives of people you care about? do you suspect something is wrong but don’t think you should ask?

September 15th is R U Ok? day. A wonderful cause which promotes connecting with others and showing you care.

Today I wanted to share a post with you from another blog which I enjoy reading  My Big Nutshell. Gemma shares with us her story, which is very moving and I can personally say it brought back some memories and feelings of my own; and may for you too. It’s a great read which makes you think, feel and reflect.

It doesn’t take much to connect with someone but it means a whole lot to be on the receiving end. I believe in the importance of health as a whole and that means mental and emotional health too. Good health means balance and the ability to enjoy your life and your health. That is why I will be supporting R U OK? day this Thursday.

I invite everyone to have a read of Gemma’s story and get involved in R U OK? day. You don’t know the positive difference you could make in someone elses life.

R U OK?

 

To show you care and support this cause spread the word by sharing this post, someone you know might find it helpful 🙂

 

 

September 7, 2011 Suzie


Left, right, left, right I yelled my commands from the front of the kayak. Yes I was feeling pretty in control, pretty professional until we started going in the wrong direction!

I have been kayaking only a few times in my life and all these times I have been by myself flying solo in a one man kayak.
At our resort in Thailand we had access to their water activities (I thought i’d share with you the view from our balcony, you can see the bay just past the beautiful pools). I wasn’t brave enough to humiliate myself with windsurfing, in fact of an afternoon we would watch the windsurfer wannabes from our balcony and laugh at them. Yes we are cruel. We decided to go for kayaking instead, unfortunately there was only a two person kayak available. Now my partner Mark is wonderful, he honestly is, but when it comes to adventure type situations I get a bit nervous. Whilst I usually sway to the side of cautiousness, Mark has an adventurous carefree nature. Now kayaking is not scary at all, I was not scared of kayaking, I just didn’t like the thought of mark being able to tip me out of the boat if he so wished!

With a firm warning to Mark not to tip us out we set off on our little adventure around the bay and coastline.  It was great to be exercising. Even though we were doing loads of walking and swimming we had also been doing a lot of laying around the pool sipping cocktails.

Once we got into a rhythm we were soaring through the water, it was beautiful scenery and we were able to explore the coastline and see how the locals lived.  I’m not sure why but I set myself a target, I saw a boat docked in across the bay a few hundred metres away and I said to mark to keep his paddle out of the water I wanted to get us there myself. Perhaps it was the lack of exercise I had been doing, or the thrill of wanting to accomplish something but I got a surge of ooomf and paddled hard. I thought I was doing quite well, then suddenly we were going quite fast, my goodness i’m good i thought and then i realised mark had stepped back in to help out. “Out! I’m doing this!” I yelled with determination. We got there, probably a bit slower than I first set out but we got there all the same.

I was pretty happy with the overall workout. My arms were burning, I could feel the muscles in my back doing their thing and was also conscious of my core at work. I did notice that you need a bit of flexibility, as Mark found the outstretched seated position quite uncomfortable.

We worked pretty well together besides the odd clunk of paddles and Mark getting bored as I set out on my solo paddling goal. I would definitely Kayak again, in fact i’m quite keen. Maybe solo kayaking next time so I can challenge Mark to a race. Yes we’re like that! ?

 

September 5, 2011 Suzie

Do you ever sign up for something get really excited and then forget about it?

I signed up for the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival quite a while ago. The 9km bridge run sounded fantastic so I registered. It seems like not too long ago it was the Mothers Day Classic a lovely 8km, this is 1 more kilometre, that shouldn’t be that bad should it? Not if you train!

It was only the other day that I realised how close the run was, even thpough I was excited when I signed up I kind of forgot about it a little bit. Now the race is only a couple weeks away and I am in a bit of trouble I think!

I decided to turn to the man who got me prepared for my first ever fun run. At the gym he is the go to guy when it comes to running. When I first went to him I had never run for more than 1.5kms in my life. With some guidance and buddy runs he got me ready for 8kms, I didn’t stop once which was a personal achievement.

I asked my running guy what his top tips were for getting ready for a race.

In no particular order here are his wise words

1.    Footwear – you must make sure you have a good quality pair of running shoes. Not only will this support your feet but reduce the risk of injury and unnecessary pain.

2.    Leg strength – running atrophies your body (breaks down muscle) so it is vital that you maintain leg strength. Training your legs properly reduces your risk of injuries such as Patell0- femoral Syndrome (painful!) and keeps your legs pumped. If you are overweight your legs need to be particularly strong to help the body cope with extra impact the weight causes to the legs, your bones, muscles, tendons etc. Even one quality legs session a week can be enough. Lots of squats, step ups, lunges will do you the world of good if training hard and controlled.

3.    Everything you do must be measureable. Time your runs and your splits. For example how long does it take you for the first 1km then at the 2km mark etc

4.    Pace yourself, don’t go out too hard or you won’t have enough energy left for the rest of the run. Hold back a bit and remember the timing of your splits

5.    How often should you run? 2-3 is enough 1. Distance, get your body used to how far it must go. Each run build on your distance and remember to time it, you should be able to maintain your pace even if you are hurting. 2. HIIT (high intensity interval training. Vary the distance and surface e.g on grass, up hills, reducing rest periods. You can also do cross training in this session (a mixture of training influences, rowing/cross trainer/skipping/jumping/strength exercises). If you choose to do a 3rd session keep the run short but hard. Make sure you give yourself a couple of days rest before or after the long distance run.

6.    Feed your body right. Give it nutritious food that will give you energy, protein for your strength work. On the morning of the run keep your intake light and carb dominant for energy.

Ok we’ve got some tips now let’s put them into action. From my personal experience i’ve also found that it’s consistency that makes a huge difference. If you are diligent with your training it really does pay off!

Goodluck fellow runners!!

 

(the above photo is from my First Blackmores Running Festival run – only 4km, it was fun! 🙂 )

September 1, 2011 Suzie

I like eggs.

I never used to but it is something that has devloped over the years and now I eat them all the time.

As you could probably guess my love of eggs progressed when I started working at the gym. Eggs are a great source of protein and the cliche of bodybuilders eating excessive amounts is very true. But eggs arent just for bodybuilders. Not only are they a great choice for breakfast, but can be used in other dishes like healthy fritatas and as snacks. Yes I eat hard boiled eggs as a snack, they’re a great protein boost and keep me feeling full.

I definitely recommend to all my clients that they eat eggs. I’ve found it helps with their transition of making healthier meal choices and replacing empty meals and snacks like sugary cereals and biscuits/chips etc.

I’ve had a few clients in the past voice their concerns about the cholesterol content of eggs and that it would increase their chances of heart disease. This is simply not true. years ago I probably would have thought the same thing, it’s what we were told after all. But rest assured eggs are not the bad guy, they are a natural source of goodness.

I have included an article I found which I think describes it in a great way.

 

(p.s remember the show ‘what’s good for you?’ what a great and interesting show!)

http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/693988/are-eggs-bad-for-your-heart

 

 

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