Relaxation is a skill and like all skills it requires dedication and commitment in order to see ‘results’ or feel the benefits.

Relaxation does not come naturally to me. Which is slightly unfortunate because I certainly love the feeling of being relaxed. However, my parents, gymnastics coaches and dance teachers all heavily drilled into me at a young age the importance of maximising on time. As a child I interpreted this as ‘must be doing something productive and task oriented at all times’.

Sound familiar?

I later learned (ha, and am still learning) is that the irony of avoiding relaxation is that a dedicated practice towards rest and recuperation will actually help me to maximise on time spent ‘doing things’.

In the city, relaxation is a little more avoidable. There are so many distractions, something is always going on, one can always be doing something to maximise on productivity, business, networking etc. Relaxation will often only show up in the form of illness, when our body forces upon us that need to STOP.

Sound familiar again?

London life has taught me A LOT about how to relax. Really relax. We can’t all book at holiday to the Maldives every time we feel the call of anxiety and stress. Instead, we need to learn to connect to the calmness at the eye of the storm.

Here are my TOP tips to learn to relaxation:

1. Set a timer; ok so this one is for the full on control freaks (ie. Me) that can’t be trusted to ACTUALLY do more than 2 minutes of relaxation. I still use this technique in the height of some of my busiest and stressful projects, so that it actually happens. Set a reminder to stop and relax at the same time every day, and once that reminder goes off, set a timer for 20 minutes to force yourself to let go, stop, relax in some way. I know this may sound really rigid to a lot of you, but for those of us that will happily go days or even weeks neglecting some form of down time, this is the only way to make it happen. You won’t have to use this technique all the time, the more you do it, the more intuitive it becomes.
2. What is relaxation to you? Seriously. What is it? You have to know what it is before you can ‘schedule it in’. For some of us it’s dancing, surfing, meditating, painting, reading … you’ve got to be able to lose yourself in the art of whatever it is. 
3. Do something that scares you a little. Skateboarding is scary for me, I love to snowboard and surf (although that can be scary too sometimes), but there is just something about speed and concrete that just makes me feel startled and invigorated at the same time. That kind of feeling can also help to pull you out of your ‘story’ or life-stress or habitual anxiety. 
4. Airplane Mode - is not just for an Aeroplane. Just put the phone down, maybe even in the other room, on airplane mode and remember life without the little distracting light box. 
5. Nature, nature and more nature - It really is the best natural cure for rumination (Rumination refers to the tendency to repetitively think about the causes, situational factors, and consequences of one's negative emotional experience). Scientists have studied the way that time spent in nature can actually reduce activity in the subgenus prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain where negative emotions are processed), therefore reducing rumination.

    

I hope this helps you relax.

I really regret relaxing - said no one ever.

I'm so excited to announce that my new class concept called 'The Vertue Method' will be starting at the freshly built studio space at the Detox Kitchen in Fitzrovia. 

The Vertue Method incorporates my experience as a yoga teacher, gymnast and personal trainer resulting in a new 55 minute class that is healthy, holistic and seriously badass.

The class is a fusion of yoga/gymnastics, weighted circuit training and meditation, designed to uplift both your soul and your butt. The 55 minute class begins with a signature warm up comprising of full body movements to mobilise joints as well as a series of serious glute activation exercises to prepare the correct muscles to fire. It's followed by a series of compound exercises, using kettle bells and resistance bands, in timed circuits, all carefully chosen to create a strong and lean body.

The class will always finish with a yoga sequence and soothing savasana meditation to further stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, aiding in recovery.

My intention behind the class was to accommodate for those that either neglect their flexibility practice, their weight training or like me, their cardio! Everyone needs to meditate more so that is a non negotiable aspect of every class - especially living in this crazy, busy city.

Don't worry if you've never lifted weights or practiced yoga - the entire class is structured to cater for absolutely all levels with modifications throughout.

The weekly classes will be held on Tuesdays at 6:45pm with the first class starting on February 2nd. Book in here and get it into the diary asap!

I can't wait to make you smile and sweat, but mostly sweat.

x

Miss Vertue.

At some point in your life you’ve had a chocolate craving, maybe you still get them, but they don’t bother you too much. Great job!

Well, this blog is actually for my certified chocolate addicts out there. I have some tips for you to help you deal with those cravings and these tips work. They’ve worked on my clients, and on me. So without further ado, see them below;

My first tip is to eat some chocolate but before you indulge in some creamy, chocolatey goodness, read the other ones first. I mean well with this point and I’ll come back to it.

1. Create Space - Right, this needs to happen immediately, the moment that follows the craving. Create space between the thought process of desiring chocolate, and the action of grabbing the chocolate and eating it. This is a technique that I encourage in yoga, when the discomfort arises, before giving in to an action that will distract you from that discomfort - try just observing it. Ask yourself, why do you need the chocolate? Are you bored? lonely? hungry? Thirsty? In love with your boss? Rather than using chocolate as a distraction from these uncomfortable emotions, take a moment to let them surface. When you allow them to arise, over time, you can change your neurological pattern of craving chocolate, to instead going for a walk, or a yoga class.

2. Hydrate - A craving for anything can often be the cause of dehydration, it’s just that over time you have read those signs as a chocolate craving rather than the need for H2O. Try drinking some quality water with a little sea salt or a raw, unpasteurised coconut water to help quickly rehydrate you. This will also create space between desiring the chocolate and consuming it.

3. Quality will determine the Quantity - Have you ever tried to down a whole pack of 70 - 80% raw cacao, sugarless, Peruvian dark chocolate? It’s so rich it almost makes my mouth dry and stomach churn at the thought. If you’re only buying quality, real, actually healthy chocolate, there is absolutely no chance you’re going to eat it all in one sitting, like one may do with the more milky, sugary, types. Be aware here that there are a lot of chocolate brands out there jumping on the ‘health’ train. Look out for the sugar content of chocolate, sweetening something with a date doesn’t suddenly mean that it isn’t sugar. It is. 

4. Have a big portion of green vegetables (my favourite way to eat them is here). If you fill yourself with healthy snacks that you can never really have too much of, you are less inclined to reach for or have the space for unhealthy snacks. The end. It’s a simple one, but incredibly effective.

5. And finally, eat some chocolate - ok so let me explain myself here… There is a vicious cycle that comes from a dangerous cocktail of guilt, shame, restricting and bingeing. If all of my above tips have failed you, then just go ahead, have some chocolate, but this time, instead of being riddled with guilt and paralysed with shame on each mouthful, try enjoying it. Try acknowledging that you are beautiful, strong and sexy and that this chocolate will nourish you the way it needs to. Look at the chocolate as you eat it and think wow, this chocolate is full of nutrients and I am going to feel and look great after eating it. I know it sounds ridiculous and far fetched, but a positive perspective is a powerful tool that can break all bad habits. Haven’t you learned anything from Disney? Love is a much powerful force than hate - so why not try it on yourself.

Happy Eating.

x

Miss Vertue. 

Not only can greens make you lean, but they also taste delicious, at least the way I do them ;)

With a short stint in body building I became very into greens and in particular, broccolini - sadly it wasn't because of Broccolinis health benefits, including large amounts of potassium, vitamin C, K, Calcium and glucoraphanin (which with the body processes into the anti-cancer compound sulforaphane), instead, it was because of what these vitamins and minerals would to to balance hormones (in particular oestrogen regulating) ultimately helping to make my legs leaner.  :-/

Yes, shamefully, my motivation for eating greens was purely aesthetic, rather than for health and happiness.

On the plus side, eating two gigantic tubs of boiled broccoli everyday can really inspire you to find a way to enjoy it, because plain boiled Broccoli is not enjoyable and actually kind of stinks. So with the help of the incredible culinary skills of Richard Norton from @thestrengthtemple, I bring to you a delicious and easy way to consume greens. 

