Hot Yoga?

Good morning :)

Right, so over the last number of years, I have developed a love for Hot Yoga. I have always loved Yoga and Pilates (which is what I first trained in, when I entered the fitness world), but doing them in heat is even better!

One of my goals (I write them down, it's always a good idea to put your goals on paper) was to actually own a hot yoga studio and this week, it opened! So they have started in our gym "The Gym Howth". www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 

Why Hot Classes?

Well, firstly because they are just plain AMAZING!! They are amazing for your mind, your body and of course for fat loss! One of the main reasons I was attracted to hot classes in the first place was... because it was something different! It doesn't interfere with strength training, actually it'll enhance your weight training because hot classes are fantastic for increasing flexibility and mobility. Flexibility and suppleness helps ALL types of fitness and sport training.

If you love the heat, then you'll love hot yoga. It is challenging - but who doesn't love a challenge! These classes are hard, but you feel such a sense of accomplishment when it's over and as the weeks go on, you'll be impressed with how much you've improved.

Ps. Jen loves Yoga...We love Jen...

I mentioned fat loss... yes, it is superb for burning fat and losing weight. Why? Because your body temperature rises, increasing your metabolism which in turn helps you burn more fat. And eh, not to mention, you sweat like crazy (but everyone else in the room does too, so it's nothing to be ashamed of).



What is the difference between our studio and other one's?

The heaters. When I started researching hot studios I discovered something very important. The heaters. A lot (not all) of hot yoga/pilates studios in Ireland have blow heaters. The problem with blow heaters is that, it leaves the room patchy. This means that you could be somewhere in the room and you could be cooking with the heat and you could be somewhere else and you would be lukewarm.

We invested in inferred heaters (from Denmark). These are panels that are on the ceiling. They heat up and project the heat onto the floor which means that everywhere in the room is a certain temperature. No patchy-ness.

What I noticed was, that you are roasting, but you are just hot, you can't feel where the heat is coming from in comparasin to blow heaters where you can actually feel the hot air coming towards you!


Other things to know about Hot Yoga
Bring water. This is key. You need to stay hydrated. Also bring a big towel that you can lie out on your mat and bring a sweat towel (no explanation needed for this). You get all the mental and physical benefits from regular Yoga in Hot Yoga. So prepare for 60minutes of pure calmness.

www.facebook.com/hotyogahowth 


Namaste 

Cross Fit... Yay or Nay?

Hellooooo,

Ok so CrossFit has gotten HUGE lately, and I felt it fitting to write my blog this week on CrossFit as we have just purchased an AWESOME 4 bay double sided crossfit rig for The Gym Howth!

CrossFit has some really brilliant ideas. It is a really social and team based form of training, and CrossFit athletes seem to have a great team mentality. They push each other hard…. Maybe sometimes a bit too hard. A major strength of CrossFit is that it helps people in the gym who might not like training alone.

Things I like about CrossFit:

1. They work their asses off!

2. They use the big lifts. Squats, Deads, Chins, Olympic lifts.

3. They eat well.

4. They don’t make excuses.

5. They have a huge focus on mobility work, stretching and foam rolling.

Some things that might be a problem for people doing CrossFit:

1. Technique can be quite bad. (This is not exclusive to CrossFit, there are bad coaches in every sport)

2. Exercises can be too advanced for the “athlete”.

3. Program design can be pretty bad also. I’ve seen videos online of people testing their 1RM Deadlift before moving onto 1RM Snatches. That’s just bad. Again, this is not exclusive to CrossFit.

Overall I think it is great. It has gotten a massive number of people up off their asses and taking an interest in their health. As with any sport, there is a likelihood of injury. But I do think that it suits the more advanced trainee.

I feel most people would find it far more beneficial to get Personal Training and proper coaching focusing on structural balance, good technique and workouts that are unique for what each individual is looking for. A good Personal Trainer will design a program that are tailored for YOU – this is the difference between people who train and get results and people who train and don’t get results.

Happy Training,
Erica xx

Flapjackkie Thingie

Hello :)

OK, here's another good recipe one that I invented during the week - inspired by my training buddy @sfitz1 on Instagram (give her a follow, her cooking is unreal!!)

This is a healthy, sugar free flapjackkie thingie :)

The ingredients look long, but you can basically put whatever nutty - seedy stuff that is in your house in. These are what I used yesterday :)

Dry Ingredients
Whole Chia sees (2tbs)
Flaxseed mix (2tbs)
Shelled hemp (2tbs)
Linseed crunch (2tbs)
Milled linseed with blueberries & raspberries (2tbs)
Sesame seeds (2tbs)
Chopped walnuts (2tbs)
Chopped almonds (2tbs)
Mixed seeds (2tbs)
Flaked almonds (2tbs)
Dried raisins (4tbs)
Coconut segments (4tbs)
Vanilla Ultra Lite Protein Shake (2scoops = 50g)
Organic Porridge Oats (4 scoops = 100g)


Wet Ingredients
Organic coconut oil (2tbs)
Almond nut butter (2tbs)
2 Bananas
Almond milk (200ml)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven, Gas 6
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together with an electric mixer (low speed).
3. Put all the wet ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredient mixture and mix on high speed for about 1-2 minutes.
6. Put the mix into a greaseproof papered tin.
7. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes


   

Result:

Please not: Coconut Oil =

Protein Pancakes

Good Morning Y'all,

OK, so it's not pancake Tuesday yet, but everyday can be pancake day.... Protein Pancake Day :) So my fantastic work colleague Tom, came in with this last Tuesday with this delicious looking breakfast!

