Saturday, July 28, 2012

Watch Your Winter Wastline - Week 8 check in

A beautiful morning in the park, the sun was out and we had some fantastic changes in our week 8 check ins.  We are now a third of our way through our challenge and it's important to maintain momentum and give yourself a kick up the bum if needed - SO MUCH can be achieved in four weeks so stick with it and go hard.

Some special mentions: Jas who has lost 9kg so far, 8.5cm from her waist, 25mm from her abdominal skin fold and 9cm from her hips.  Folly who has lost over 7kg, 9.5 waist cm's, 8 from the hops and 8mm from her abdominal skin fold.  Yvette has lost over 10cm's from around her waist, Karla 11.5 and Sam who has lost 13mm from her abdominal skid fold.  Very proud of each and everyone of you!

 
Name Weight
Kg
            Waist       (UM)             
cm
       Ab        Hip
         cm
Afton -3.5 -7.5 -11 -4.5
Caroline -1.6 -5.8 -5 -2
Cass -2.4 -7.5 -16 -2.5
Farrah -6.5 -12 -12 -6.5
Folly -7.3 -9.5 -9 -8
Jasmin -9 -8.5 -25 -9
Karla -2 -11.5 -12 -6.2
Mai -2 -2 -5.3 -6
Narelle -3.3 -4.5 -9 -4.5
Rebecca NC -7.3 -3 -2
Sally L -6 -14 -4 -18
Sam -4 -7.5 -13 -1
Sarcha NC -3.5 -7 -0.5
Yvette -6.8 -10.8 -12 -4.5

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Guest blog - Vitamin D and Immunity by Naturopath Belinda Kirkpatrick

I think that nearly everyone must be aware of what a big Vitamin D fan I am but I just can't resist sharing the latest research with you! Testing your vitamin D is easy with a simple blood test that I can refer you for from the clinic- this is important for us all - especially women who are pregnant, doing preconception care, undergoing IVF or ART treatment and also babies and the elderly.

Vitamin D is essential for 'switching on' the immune system to fight invading pathogens.
•    In latest news, severe vitamin D deficiency (which I see every day in clinic!) has been linked to worse outcomes in pneumonia patients. 
•    Low vitamin D levels at birth appears to increase the risk of developing lower respiratory infections and wheezing in infancy and early childhood.
•    Evidence also shows that vitamin D3 may be up to 800% more effective in preventing the flu than vaccinations!

Maintaining your vitamin D levels can be assisted by consuming foods including:
•    Sardines
•    Organic egg yolk
•    Organic butter
•    Moderate amounts of full-fat dairy products 

Belinda Kirkpatrick is a Sydney based Naturopath and Nutritionist offering holistic dietary, lifestyle and wellness advice to help patients achieve their optimal health potential. She is an expert in herbal medicines and nutritional supplements and is passionate about helping each and every patient get the most out of life. Get in touch with Belinda at http://www.belindakirkpatrick.com.au

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Jen Dugard - Pre and Postnatal fitness expert

You all know that Body Beyond Baby specialises in group exercise with nannies - its what we have a fantastic reputation for; our results in rebuilding mums from the inside out in the safest and most effective ways speak for themselves.  

I am excited now to share with you that I am growing my personal brand - Jen Dugard 'Personalised Strength and Fitness for Mums' (we are still working on that tag line so it may change in coming weeks but I'm sure you get the picture).  Within this new brand I offer one on one and partner training sessions which are predominantly held in our new studio facility above the RTA in Bondi Junction.

I use all of my knowledge developed from working with a large number of mums within all of my groups sessions along with tried and tested exercises that I use regularly within my own training to ensure we completely re-build you from the inside out and have you fitter and healthier than you thought possible after having children.  I know that through my method of training I am now stronger, fitter and have better abdominal tone than I ever had prior to the birth of my children and I want to share this specialised knowledge with you in a personalised environment.

Within the one on one scenario I can also look after various other aspects of your weekly health and fitness routine; from organising an in home cook to create healthy meals for you or fresh pre-prepared home delivered meals.  I can coordinate in home massage and physiotherapy and other appointments with our network of health professionals.  There are various packages and options available to suit your needs. 