This recipe is also an amazing snack recipe. Rather than munching down on expensive 'organic health snacks', which are really just cleverly marketed desserts with superfoods like Cacao and insulin spiking Dates, you can learn to LOVE simple greens in between meals or with your serving of protein.

I’m all about speed and convenience, I used to have time for slow roasting and activating, but now, my London life means that, 'Ain’t no body got time for dat.'

Here it is - and yes, it tastes better with no pants on.

What you’ll need:

1 x bunch of Broccolini (preferably organic from a farmers market, we consume enough chemicals walking through the streets, we don’t need it on our food as well)

1 - 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Cold pressed please, so that it still has nutrients and enzymes in tact)

Pinch of Himalayan Rock or Sea Salt (There are no exceptions here, table salt is a big no-no)

How:

1. Steam the Broccolini for 3-4 minutes - You really don't want to overcook iy. Keep an eye on them, you want them to turn bright green, rather than soggy and yellow.

2. Plate your bright green, slightly undercooked, crunchy Broccolini and throw the oil and salt all over those puppies.

3. Consume, chew and eat slowly. It’s very moorish and if it’s not, add a teeny bit more Olive Oil or Salt (neither of those things will kill you, and they are certainly not bad for you).

You can also pack the Broccolini into some tupperware bringing it to work. If they're slightly undercooked as they should be, they won't stink the entire office out when you open them up. 

Happy Eating!

x

Miss Vertue

I really, really, really, love to lift weights. It’s my go to style of exercise and I love the quick, sustained results it has brought to my body. I would not have the same strength and shape in my body if it wasn’t for the copious amounts of time that I have spent under a barbell in a squat rack. 

But, you know what… sometimes, life and work gets in the way of the weights and when travelling for work I can’t always request for a hotel with a fully functioning squat rack and dumbbell set ... #fitnessdiva

I don't like to use travel as an excuse to stop training or exercising - so I use this workout when I have minimal space and minimal time.

Here is my Hotel Booty Circuit - the #HBC:

A1. Single Leg Glute Bridge x 15 each leg (2020)

How: Lay on your back with your feet hip width distance apart, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg and bend it at the knee. Lift your pelvis off the floor as high as you can. You should feel your Glute switch on - if you don’t try moving the foot that is on the floor, further away from you. Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat the movement.

A2. Back Foot raised Lunge (on chair or Bed) x 15 each leg (2030)

How: Place one foot on a bench (I prefer toes tucked, in this picture it's un-tucked), with the other foot out in front. Really be sure to hop that front foot far forward enough so that you really hit the Glute and Hamstring during the lunge. Bending both knees at the same time, begin to lower your hips towards the floor. Keep your chest up, shoulders relaxed. As you return to the starting position, push through the front heel (and not the ball of the foot) to ensure you activate the Gluteals.

A3. Glute March (on chair or bed) x 20 (30X0)

How: Lay back on a bench (or bed, chair, stool) with your shoulder blades resting on the edge of it. Place your feet on the floor, bending the legs so that your heels are directly underneath your knees. Lift one leg up, keeping in bent in the air. Lower the hips towards the floor and then drive through the heel on the ground to explosively lift your hips towards the ceiling. 

A4. Single Leg Squat (to chair or Bed) x 15 (2010)

How: Start seated on a bench/chair/bed with both feet flat on the floor (preferably the bench/chair or bed is at knee height). Raise one leg off the floor and proceed to stand up by driving the supporting heel into the floor.Keep your spine tall and shoulders relaxed. Really make sure your supporting heels doesn't lift off the floor as you stand. To lower, push the butt backwards and lower towards the chair. 

It’s all single leg work because single leg exercises will actually enable better Glute activation, particularly when working without weights.

Repeat the all exercises from A1 - A4 without any rest. Repeat the set of 4 exercises four times, resting for only 1 minute between each set. The numbers in the brackets eg. (2010) represent the speed at which I would like you to perform these exercises. Tempo can play a really big part in Bodyweight training because we can increase the lactic acid build up in the muscle by tweaking the TUT - or time under tension. The first number represents the seconds it will take you to perform the eccentric phase, the lowering portion of the movement. The second and fourth numbers represent any pauses at the bottom or top of the movement. Finally the third number represents the concentric phase, the rising/lifting phase. 

Get approval from your doctor/physician before you attempt exercise, and if you're unsure about form, as a qualified Personal Trainer.

Happy Training & Happy Travelling!

I started gymnastics when I was 5 years old, and although it was initially just a class called 'jumping jelly beans' - when I moved into an elite level at the age of 7 I very quickly began the exercises that would help me to develop a strong handstand. 

When teaching handstand, I use a hybrid fusion of techniques from both Gymnastics and Yoga to help build a good foundation.

That's exactly what you have to do to nail your handstand practice, you literally need to BUILD it. 

Would you build a structure from the middle? No, you would build it from the bottom to the top. So with that said, here are 4 exercises to turn your leaning tower of pisa into the firmly erect Gherkin of London (excuse the slightly suspect choice of words ... I need to get my point across).

1. Come into a push up position which just the tips of your fingers on the floor. At first just try to hold for 15 seconds, then progress to performing push ups in this way.

Pimp your push-ups with wrist and finger work. The hands and wrists are a very underrated aspect of handstand training,  yet they are the foundation of the structure that is your handstand. Wrist and Finger strengthening exercises are an absolute necessity. Repeat these 3 times per week.

2. Come into a push up position but this time really work on tucking your junk, meaning; tuck your tailbone to facilitate for better core activation. 

High Plank Holds - It’s boring but true. If you can’t hold a push up position correctly, you’re going to struggle to hold a handstand at all. Work this into your core routine 3-4 times per week, holding it for up to 30 seconds each set and you’ll really begin to see some core strength gains.

3. Stand with your back against the wall. Place your hands on the floor and begin to walk your feet up the wall. At the same time walk your hands in towards the wall until you reach a fairly straight handstand position. Push your chest, pelvis and feet gently into the wall, while also pulling the belly in so that it doesn't touch the wall. Let your head drop so that you are looking at the wall, rather than the ground. Imagine you are trying to push the floor away.

Handstand Holds - When I was a competitive gymnast, part of my skills training was to hold this position for 3 minutes. Pressing my feet, pelvis and chest into the wall was a requirement to create the whole body activation that’s necessary for a balanced handstand. I'm not saying you should hold it for that long, but work towards building the strength for a long, steady isometric contraction.

4. Start in an all fours position. Walk the hands forward, being careful to keep your hips above the knees as you do. Try to keep your arms straight as you let your lower ribs become heavy and drop to the floor. 

Anahatasana (Heart Opening pose) - Last but not least, some mobility work. If you can’t extend your arms over your head because your shoulder joints and thoracic spine are too tight, how on earth will you do it in handstand? Hold this position for 5-10 breaths (daily, if you're shoulders are really tight).

Handstands are a full body movement. It's really important that you train them correctly - aim for steadiness rather than just throwing yourself into them.

Oh and also...

Remember to have fun with it. If you're finding yourself getting frustrated, at any time during the practice. Stop. Immediately. Frustration just leads to a negative vibration that will attract a negative outcome (yes, I realise that's a very unscientific / hippie statement, but I'm not sorry - it's the truth). Getting angry at yourself for not being able to do it (yet) will only distract you from the focus that's needed to actually do it - that distraction could lead to injury.

Keep it fun.

*Always seek the help of a professional before you undertake any exercise.

Peace.

x

Miss Vertue.

Picture by Greg Williams

Fat loss can be confusing.

In the media we are inundated with thousands of articles and research papers with different methods for fat loss, all guaranteed to get you results, and even worse, most of them completely conflicting hypothesis or methods. Do eat fat, don’t eat too much fat, no carbs, some carbs, juice only, never have juice … Science changes it’s mind more than I change my outfit (wait that’s not saying much when I spend all day and night in yoga pants… )

So in an attempt to slice through the confusion I wanted to compile for you some simple things to consider before you embark on a more complicated ‘diet’ approach. Please also understand that there are some people that follow these bad habits and yet remain skinny or lean - but I want to remind you that being lean, doesn’t necessarily mean you are healthy. Some people are genetically resilient to junk food diets and rock & roll lifestyles, some people are not. However trust me when I say, it will catch up with you, one way or another.