Tom's Pancakes:

Now, I have tried many protein pancake recipes, but never would they stick properly on the pan... but these ones do!!! So Tom gave me permission to share he's awesome recipe with you all :)


Ingredients:

Teaspoon of coconut oil
30g Porridge Oats (organic if possible please)
30g Aminotein Vanilla Protein (as it is gluten free)
2x Eggs
1x Mashed Banana
Dash of almond milk
Almond Butter for serving (again, organic, glass jar if possible)


Method:
1. Put your oats, protein shake, eggs and banana in a bowl and mix together.

2. Add in enough milk to get the "pancake" consistency.
3. Heat the pan and melt the coconut oil.

4. Pour in the your pancake batter and make pancakes

5. Serve with delicious almond butter and green tea and BOOM healthy fun breakfast!

Happy Pancaking :)

Erica xx

Order your gluten free protein here http://bit.ly/MobKti

Protein Shakes

Hi Girls,

Hope all your fitness regimes are going well and you're sticking as best as you can to your plan! Now, protein shakes have become unbelievably popular among women as part of our diet for weight loss and recovery from training.

Why drink protein? 
Here are a few reasons why women drink protein shakes...

1. If you are watching your diet and struggle with a certain meal time you can have a protein shake instead of that meal. It's calorie controlled and you know exactly what is in it.

2. You do not get enough protein in your diet (main proteins: meat, chicken, eggs, fish) and protein is VITAL in your diet for many reasons but you will not be able to shed body fat unless you have enough protein in your diet.

3. You train a lot and you need to give your body a helping hand and recovery. So women would drink their protein shake for this reason POST workout

4. Shakes are handy and you look cool drinking them!!

Are all protein drinks the same?
NO! Like hell no!! It's like any product on the market, there are millions of versions of the same thing, so you cannot just jump onto a website, pick the protein that has pink writing and weight loss written on it and buy it and hope it's going to do the job right.

MOST protein shakes have so much sugar in them you may as well be flying through a pack of jellies every day.  You also need to look out for the carbohydrate contents, there is no point drinking a drink that is high in carbs, low in protein, full of sugar, but tastes delicious... Yeah, that's really not the point of supplementing protein.

 My favourite protein supplement:

I have researched a lot of protein brands and shakes and to be honest, it's very disappointing as I discovered the facts that a lot of proteins look great, but really they're going to do nothing for you. Now, you need to remember I'm talking about women and fat loss. Protein for men is a whole different story.








I drink: Forever Ultra Lite Aminotein Protein Shake

Why? 
1. It is considered the "Gold Standard" of protein for serious athletes of all types. 

2. It is high quality plant based protein (it is equivalent quality to dairy & eggs).

3. Low in saturated fat, and contains no lactose. Lactose is the sugar in milk. So this is DAIRY FREE!

4. It is soy isolate which is NOT the same as soya. Soy Isolate is much more bio available (your body can recognise it) than whey (whats the point in taking a supplement your body won't recognise and will just excrete?).

5. Soy protein helps to stabilise blood sugar levels, this in turn reduces hunger by lowering insulin levels making it easier for the body to burn fat.

6. Ultra's nutrients provide good support for the immune system & help maintain strong muscle strength.

7. The Ultra Lite contains Aminoteins (a unique blend of enzymes specially designed to break down protein and to ensure proper digestion and optimal absorption of amino acids). Forever Ultra is THE ONLY protein shake on the market that contains aminotein. Aminotein is bio available and is absorbed into your bloodstream within 30 minutes.

8. Optimum time to take your protein shake is roughly 30mins after your workout according to Dr.Eric Serrano. That guy is a genius so I am going to listen to his advice!

How?
I take one scoop as a meal replacement i.e. for breakfast mainly if i'm rushing or if i've ran out of eggs. I blend it in a kenwood smoothie maker with almond milk and a dash of water

Result?
It tastes amazing and I'm nice and full.

(The reason I don't take it immediately post workout is because I drink amino's (Argi+) which refuel your body post training. Aminos are amazing, but that is for another day)


"Keeping your blood sugar even is just about the most critical balancing act of your body. It not only determines your weight, it's also key for energy, stable mood, concentration and longevity" - Patrick Holford, Founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition 

NO EXCUSES!

Hi girlies,

OK if getting fit is your plan for 2014, you NEED to try the Anti-Gravity Treadmill!!! You can burn over 1000 calories in 60 minutes and this is no joke! It is a great machine and if you haven't tried it, you need to!