If you would like to find out more about one on one training with me please email me and I will get back to you within 24hrs.
 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Stuffed Chicken Breast - by BBB trainer Amy Adamson


Serves 2

½ onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped spinach or silverbeet
1 tblsp pine nuts
½ cup ricotta
2 x 150g chicken breast, flattened
½ cup tomato passata
Garden salad

•    Preheat oven to 180°C
•    Heat a non-stick frypan with olive oil over medium heat
•    Add the onion and cook until browned
•    Add the spinach or silverbeet and pine nuts
•    Cook for 1 min or until spinach is wilted and pine nuts are browned
•    Place onion mixture in a bowl and allow to cool slightly
•    Stir in low fat ricotta
•    Place flattened chicken breasts on a work surface
•    Divide stuffing mixture in two and place in the middle of each chicken breast
•    Roll each chicken breast and secure with a toothpick
•    Sear the stuffed chicken breasts in the non-stick frypan
•    Place the stuffed chicken breasts in an oven proof dish
•    Pour over tomato passata
•    Bake in oven for 15-20min or until chicken is cooked through
•    Serve with a garden salad

Monday, July 16, 2012

How to Push your Pram, Avoid Injury and Ease Motherhood Aches and Pains

Pushing your baby in their pram may seem like a relatively simple task, however, I observe many mothers that are potentially contributing to injury on a daily basis in the way that they are pushing their little one/s around in their prams.  If compare this to doing exercise using bad technique you know that over time other muscles will compensate and you are more than likely to get aches and pains from the repeated movements.  Here I will go through a few simple rules you can implement in order to protect your body from one thing that you do VERY regularly when you have a baby.  Get it right now and you are protecting yourself as they get bigger and heavier AND you might even find you get a better workout from all that walking you do (most of all a better bum!)

Rule 1: No creases in your wrists

Problem: Wrist pain - I speak to many women who experience wrist pain after having a baby.  Generally, many mums are using their hands and arms more than they ever have done before and maintaining the same position (rocking, holding, bouncing etc.) for extended periods of time.

Solution - no creases in your wrists.  Next time you are pushing your pram just glance down at your wrists - do you see any creases?  If you do you will also see your hand sitting at an angle anywhere between 45-90 degrees from you wrist - this is putting constant pressure on your wrist joint especially when you add load (pushing up hill or a second child in a double pram).  Adjust your wrist so that there is a straight line running from your arm down to knuckles - you will notice that that the creases at your wrist now disappear.  Keep glancing down and checking  for those creases and feel the tension ease from your wrist joints.

Rule 2: Keep your hips near the handle bar 

Problem: Lower Back Pain - a common complaint in many new (and not so new) mums.  It is a  misconception that after you become a mum you should just have to put up with back ache; this isn't so, but many of the postures we assume in daily tasks do contribute to these aches and pains.  The head down,  bum out, bending over position many mothers take when pushing a heavy pram uphill is huge in contributing toward lower back ache.   Do this regularly whilst going hell for leather in the attempt to work hard and lose weight and you could find yourself in a world of pain. 

Solution - keep your hips close to the handle of your pram when you are pushing your baby uphill.     Next time you are pushing your pram uphill I'd like you to stay standing tall, aim to keep your hips relatively close to your pram and find your glutes!  Take big strides up the hill and drive through the bum to propel you up the hill.  You should start to feel your glutes working when walking like this.  Your back should hurt less AND you'll be getting a much better workout.

Rule 3 - chest up shoulders down

Problem - upper trap/back and neck pain - a lot of tension is held in our neck, upper back and shoulders when we are tired, stressed and looking after little people that need our constant care and attention.  We often walk around with our shoulders by our ears and don't even realise it - add to this a handle bar of the wrong height and you will surely exasperate the problem.

Solution - adjust your handle bar height - pretty much every pram these days comes with an adjustable handle so people of different heights can be comfortable, however we share prams with our partners or don't even think about adjusting handle height (I bet many are still set at the height they came when bought).  Next time you are out for a walk stand upright next to your pram - make sure your chest is up and shoulders are down, allow your hands to rest on the handle and see how you feel.  If you adjusted it down a few inches would it take some pressure off your upper body and allow you to maintain that chest up, shoulders down position more comfortably?  As a general rule your hands should be a little above hip height.

These may seem like pretty simple things to implement - and they are BUT they might just change the way you are moving on a daily basis and help to relieve some of those aches and pains that don;t have to go hand in hand with motherhood.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Mum of the Moment - Meet Farrah

Without our wonderful mums and bubs Body Beyond Baby just would not be.  Each month we like to celebrate your achievements and recognise the hard work that you put into your training and life as a mum.  This month I would like you to meet our Mum of the Moment for July - Farrah and her gorgeous son.  Farrah started training with Body Beyond Baby only a few months ago but she is already making fantastic progress.  After signing up for our challenge at our week four check in Farrah had lost 2.5kg, 5cm from around her middle, 5cm from her hip measurement and 4.mm from her abdominal skin fold - keep up the awesome work Farrah!

As a thank you to our Mum of the Moment and a congratulations for all of her hard work Farrah will receive a voucher for Plenty Kitchen and Tableware in Bondi Junction

Meet Farrah

How long have you been training with BBB?

I signed up for a trial session on one rainy Monday at the end of April this year and haven't looked back...so it's only been about 2months and a half.

What made you decide to join BBB?