If you have been struggling for a while with fat loss or with health in general, I want you to check in with yourself honestly. 

Avoid these bad habits below before you frantically subject your body to aggressive ‘health’ regimes.

1. You’re skipping breakfast: Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day. It is breaking a 7-10 hour fast and therefore influences nearly every metabolic process within the body. It also hugely effects our mental state by determining the release of certain neurotransmitters within the brain. Because of this I am also a huge advocate of a protein rich breakfast as it stimulates the ‘right’ neurotransmitters to keep you motivated and alert throughout the day.

There is no doubt that calories in vs. calories out is a major process that effects fat loss/gain, so I understand that there is enough research to suggest that if your calorie expenditure and macro breakdown is balanced, then it doesn’t matter when or how you get your food, as long as you get it. Well, I (and many other health practitioners) have a more holistic approach. I believe that sustainable fat loss and more importantly HEALTH, arises from an array off variables - not just ‘eat less and move more’. As I mentioned, it's not only me that believes this, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found, through analysis of behavioural data, that eating breakfast helped reduce dietary fat and minimize impulsive snacking throughout rest of the day.

2. You’re still drinking alcohol: I get it. It helps you to escape, let loose, release, let down your hair, have a little fun … However you justify it, I’m telling you now, that it is inhibiting your fat loss - but more importantly than that, it’s inhibiting your optimal health. If you’re serious about seeing a change, get it out of your diet for 30 days. Feel a little resistant and annoyed at what I’m saying? Ok - that's cool, keep on drinking poison, while expecting your body to thrive and perform for you.

In its purest form, ethyl alcohol, supplies seven calories per gram (2 grams less than fat per gram). In one glass of wine there is roughly 84 calories - that’s just in the alcohol alone! Then you add the sugar on top of that and it bumps it up even more. You know what else, it’s pretty much devoid of any nutrient value, so you’re just drinking empty calories that numb your brain, dehydrate you, poison your liver and strain your kidneys. Mmm, yum. 

"Here's the problem with all alcoholic beverages, and the reason I recommend refraining from alcohol consumption on the diet. Alcohol, whenever taken in, is the first fuel to burn. While that's going on, your body will not burn fat.” ~Robert C Atkins (Author of the Atkins diet)~

I’m not against partying, having fun or getting “crunk” (not even going to pretend that I knew what that really meant - had to urban dictionary it and now I’m even more confused). I just don’t think we should be continuously vindicating an alcoholic lifestyle as though it’s ok to have a massive binge every weekend, as long as we 'eat clean' during the week. Soz but that is like totes ridic.

Tell your friends that you’re giving it up for 30 days, not only will you learn who your ‘real’ friends are, but you’ll also see massive improvements to every single aspect of your life - you will also look better naked.

3. You need a sweaty change: When was the last time you changed up your exercise routine? Cardio/HIIT bunnies, have you thought about picking up some weights, increasing your lean muscle mass and therefore raising your metabolic rate, creating greater, daily calorific demand? Or how about the ladies and gents that lift weight (I love you by the way), when was the last time you attempted a real cardio session, be it a long distance run, or a sprint session …? Pilates, Reformer and Yoga lovers, how do you feel about exercise? That sounds harsh, but seriously, when was the last time you actually sweated and felt like your heart was pounding out of your chest (either with weights or cardio). I think by now you understand what I’m getting at. Too often I see people staying in their comfort zones with exercise, and the body really begins to plateau. Adaptations occur and you stop seeing results. Change. It. Up. You might also find something you enjoy more, and therefore will do more.

My weekly routine looks like this:

Monday - Legs

Tuesday - Sprint Intervals on Curve Treadmill and Abs

Wednesday - Upper Body & Yoga

Thursday Bike Sprint Intervals & Calisthenic Abs

Friday - Legs & afternoon Yoga

Saturday - Gymnastics & Light cardio

Sunday Yin Yoga & Rest

4. You’re not drinking enough water: Hydration seems to be one of the most underrated aspects of fat loss. But I (and other health and science professionals) would really like to change that.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have shown that drinking 500ml of water at half an hour before eating main meals may help obese adults to lose weight.

Those who reported preloading before all three main meals in the day reported a loss of 4.3kg (9.48lbs) over the 12 weeks, whereas those who only preloaded once, or not at all, only lost an average of 0.8kg (1.76lbs).

In addition to all this, it’s important to remember that 95% of the brain is composed of water and that even a 2% drop in body water can cause minor (but critical) shrinkage of the brain, potentially leading to migraines, impaired neuromuscular coordination and decrease concentration. Dehydration can also reduce endurance, decrease strength and cause cramping - all these things greatly effect your workout, which ultimately affects the results from your workout.

5. You’re too stressed: Aside from the usual symptoms of emotional stress such as mindless eating (in search of a dopamine response to make you feel better), stress can inhibit fat loss and increase fat storage in various different ways. 

When the brain detects stress in some way, whether you’re being chased by a tiger, or chased by your boss or the tax department, it triggers the release of a cascade of chemicals, including adrenaline and cortisol.

Excessive amounts of cortisol in the body can cause belly fat and even visceral fat - this is a primal survival adaptation to protect vital organs from attack. Excessive cortisol also slows the metabolism to help the body maintain adequate supplies of glucose for all the energy required to deal with the threat (even if that threat is not life or death).

So - get to a yoga class, start meditation, breathe more consciously - like all good things, it won’t happen over night, but it will happen. Consistency is key. If you’re time poor try my sun salutations every morning for 30 days - keep a diary and I know you’ll feel better.

Good luck - although you won’t need it because you love yourself enough to make these changes - right?

Right.

Lots of love.

x

Miss Vertue.

For a practicing Yogini, I have terrible patience for reading. If I am not captured within the first two pages of a book, I'm out. My mind wanders, I day dream or worse, I pick up the phone and scroll through instagram (awful I know).

The reason I am telling you this is because for me to recommend a book, it means that every word has gone through the filter of my distracted, hippie sometimes ADHD mind and still made it out the other side.

These days we tend to read a lot of blogs, articles, essays and journals, and I think these shorter pieces, while greatly affecting our attention span, have created a wonderful thirst for information. I believe that books can really quench that thirst because they take us on a journey, building a deeper understanding of the topic slowly but surely. A good book takes an expert(s) to write and can very often cut through the BS you come across online.

I have obviously read more than 3 books in my life (you would hope) but these three really changed the direction of my life for the better.

1. The Law of Attraction by Esther & Jerry Hicks

Moving to London was quite a shock to my system (my beach bum/yoga hippie system). Like many long trips abroad (2 years and counting), I felt vulnerable and alone in the first few months of living in this crazy, busy and ginormous city. The positive of this vulnerability (and at times anxiety) was that I began reaching out for ’Self-Help’ philosophies and teachings that could get me out of this mental rut that I was experiencing. Luckily one of my absolute dearest friends (thank you Georgia - I love you) softly navigated me to these teachings through YouTube. It really didn’t take long before I noticed the law of attraction taking positive shape in my life. I wanted to know more so I bought this book and as cliché as it sounds, the miracles unfolded when I followed and acknowledged these explained principles of life. It’s not a religion, nor is it against religion, it’s just a wonderful way to live the life you want. Needless to say, I attribute every bit of my success to learning how to live in gratitude and attract the right people and situations into my life. Everyone should read this, like now. I think it should be taught in schools - I most certainly use the Law of Attraction more than I use Algebra.

Who should read this:

Anyone that wants to have as much money, opportunity, love and happiness as their heart desires - I guess that narrows it down then ... In seriousness, everyone needs this book, and would benefit from this philosophy, however - I believe it only sinks in when you're in a state of suffering. If you feel like your stuck, and no matter how hard you try you continue to be faced with situations that pull you back down to the place you don't want to be, then this is the book for you.