Also, I really do reccommend gym programs and I am going to start designing fat loss gym programs for all you gym bunnies! But for extra home workouts and anyone who doesn't have access to a gym I will be uploading daily short workouts!! So stick to them!!

Lastly, make sure that you have you're 2014 progress report printed off and filled out!! I've mine done!

Download your progress report now!

Happy Sunday,
Erica xx

New Year, New You!

Good Morning Girls!!

OK, so you can decide right this second if you want 2014 to be as good as 2013, or even better!! I know that I want to make progress this year in terms of my fitness, so if you do, I've designed a little progress report that you can download and print off. 

Now the key to making dreams a reality is to actually physically see it! So use this progress report and stick it up somewhere that you can see it every day. 

So, fill out the correct information and watch your results happen over the next 12 months! I'm looking forward to starting mine on Wednesday!! To download this PDF, please click here (dropbox)

But you see, I think this is key!

I'm also going to offer food plans and workouts for any of you girls who want kick ass this year and get where you want to be!! Please just private mail me on facebook. 

Have a fantastic new year and just remember...

Healthy Regards, 

Erica xx

Fat Free for Christmas

OK, feeling festive?? Here's some fun tips to help you get through this festive season!! 

Workout for today - are you going to the gym??

Fit Festive Program 1

a1. Barbell Squat (10Reps) (elevate your heels if needed, so you're squatting ass to grass)

a2. DB Lunge & Reach (20Reps) (touch back knee down, db's in line with front foot, make sure you hit both ends of the dumbbells off the floor)

a3. Dumbbell Row (15Reps) (make sure your back is flat, tip the db's off your shoulder & pause)

45 second rest, 4 sets

b1. Back Extension w/ Reach (15Reps) (light enough plate, stretch out at the top)

b2. Decline DB Triceps Extensions (20Reps) (lock your arms out at the top)

b3. Leg Raises - Abs (20Reps) (legs straight)

b4. Upper Ab Crunches (20Reps) (pause and squeeze you're tummy at the top)

45 second rest, 4 sets

c1. Burpies (10Reps)

c2. Push Ups (15Reps)

c3. Mountain Climbers (30sec)

c4. Squat Jumps (10Reps)

c5. Lunge Hold (20sec)

c6. Plank (30sec)

NO rest! 3 sets 

Girls, enjoy!! 

Erica xx

ps, I did it yesterday, it was hard, but a good session! Make sure that you're lifting heavy enough! 

Luscious Lips

How can we get these:

If we have these:

I'm even noticing now waking up with REALLY dry lips... lovely, I know. So cracked/chapped lips, ulcers and cold-sores are on the horizon ESPECIALLY at this time of year. And I promise after todays blog there are going to be no more GORGEOUS pictures...

So I met my Mother yesterday and as we were having a bowl of soup, she told me that she had an ulcer in her mouth that was driving her mad... So she went to the chemist and bought some ulcer-iee cream. Now what's the problem with that? The problem is, is that it's going to go away and come back again in a couple of weeks and she'll think it's just another one. 

So obviously that's not solving the solution. Your skin is the last stop for things to appear on. So when something does appear on your skin, you need to hit it from the inside first. Makes sense doesn't it? Stress is one of the big factors for these little beauties, so sort your stress levels out and give you immune system a good boost. 

If you get cold-sores, dry/chapped lips, cracked lips or ulcers you need to treat yourself to this:

It's an little aloe stick which is sooooo soothing for your lips. It'll last you months and it is anti-viral (so you can apply when you have an ulcer and apply when you don't have one), anti-septic and anti-pyritic. It's a mighty midget that you can put on anything (even like insect bites, because it takes the itch away). It is a multi-purpose product BUT it's a must have in your pockets for Winter. 

I also use this toothgel (it contain's no flouride and it has propolis - remember that bee stuff - see this blog to know what propolis does :)) It's brill and it got voted BEST whitening toothgel in the states by Readers Digest - which is pretty cool. 

But it's just brilliant for any thingies that appear in your mouth. 

Have a Super Dooper Sunday :)

ps. Next week - our new healthy cook book!

Shop :)

Good morning girls :)

Okay as we all know water is a necessity to keep our bodies healthy BUT most people don't drink nearly enough!

You have got to drink water on its own, tea does NOT count. 

If you don't like water - get over it & drink it!

Here's some reasons;

- It helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite (yahoo)

- Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.

- Water leads to overall greater health by flushing out wastes and bacteria that can cause disease.

- Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer.

- Water naturally moisturizes skin and ensures proper cellular formation underneath layers of skin to give it a healthy, glowing appearance.

- Water aids in the digestion process and prevents constipation.

- For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain.

- Water can prevent and alleviate headaches.

- Water is the primary mode of transportation for all nutrients in the body and is essential for proper circulation.

Oh and eh it is COMPLETELY essential to the human body’s survival (a person can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water)

Eh in a nutshell... Drink more water!

(Bottled is better than tap & make sure that your bottles are BPA free... But that's for another day!!)