Well..I gained 21kgs in my pregnancy, lost half of them after the birth and hoping that I'll lose the rest through breastfeeding! (wishful thinking..) Naah..I'm not that lucky! 10 weeks had gone by..I was still wearing my maternity clothes and feeling down in the dumps because I know I needed to get back doing some exercise but didn't know where to start. Luckily, a few ladies in my mother's group were talking about joining a group exercise class and a few days later Karen posted the Body Beyond Baby link on our FB page after getting recommendation from one of the mums from her son's kindy..and the rest is history..

What are your favorite bits about BBB?

The challenges, outdoor training and variety within the sessions. I was a gym bunny before I fell pregnant..but I wasn't really enjoying it.  It became routine and felt like it's a chore more than anything.  With Body Beyond Baby although it is hard work, I do enjoy it.  Great location, great session buddies and of course Jen is not bad either ;)

You are taking part in our Watch Your Winter Waistline challenge tell us about your experience and how you are feeling at this stage?

I wasn't convinced that I was fit enough to do this challenge as I was month into training with Body Beyond Beyond when it began but how grateful was I that I did!  I was so excited when I received Jen's email on how to get started.  I knew this was it..if I was going to sign up for the challenge I had to do it right. I have to admit nutrition is not my strong point. (Hi..I'm Farrah and I'm a carboholic!) But I learned a lot from the guidelines and other mums that have posted plenty of healthy recipes in our challenge FB group.  I'm more conscious of what I'm eating now and getting better at planning my weekly meal.  I keep telling myself - I'm not going to undo my hard work (esp that evil Sunday steps session) by eating junk!

First time training with the other mums on the challenge scared the life out of me. They all looked so fit to me that I didn't know how I would  keep up.  But I realise the only way to go is to concentrate on improving myself while having those mums in mind as motivation. Training is always hard but satisfying - it's good to have someone to kick your butt and push you out of your comfort zone week after week..

We are into week 6 ..halfway there..and I thought among my broken sleep (my dear son still wakes up 3-4 times at night) new diet and ramping up my exercise..I'd be shattered! But to my surprise I'm full of energy and week 4 check-in stats moved in the right direction! Happy days!

What would your advice be to any new mums thinking about exercising again?

Knowledge is key! Most of us think of going hell-for-leather after giving birth but I found many mums are not aware of their body.  Know your body (abdominal separation & pelvic floor) and the exercises that you need to do and ones to avoid. I've learned a lot through Body Beyond Baby which helped me heal and get  back on track safely..

Do you have anything else to add?

I just want to say thank you to Jen & the team at BBB ..love your work! Programs like this encourage more mums out there to get, keep fit and live a healthy lifestyle!

Mum of the Moment is proudly sponsored by

Become friends with the Plenty Kitchen and Tableware Facebook page 
and receive exclusive offers and discounts

Body Beyond Baby does Tough Bloke Challenge - OFFICIAL video


Friday, July 6, 2012

Banana and Blueberry Mousse

1 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk - hardened from being in the fridge or somewhere cold
1 Ripe Banana
2 cups Blueberries (ish)

Blend
Pour into glasses
Put in fridge to set
Enjoy
YUM!

Do remember if you are doing Junk Free July you will need to save up your 1-2 pieces of fruit for the day quota and spend it on this.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Watch Your Winter Waistline - Week 4 check in

Very excited about the changes we have seen already in those Watch Your Winter Waistline mums that attended the week 4 check in - we are seeing cm's and kg's being dropped all over the place not to mention the increase in your strength and fitness levels!  A special mention to Yamilla who has lost 10cm from her hips and 6cm from her waist (around the belly button) measurement in the last 4 weeks.  To Sam who has also lost 10cm off her hips,  Jasmin who has lost a huge 22mm from her abdominal skin fold in the space of just 4 weeks and last but definitely not least Sally who has lost over 6.5kg and 7cm from around her middle!!!

Keep up the amazing work ladies - you are all looking great and are doing me proud.


Name Weight
Kg
Waist (UM)
cm
Ab Hip
cm
Afton -2.5 -2 -6
Bec -1 -8 -3 -2
Cass -1 -4 -9
Cath -1.5 -5 -4 -3
Emma H -1 -2 -4 -2
Farrah -3.6 -5 -4.5 -3
Folly -3 -8 -6 -6
Georgina -1 -4 -2 -0.6
Jasmin -3.5 -22 -4 -3
Karen -0.1 -2 -2.5 -3
Karla -1 -8 -7.5
Liz -2 -4.5 -6.5
Narelle -2 -4 -7.5 -1.7
Pam -1.5 -5.5 -9.5 -1
Sally L -6.6 -7 -4
Sam -3 -4 -10.5 -3
Sarah H -3 -5 -8 -4
Sarcha -0.5 -3 -5 -1
Shelley -0.3 -2.6 -2 -2
Yamilla -0.5 -1 -11.5 -1.5
Yvette -3 -6 -10 -2