2. How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy - Paul Chek

This book changed my life because it suddenly forced me to acknowledge and honour my body in a way that no other fitness expert had. When I first started training in the gym the culture was heavily steeped in the concept that men should be massive and girls should be skinny - there was minimal discussion on moving the body as an entity, and rather it was all about isolation of muscles to ’sculpt’ the body you want. Although many athletes were training ‘functionally', the concept of ‘Functional’ training, or ‘Primal patterns’ was really scarce amongst the general population, the Paleo diet didn’t exist and I don’t think anyone but the Andeans knew what Quinoa was. How to eat, move and be healthy was (and still is) a really great introduction to healthy living and it was the first book that I had ever read on ‘Health’ in the holistic sense. I still haven’t come across a book that covers holistic health and wellness as brilliantly as this book did - especially for it’s time.

Who should read this:

I think this book needs a revisit in the industry - especially now in this age where all the girls count their Macros and eat 'Flex bowls' (Look I didn't know what it was either, but a flex bowl is basically this bowl of food - if you can call it that - where you would put all the Macro nutrients you had left over in your IIFYM diet, very often consisting of oats, snickers bars, whey protein powder, honey, cocaine ... etc etc). I'm actually not againts Flexible Dieting, I know it has saved a lot of bikini and fitness models from metabolic damage and has also made their lives more enjoyable. The problem is that this Fitness Model culture is filtering down (thanks to instagram) to the general public who think that being lean and tonned automatically means you're healthy. It doesn't - I've been lean and toned and extremely sick (in mind and body). This book addresses healthy movement and eating (healthy being the operative word), and asks you to look at your fitness and health regime from a more holistic perspective. This book is for people wanting true health - not just a sub 6% body fat reading.

3. Buddhist Bootcamp - Timber Hawkeye

Buddhist Bootcamp is like medicine for your mind. By medicine I don’t mean temporary relief of persisting symptoms, I mean actual healing. Healing that gets right to the cause of your deepest inner turmoil and the cause of your suffering. Timber Hawkeye has managed to take incredibly complex Buddhist principles, that can be at times clouded with religious misinterpretations, and has translated them for the modern day woman/man. This book came to me at another very tumultuous time in my life, full of confusion and his words both soothed and clarified my life. Buddhist Bootcamp is like a life map to help you navigate your way to act with love and let go of anger and resentment - couldn’t every body do with a little more of that?

Who should read this:

The Dalai Lama said that “If every 8 year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation." This book doesn't teach meditation, but it does teach peace, internal peace - which is the only peace that exists really. I will narrow this down and say that this book is very, very, very good for people that have trouble with their temper or have anxiety - but the best part about it ... is that it is not dogmatic, religious or esoteric in ANY WAY. It is perfect for that person who just does not respond well to anything that even smells like New Age hooey.

I can tell you now that I found it so tricky to narrow this list to 3. I really love the works of many writers including Bret Contreras, who changed the way I looked at Glute training. Charles Poliquin, who although has a personality to be reckoned with, still revolutionised the way people approached health, strength and conditioning and because of this also consequently changed my nutritional and training life. Yoga & Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon was a book that completely expanded the way I looked at food and animals; which I really believe is a highly disregarded aspect in our lives and we are turning our heads away at the massacre that occurs right under our noses (and on our plates) every time we eat meat or even choose dairy. Gary Taubes, Weston A. Price, Donna Farhi, Ian King … I mean the list goes on ...

I always believe that books, like crystals, are very synchronistic. They find you when you most need them - so perhaps you’re ready for one (or all) on my list.

I hope so! I would love to hear about YOUR life changing books - please comment below!

Happy Reading and lots of love,

Miss Vertue

x

This is actually Turkish coffee (very often consumed with a tonne of sugar) We had it without ... it was delicious.

Like Carbohydrates, Coffee has a bad reputation.

I’m here to stick up for it a little because Coffee is not the bad guy here, it’s the way in which it’s used, just like Crack - no wait - crack is definitely always bad no matter how it’s used.

When we think of coffee we often associate it with something we should feel guilty for consuming. This is often because of it’s over stimulating effects on the brain and body, dehydration (although this is still being debated) and of course last but not least the damaging pesticides that are used on coffee plants that can still make their way into our gut and are damaging the environment.

These above points are all valid, but are totally manageable and don’t even need to be an issue if the human consuming the coffee makes an educated choice about when they have coffee, and what type of coffee.

Before I tell you how to drink your coffee, like the bossy little PT I am … I’m going to tell you a little about caffeine - which happens to be the most consumed psychoactive substance in the world. It usually takes 60-90 minutes to take effect and it’s not just found in coffee - black tea, green tea, oolong tea, mate, colas, cacao and cocoa powders also contain caffeine.

Caffeine is believed to impact on mood and performance by inhibiting the binding of both adenosine and benzodiazepine receptor ligands to brain membranes. As these neurotransmitters are known to slow down brain activity, a blockade of their receptors lessens this effect. (1) 

Basically, coffee makes us feel a whole lot more alert and capable. Coffee makes us feel like Jason Bourne or Evelyne Salt. Or maybe that’s just me. 

Coffee usually gets it’s naughty reputation from caffeine which is essentially yet another drug that is abused by humans. We abuse the use of caffeine by using it when we are tired - rather than trying to get more sleep, or eat better food, or drink more water. We treat the symptom (tiredness) with stimulation - thereby forcing the body to be alert, when it’s really asking for rest. Those of us that have busy working schedules have probably more than once abused caffeine in an effort to ‘get the job done’ even at the mercy of the body and it’s adrenal needs.

How to drink Coffee like a (Healthy) Boss:

1. Use it as a pre-workout: Instead of just using it before you spend 7-8 hours sitting at a desk to keep you awake, use it to excite your CNS (Central Nervous System) before an intense workout. It’s much healthier than the rubbish you find in synthetic and highly processed, potentially carcinogenic pre-workouts. Caffeine takes about 60-90 minutes to hit you so be sure to have it with enough time before you start lifting or sprinting!

2. Drink quality organic coffee: Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide commonly used against coffee pests and has been banned in the US for household use as it has caused human death and birth defects. Endosulfan is another one that doesn’t breakdown easily (so it’s toxic to the environment as well) and it also affects the CNS, reproductive organs, kidneys and liver. It’s worse than the pest itself. Our beautiful bodies have enough to detoxify these days with pollution and poisons all around us. By choosing organic coffee not only are you helping the environment, but you are also supporting your own internal environment by alleviating the body from one more poison to detoxify.

3. Use it in conjunction with your own natural cortisol spike and circadian rhythms: Some people, Italians mostly 😉 , can get away with having an espresso at night time, while still getting to sleep. I however can not and if I did, people would be questioning what ‘other ingredients’ may have ended up in the coffee too. When you wake up, the body will naturally release hormones to encourage alertness and energy for your day ahead. Having a coffee in the morning will just give you a little more energy, without disturbing the natural process of those incredible neurotransmitters.

4. Hydrate before you Caffeinate: There is actually some conflicting research that suggests that neither caffeine or coffee dehydrate the body. However there is enough proof that states that coffee can have a diuretic effect. I most certainly feel the effects of coffee dehydrating me, and have seen it on the dry lips many other people that you can tell drink too much coffee and not enough water.

5. No more milk: Ok I’m going to have a vegan moment here (even though I am not a vegan) Milk is bad m’kay (#southpark). Check out this video - seriously, it’s really important to know what milk actually is. That goes for skim milk too. Soy has shown to effect hormonal balances, in particular oestrogen, so best not to over use (you can read up on a thousand an one studies with a quick google search) I prefer to use rice, oat milk or coconut oil in my coffee. The fat with your coffee can slow the caffeine release so that it’s not such a huge and intense spike which would usually leave you feeling jittery and nervous.

6. Just have coffee - stop putting sugar or some kind of Starbucks approved, synthetic, ‘sugar-less’ syrup in it. It’s not good for you. We’ve all read the effects of excessive sugar and synthetics on the body, unfortunately the very people that have looked down upon the consumption of delicious french desserts made by hundred year old recipes, hypocritically hold a ‘fat-free’ caramel latte from Starbucks in their hand. Pick your poisons - I’ll choose French Chef over synthetic caramel any day.

Happy Organic Coffee consumption!

Where are your favourite coffee places in London? I’d love to hear about them, comment below!

Stay Hydrated.

x

Shona

Ref: 1. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x/full

It’s imperative that you get your calories from nutrient dense foods - not for fat loss, but for something more important that fat loss, HEALTH. 

The Wellness industry is a large and growing industry and becoming healthy is not only necessity but has also become a bit of a trend. With the expansion of this ‘trendiness’ comes the seeming increase of price around living a healthy life. 

I’m here to passionately tell you from my budget, hand made soap box that you do NOT need to spend your salary on superfoods from the amazonian forest in order to achieve optimal health.

I am on my soap box because it upsets me that we are encouraged to look further than our own country side for healthy foods.

Why should we eat local?

It’s cheaper - I’m going to go into detail about this a little more for you on choosing cheap, but nutrient dense foods so read on.

It’s better for the environment - Transporting food is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Watch Institute. Each year, 817 million tons of food are shipped around the planet. The result is that a basic diet of imported products can use four times the energy and produce four times the emissions of an equivalent domestic diet! 1

It’s better for local farmers - we vote with our money and in an effort to support the people in our community it’s important that we choose to buy their hard work. Especially those that have chosen to honour the environment with organic farming.

It’s better for the international communities - this potentially seems like a contradiction - how could we be helping international communities if we aren’t buying their commodities? Quinoa is a classic example of this. Produced mostly in Bolivia (one of the poorest countries in Latin-America where the majority of people heavily rely on substance farming, the demand from wealthier western culture on this delicious little grain has of course increased the revenue for some farmers however made it harder for others in the community to purchase. "The appetite of countries such as ours for this grain has pushed up prices to such an extent that poorer people in Peru and Bolivia, for whom it was once a nourishing staple food, can no longer afford to eat it.” 2

Because it has become a lucrative commodity for many Bolivian farmers it is also encouraging the process of mono-cropping which puts severe stress on the land (and their goes our lovely environment again). 

Anyway - I’m not here to bash quinoa consumers or make you focus on the negative impacts of ‘trendy eating’.

Instead, I actually just want to take the pressure off anyone that feels like they are less healthy because they aren’t purchasing these ‘superfoods’ or just feels the pressure of trying to eat healthy on a budget. 

It’s really not an expensive choice, and it will do both your body and your wallet a world of good in the future when you’re not paying medical bills to fix a problem that could have been prevented with healthier nutritional and lifestyle choices.

So here are my favourite ways to save money while being really, really, ridiculously healthy;

1. Shop at the markets - yes preferably organic, only because it’s better for you and the environment. It is still relatively cheap if purchased from a market rather than Wholefoods. You also get to meet the farmer sometimes and have a chat with him about the produce.

2. Buy seasonal veggies - it’s better for the environment and helps our local farmers, but is also cheaper and healthier for you. Here is a great website that tells you when things are in season in the UK.

3. Make a huge portion of your diet green - Not only with this be cheaper, but it will also nourish you. I have spoken on the benefits of eating green in my article here, it can help you to detoxify more efficiently, lose fat and glow more. If the majority of your vitamins and nutrients come from greens you’re less likely to both eat rubbish, empty calories found in processed foods AND you won't spend truck loads of money on Açai and Goji and Maca etc ...

4. Oats - One cup of dry steel cut oats packs over 50g of carbs, 10g protein and 6g of fat. It’s a great source of medium-GI carbohydrate and dietary fibre. Research has also demonstrated that Oats can reduce levels of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. Oats are also great crops for the environment as they require far far far less fertiliser than other crops and they have amazing coverage over the land during winter months (to reduce erosion) - and ... they are NOT expensive!

5. Eggs - The cholesterol myth about eggs has been well and truly debunked by clinical and epidemiological research - while eggs are high in cholesterol they do not cause a significant spike on human cholesterol levels (read more here)

The only major thing I will point out here is that I urge you to purchase your eggs from a market and if you can have a chat to the farmer about the quality of living conditions for the chickens. Cage eggs and sometimes even labelled ‘free range’ eggs are just not good enough. I will say it again, we vote with our money and if we support the protection of animal rights we then encourage more and more farmers to ethically produce foods and even shops to stock more ethically produced foods.

6. Meet your meat - I will assert that this is the one ingredient however that you should NOT be scrimping on. If you are going to eat meat, you need to heavily inspect the quality of life the animal had before it died, what it was fed and how it was killed in order to ensure it’s health and consequently the health of your own body that will be absorbing the nutrients (and potentially hormones if it’s not a good source). The bottom line is that everyone needs to STOP BUYING CHEAP, POORLY TREATED, GRAIN & HORMONE FED, ABUSED ANIMALS. Purchase your meat from local farmers and pay that extra price to know that it was not just grass fed, but grass finished (meaning it was fed grass it’s entire life), that it was free to roam and that it was killed in the most humane way possible (although there has never been as greater oxymoron than the term humane killing).

7. Don’t be afraid of fruit - while it’s important to purchase it organically (as many fruits absorb the pesticides very easily, particularly thin skinned fruits such as berries), fruit is extremely nutrient dense. High in vitamins, minerals and fibre (to keep you regular) fruit can be relatively cheap and is great in smoothies to add extra nutrient value and tastiness. Although fructose gives fruit a bad name, problems with fructose are actually on seen amongst those that eat large amounts of refined sugars like High Fructose Corn syrup (found in soft drinks) or sucrose. If you want to talk ‘superfoods’, blueberries are one of the highest in antioxidants and are actually low in sugar - So don’t be afraid to put those little blue balls in your mouth…

8. Use everything - One thing that used to always get me about buying at the markets was that I would get so damn excited about all the beautiful food, buying the entire stall only to get to the end of the week with lots of old looking veggies at the bottom of my fridge because I just couldn't get through them all. This article has some great suggestions for those forgotten, slightly brown ingredients that always hide in the bottom of the veggie box.

9. Go vegan/vegetarian - It's not necessarily the healthiest, but it is a lot cheaper, better for the environment and more loving towards animals (who are really just people too). I was nervous about putting this point in here and I'm sure I'll have a few of my old PT & Nutrition pals email me about how irresponsible I am being to promote a diet lacking in many vital nutrients, but I just don't think that it is 'lacking', and even science is catching up to the plausibility of this way of life. Surely we have enough technological advancements in society to avoid killing thousands of lives every second for the sake of a steak. Anyway, I'm not preaching or ranting, just some food for thought - see what I did there? #food #thought #articleaboutfoodandyourethinkingaboutit #bitclever

I hope this helps. While expensive superfoods are sexy, looking and feeling sexy is not reliant upon their consumption. I’d love to hear your suggestions on how you live healthy on a budget. 

Stay Hydrated

x

Miss Vertue.

Ref:

1. http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-environmental-impact-of-imported-superfoods#ixzz43QrObIxT 

2. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

Sleep - The most underrated aspect of Fat Loss

It seems almost seems like an oxymoron to say that one of the best ways to lose body fat is to ensure you're getting enough quality sleep. But it's true.

When your sleep is restricted it can cause a huge knock-on effect of hormonal balance that can result in some not ideal habits and circumstances;

1. Insulin sensitivity is reduced - Insulin sensitivity looks at how effective the body is at using insulin to reduce elevated blood glucose levels. Basically in order to have a healthy body we WANT to be insulin sensitive. Insulin resistance can inhibit fat loss.

2. Ghrelin increases & Leptin Decreases - Ghrelin is the hormone that signals the brain to pick up the fork, and Leptin is the hormone that tells you to put down the fork. Sleep deprivation and interruption will basically make you want to eat more - and never stop. (That kind of sounds good actually ...)

3. Cortisol Rises - Cortisol is a famous hormone now. We've all heard of scary cortisol that causes us to store tummy fat right? Well the process is a little more complicated than that, however it is a hormone that can cause fat storage.

4. Demotivated - This one is obvious, but the less sleep you're haing, the less likely you are to want to train. Your mood shifts, you feel like shit, you want some kind of gratification and joy so you reach for the two things that provide you with instant gratification - ice cream and tinder. Not a healthy habit at all.

So before you kill yourself with another Barry's Bootcamp session, or sign up for that 30 day skinny tea-tox program to shift 'stubborn fat' try my tips below to get some more sleep. And just chill the funk out.

1. No screens past 8.30pm. The blue light technology is wreaking havoc on our circadian rhythms and consequently our sleep inducing hormones.If you've been staring at a bright blue light that is similar to that of 12pm midday sun, your body and brain thinks it's time to stay awake - not sleep. Turn it off and read a book. That email can wait. (You know I'm looking at you chess!)

*An article published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science highlights Epidemiological studies that link short sleep duration and circadian disruption with higher risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The results of the studies showed that in humans, prolonged sleep restriction with concurrent circadian disruption alters metabolism and could increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.

2. Meditation - No excuses for this one please. Everyone can meditate, and the ones that hate it the most, need it the most. Download Headspace, OMG I can meditate, Omvana or Getting into the Vortex (only get this one if you like Abraham Hicks) and listen to a meditation while you lie in bed (the phone should be put onto airplane mode of course, and should be on the bedside table, not in your hand).

3. Stop Carb cutting - Low carb diets can greatly inhibit your serotonin production and therefore effect the quality of your sleep. Eat carbs at night, it will not make you fat. :)

Hope these help ... What other tips do you have for improved sleep?

Comment them below so that everyone can use them and we can have a big sleep party ... Wouldn't that be the weirdest and most boring party ever.

Big love.

x

Miss Vertue

Right - Ladies, obviously this one is geared towards you. So if you’re a guy reading this, you can do one of two things; Forward this on to a girlfriend/wifey/exwifey/friend that is a girl/girl friend with benefits/female boss/sister etc, or you can do the sequence yourself as you’ll still reap amazing benefits from these hip opening postures below.

Back to the ladies.

Period pain is a b*tch isn’t it?

Well, I wanted to stop by quickly and give you my favourite sequence (with a couple of extra added tips) to help you through that 3-7 day discomfort. Let's first look at what it is, and more importantly why it hurts.

The NHS says that Period pain or dysmenorrhoea is;

“... usually felt as painful muscle cramps in the lower tummy, which can sometimes spread to the back and thighs. Sometimes the pain comes in intense spasms, while at other times the pain may be dull but more constant.

During your period, the wall of your womb starts to contract more vigorously, to encourage the lining of your womb to shed away as part of your monthly menstrual cycle.

When the muscular wall of your womb contracts, it compresses the blood vessels that line your womb. This temporarily cuts off the blood supply (and hence oxygen supply) to your womb. Without oxygen, the tissues in your womb release chemicals that trigger pain in your body."

This is where yoga comes in to play. By increasing space and circulation around the hips (and consequently the womb) you can help to alleviate the pain by getting to the cause of it (the cause being that lack of blood supply, triggering the pain response).

This sequence below is quick, however really helps to encourage hip specific blood flow. I use it every time and it always works. I’ve noticed that it also has an effect on the duration of my period. Rather than 7 days, it becomes a much faster process, clearing out in about 4 days.

Some other things to note to improve your surfing capabilities:

Hip Alignment - When my incredible Osteo (back home in Australia) told me that incorrect pelvic alignment could cause a longer and more painful period, it was a life changing moment. Poor biomechanics within the body can cause extra stress and pressure on the surrounding tissue. This stress can cause inflammation and of course, can have a knock-on effect to the surrounding organs. As an ex elite gymnast, carrying injuries of years past, I just thought I was unlucky in my long, painful and heavy 'flow' - but once I began rehabilitating the balance of my pelvic alignment and general biomechanics, I noticed a dramatic change in my period. Rather than 5 days of pain, I had 1 day of pain. 

Hydration - is key in the prevention of muscle cramps and can also aid in the reduction of Period Pain. Hydration will also ensure the whole body can transport fluids more efficiently, helping to clear out toxins and balance hormones.

Light Exercise - as much as you probably don’t want to, a light walk can also work to massage those abdominal organs that are feeling a little stuck. It will increase circulation throughout the entire body helping to both alleviate pain, and eliminate toxins (through Lymph fluid).

Consider your tampon and pad choices - Ok I’m just throwing this one in because it concerns your overall health and health of the environment. While I am not ready to trust the moon cup, I am passionate about the environment and women’s health. There are some potential risks around the chemicals used in sanitary pads and tampons and they not only effect the environment, but of course, they effect us. I will do a little more research on this topic and come back to you, but in the mean time - try to use organic, chemical free sanitary pads/tampons wherever possible (and if you’re able to get your head around the moon cup - go for it!). Even if they aren’t the most leak-free option, it’s much better for your health. Here is a link to some pretty scary information on the chemicals used and the pollution it is causing.

Be positive - You know I had to add this one in here. Trust me when I say that I too struggle for happy thoughts when I have my period, however it’s probably even more important to work on your positive perspective during this time of grumpy and moody vibes. Why? Well, not only for the sanity of those around you, or to avoid break ups (I’m sorry for what I said when I was hungry and had my period) but actually because having your period is a GREAT THING! It is your very own indicator of reproductive, thyroid and metabolic health - so embrace it, and the messages it’s giving you (rather than cursing it).

Happy surfing ladies.

x

Miss Vertue

Picture: @headshotfactory

You guys have been asking for it - so here it is! An English countryside health retreat, just 1.5 hours out of London (2 hours from Euston). There will actually be two of them, the first is a weekend mini reset retreat (20th - 22nd May) and the second will be a luxurious 3 day immersion (9th - 12th June). No need to book expensive flights or find your passport (I still can't find mine)

Book via the Champney's website here

This mini weekend retreat is the perfect way to refresh and kick-start your mental and physical wellbeing in a short space of time. Over the weekend you will practice yoga and meditation daily, embark on a guided hike and sweat and burn with my popular “Vertue Method” class – a fusion of glute activation, weighted circuit training, yoga and meditation, sold out months in advance in London. My aim is to send you off home on Sunday night uplifted in your soul and your butt with some new tools to help maintain this rigor in your everyday life.

I LOVE retreats because they are a brilliant opportunity to immerse yourself in a heathy lifestyle without the distractions from every day life. In addition to that fresh feeling you have when you leave, it's really important to me that you go home with some new tools to live a healthier lifestyle outside of the retreat - after all, education is the best motivation - so be prepared to experience lots of light bulb moments and synchonicities ...

See you there.

Peace.

x

Miss Vertue

Ok so just to clarify, that’s Troy McClure (from the Simpsons) I don’t think you’re stupid. I just think it’s a genius line. Anyway, now that you’re no longer drafting a complaint letter to me, let’s get on with the blog...

I have been a personal trainer and Yoga teacher for over 7 years and it seems to me that one of the biggest underlying factors that stops people in their pursuit of health is not a lack of drive, ambition or even time - it’s a lack of confidence. 

"I’m not confident enough to attend that yoga class", "I don’t know how to work that weight machine", "I’m not sure of that exercise" … In my experience, it is that lack of confidence and self-arssurance that becomes biggest killer of motivation.

The irony here is that we need confidence in order to get to the gym/yoga class/dance class, but we often don’t get confidence until we have been doing those things for a while - right?

Wrong.

The truth is, you need to have confidence first, you need to see value in yourself and your body first. So with that said, I want to share with you some of my top 'perspective-shifting' tips to help you gain the confidence you need to stay active, healthy, motivated and above all happy.

1. Confidence is a feeling, not a product:

It is a feeling of self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities. So it can not be bought or given to you. I believe that we are sometimes sold this idea that confidence is ours if we just buy that bag, or that supplement that will make us skinny, or have that boyfriend (or girlfriend) - but the truth is, confidence is an inside job. Do not seek to gain internal confidence through something external to yourself. It will be a never ending cycle (and often an expensive one). The best confidence boosters are absolutely FREE.

2. Worthiness is the BFF of Confidence;

If you don’t value yourself, your life or your body and instead feel a sense of self loathing then chances are, your confidence is going to waiver. How do you know if you’re practicing self-loathing? Well, I hate to say it, and we all do it, constant self-criticism, continuous negative dialogue about your life or your body, waking up every morning pinching in disgust at the ‘rolls’ you have on your body without a single moment of appreciation for all that your body does for you … yeah, that stuff is self-loathing. It’s not easy to change, you have to train your brain to stop going there. When you catch yourself doing it, change the subject, or think of something you ARE grateful for.

3. Develop Skills:

Are you sick of me saying this yet? Train towards a skill (like a chin up or a push up or a heavy squat or a backflip) rather than just aesthetics. We all want a six pack or a lean body, that’s fine, I’m not saying it’s not a motivating factor, but it shouldn’t be the ONLY motivating factor. It should be the last one in fact. Training purely so you ‘feel’ more sexy (in accordance with societies current aesthetic standards, governed by the fashion industry that usually is interested in the androgynous look) is not conducive to constant motivation. In fact, you will not only be at the mercy of society and it’s frequently changing definition of beauty, but also at the mercy of your self esteem, which we know can dip during life occurrences like break-ups, job changes, family deaths etc. If your motivation to get in the gym comes from wanting to be able to get your chin above that bar, unassisted, you will feel AMAZING after every session because you’re getting closer to that goal e’ry damn day.

4. Meditate on Body Love;

Thich Nhat Hanh describes a beautiful meditation in which you focus on your breath and certain body parts in appreciation. It goes a little something like this;

Inhale: I feel my legs

Exhale: I smile at my legs

Inhale: I feel my hips

Exhale: I smile at my hips

As you can see it’s very simple. But the simplicity of just appreciating all your various, hard working body parts, smiling from the heart at them generates some seriously great feelings about your self. Try it (and let me know how it goes). I do this one in the morning sometimes before I hit the shower and it just puts me in the best mood. It’s also stress relieving and we all know that switching off that stress response as much as possible is a great way to ensure balance throughout the body, including hormones. Hormonal health leads to better body composition (lean, energised and happy).

5. Know when to stop scrolling through instagram;

Instagram and Facebook can be as curated as a magazine. If you’re feeling low and you start scrolling through all these aspirational pictures of people you know (some you don’t know) assuming that their lives are as perfect as their favourite filter of choice, you are going to feel like shit. Excuse my crass language but it’s the truth. If you’re feeling low, sad, unworthy, then read a book, talk to a friend, spend time in nature, go to the gym, do some yoga, but DO NOT scroll through social media. Everyone always gives the advice of not comparing yourself to others, but the truth is we’re going to do it anyway - aren’t we. There is a famous theory called the Social comparison theory. It was originally proposed by social psychologist Leon Festigner who suggests that we determine our own social and personal worth based on how we stack up against others. He says it’s part of our human nature. I believe the best way to get around this, is to just know when to put the phone down. If you’re feeling inspired by what you see on Social media, great, keep scrolling, if you start to get that sick feeling where you heart sinks into your gut and you feel a little anxious, then you know … it’s time to PUT. THE. PHONE. DOWN.

I hope these help, don’t feel disheartened if your confidence muscle isn’t strong straight away. It takes practice, and it will waiver, that’s normal. 

I’d love to hear if these helped, or even better, if you have any techniques to lift your confidence game!

Big phat yogi love.

Stay hydrated.

Peace.

x

Miss Vertu

My top tips to break the fear and begin the yoga practice

Even the most advanced of yogis at some stage in their yogic life, had to step foot into that sea of lycra and flexible limbs, attempting to move in and out of compromising positions, while breathing slowly and staying calm in heart and mind.

When it’s put like that, it does seem very, very intimidating. But I want to stress to you that it’s not as scary as it seems, and what yoga will be able to bring to your life, if you give it the chance, is well worth the mild timidity that you will experience in your very first sessions.

As a professional yoga teacher and personal trainer I have heard almost every fear under the saluted sun (not very funny yogi joke) towards getting started. I bet I can debunk all of them. If you’ve been ‘umm-ing’ instead of ‘omm-ing' towards embarking on that journey, here are my tips to help you get into it and stay in it;

Tip #1: Mute the dialogue, cut the excuses

For those of you that are true yoga virgins and have not stepped foot into a single class, for whatever reason, then you really need to block out any presumptions you may have about what you think you are going to experience. Those negative assumptions will be creating more fear and resistance to the idea of attempting a class. Open your heart to the possibility of what yoga will bring to your life - health, happiness, flexibility in both body and mind, a zen head space, a more efficient digestive and immune system, better triceps (ok so I snuck that one in there and it’s by no means the reason that we yogis actually practice yoga, but it is true, and who doesn’t want toned arms)

Tip #2: Don’t be fooled - it’s not always relaxing

The Yoga practice is a transformational one. Anyone that has ever been through a transformation will know that it’s not the most comfortable process. Yoga aims to help us transform our mind, body and spirit into a more healthy, unified and ‘aware’ state. This process is rarely relaxing or comfortable. However, by putting you into stressful situations on the mat, while teaching you how to breathe through it, you learn how to take this practice out of the yoga room, and into the meeting room, or classroom, or car that’s stuck in traffic. It gives you to tools to deal with stress while making your body more healthy, flexible and strong.

Tip #3: Know the benefits

Education is the best motivation. By knowing why it’s important to practice Yoga, you immediately drown out any cause for fear or self consciousness. There are so many articles on the benefits of yoga asana, and even more detail on how yoga can heal various ailments and issues within the body. If you enter the Yoga room knowing these potential benefits you’ll feel excited rather than afraid!

Tip #4: Try Vinyasa Yoga

It’s probably the most physically demanding form of yoga, however if you’re coming from a fitness background, this style of yoga will keep your active brain occupied, until you’re slowly ready for meditation and stillness. If you’ve ever looked at yoga and thought ‘It looks boring’, then this is the type for you. It will have you sweating and stretching at the same time that you won’t have any time for boredom.

Tip #5: Try a few different teachers and classes:

I’ve heard so many people say that they tried yoga ONCE and it just wasn’t for them. Once? Once?!!

How many of you remember the first time you had sex? If I thought sex was always going to be like what it was the first time I had evert tried it, I most certainly would never have had it again (no offence Ryan).

So - give it time.

A lot of yoga studios have intro offers where by you can try 2 weeks of Yoga for £25 - some places even give you a month. They do this because they know that one yoga class will not necessarily be enough to know whether it’s for you or not. Likewise, it’s really important to try different teachers, every teacher brings something new to the table and you will resonate more with one than another. Be promiscuous, try as many different teachers as you can in one week! 

I will say this however, always listen to your body. Some of my favourite people in the entire world don't do yoga, and it's because they are hyper-mobile and yoga has injured them further. If you are extremely mobile you should be combining yoga with weights or some kind of resistance based exercise to protect your body during the practice.

Either way, I hope this helps you to kick your yogaphobia in the face.

Happy yoga-ing.

x

Miss Vertue

Banana Bread made by @thestrengthtemple

Anything that makes me feel good and helps me sleep is most definitely a FRIEND!

A knife can be used to either cause harm (bad) , or slice up a pizza (good) - likewise, Carbohydrates can either be abused, which will in turn cause you to be unhealthy and imbalanced, or not abused, and be strong, lean and beast like.

So before I go into why and how you can use carbohydrates to your advantage, I want to just explain what a carbohydrate is. Education is the best motivation, if you know the why and the how, you’ll 9 times out of 10 make the right choice.

Carbo-Hydr-Ate

Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. That’s it. I feel like when you see something in it’s chemical uniform it becomes so much less 'mean'. Everything around us is a chemical, so as I said earlier there is no good, no bad (it’s all very buddhist really).

A carbohydrate is one of the three main compounds of food - called Macronutrients. The other two are called Protein and Fat.

When you eat carbs, your body turns those carbs into glucose via various biochemical processes. Glucose is then transported to various organs to be used as energy. Some of that excess glucose is then stored as glycogen within the liver and muscles to provide further energy in times of need. 

There are three types of Carbohydrates:

Monosaccharides - these guys are often called simple carbs because they have a simple structure, hence the name ‘mono’ meaning one and ‘saccharide' meaning sugar. Examples of monosaccharides come from glucose, fructose and galactose - a good example of a food with high monosaccharide content is honey. Sweet, sweet, honey.

Oligosaccharides - contain many monosaccharides linked together in chain-like structures. 

Polysaccharides - contain 10 or more monosaccharides - poly being the greek word for ‘many’.

Both Poly and Oligo are also known as complex carbohydrates - complex because they take a little longer for the body to break down. Oligosaccharides are one of the components of fibre found in plants. Our bodies are able to partially break down the Oligosaccharide into glucose, leaving the fibrous, indigestible parts behind - this is good for the gut. Foods like Broccoli, asparagus, whole grains etc all contain complex carbohydrates.

Either way, all forms of carbs are broken down into either glucose for energy, or are left indigested, providing us with fibre (keeping us regular).

Do Carbs make you Fat?

Well here’s the thing, eat too much protein and you’ll get fat. Eat too much lettuce and you’ll get fat - it would take you a while, and you’d have to be extremely disciplined (bordering on crazy) to consume enough lettuce to get you there, but it’s totally possible, because you can’t look beyond caloric expenditure and Macronutrient balance. 

The bottom line is that ANYTHING in excess will make you fat. 

However, here’s something even more interesting, while excess glucose can be stored in the body as fat, it’s important to note that carbohydrate isn’t stored as body fat, as efficiently as dietary fat.*

I’m going to say that again;

Carbs, aren’t stored in the body, as efficiently as dietary fat.

So that essentially means that coconut oil, if consumed excessively, could make you fatter, than if you consumed excessive amounts of potato.

In conclusion, carbs could make you fat, but not as easily as you think, and also not as quickly as dietary fat.

Do carbs make you awesome?

In short, Yes.

1. Carbs stimulate the production of serotonin. One of the best neurotransmitters, like, ever (ok so they’re all good). Serotonin effects mood (in particular elevated mood), sleep, appetite and a few other processes.

Ever tried a low carb diet and had trouble sleeping? It can very often be due to a drop in the production of both tryptophan and serotonin. 

Where does the concept of a carb coma come from? Serotonin of course, so forget what ‘they’ told you, eat your carbs at night for a better sleep to improve your awesomeness levels.

2. Support Digestion. As mentioned earlier complex carbs break down into glucose and fibre. That fibre is incredibly important for optimal gut health, metabolism and detoxification. Fibrous veggies and fruits even are not to be feared, they will support you body to function more efficiently (and of course, keep you lean).

3. Build those buns with glycogen. It’s not just protein that helps to build muscle tissue! When you eat carbs some of the glucose is converted into glycogen which is then stored in the liver and muscles. When you train weights (properly, not in a 2lb tricep kick back kind of way) you drain those muscle glycogen stores. Eating carbs around workouts and with protein is the optimal way to ensure the growth of your muscles. Ladies, remember not to be afraid of muscle growth. The more muscle you have, the higher your your basal metabolic rate is. This means you can consume more calories on a daily basis to maintain a healthy body composition. Muscles also create that ‘tone’ you keep asking your trainer for… 

In conclusion, carbs do make you awesome and they can certainly be your friend.

*1. T J Horton, H Drogues, A Brachey, G W Reed, J C Peters, and J O Hill Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage.

Last weekend I had the privilege of experiencing the beautiful, luxurious and family run resort (or should I say retreat) F Zeen. The intention was to recce the space for a retreat I will be hosting in September. 

It was just a 3.5 hour plane trip from London and a quick transfer from Kefalonia straight to the resort. In a seamless transition I was delivered from the industrious frenzy that is London to the harmonious and almost taoist way of Kefalonian country culture. The effects of that peaceful lifestyle are immediate and London stress feels far away almost instantly.

The resort is owned by Dennis (father), Suzanne (Mother), Ivan (Son) and Tasia (Daughter) - upon meeting them they immediately make me feel a part of the extended family, I’m not the only one, they know all their guests and make sure they are made to feel personally welcomed. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some beautiful resorts in my time, but you just can’t buy the authentic love that comes from a family run business.

Ivan and Tasia have made it their mission to make F Zeen not just a luxurious resort but also a health destination. They have designed the most beautiful gym and yoga deck all under cover, over looking the blue and turquoise Sea - a mesmerising and invigorating view.

The outdoor gym has the perfect ratio of equipment to training space (and I'm talking proper weights). The Yoga Decking fits around 25 people so when practicing alone or in a small group it's breezy and spacious.

The vegetables and herbs used in the restaurant are grown on site, Suzanne makes the Olive Oil from the forrest of Olive Trees that inhabit the island. It’s a farm to table concept that I am in love with.

Every morning I would have breakfast, knowing that the produce had not travelled miles, frozen in a food van only to be defrosted in a microwave and thrown onto my plate. Growing up with my mothers cook-everything-from-scratch Fiji island mentality, that kind of detail is so important to me on a health retreat. 

Funnily enough, I’m writing this from a noisy, over crowded café in London. The coffee is burnt, the flapjacks are heavily coated in a creamy, white substance that is supposed to resemble yoghurt and I’ve just ordered a salad that looks like one of those plastic, glossy dioramas that sushi restaurants use to display the meals on their menu… The tomato is red, but it tastes like grey.

All meals were prepared with love, consumed with an unobstructed view of the sea and tasted like they had come from the Land of Oz - full of natural flavour and most definitely blessed by Glinda the good witch (Wizard of Oz fans out there will understand).

Behind the hotel is a mountain (that I am yet to climb, but I will), the hotel is also connected with a small tour company that can organise sea kayaking and other water sports. It's such an invigoratingly active place and even though you are welcome to relax poolside, you actually WANT to be active.

I honestly can’t wait to host a retreat here in September. We’re looking at dates around the 14th - so save the date! Details to come.

Big love,

Shona. 

This week I really wanted to write a blog about cardio and it’s benefits.

However, as some of you may know through my social media channels, I have been in Sydney, in and out of hospitals all week. My step-dad has a motoneuron disease and has been extremely ill in palliative care. I’ve witnessed some pretty confronting scenes and the contrast of seeing a very ill body has actually made me want to share something more important than cardio. 

It’s love.

Wait a second, before you roll your eyes at the screen.

I’m not going to get all earnest and gooey on you, I simply want to remind you of the importance of LOVE in the role of fitness, and health. 

But first, what motivates you to train?

Is it that summer is around the corner? That you’ll be half naked in a bikini, representing the lifestyle habits and choices you’ve made over the last few months? Is it because you base a teeny bit (or maybe even more) of your self worth on the shape of your thighs or the definition of your abs?

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with using aesthetics as a motivating factor, however, if it’s the only reason you’re training - then where is the LOVE? (go on, sing it - I did).

In my opinion, training works most effectively and sustainably when it comes from a place of LOVE, of PASSION.

Don’t you remember your first love? Remember how good it felt? How eager you were to see her or him? You’d drop everything to be by their side, to turn up, show up and tune in to whatever that person was doing or needing (can you tell I’m Cancerian yet?).

It’s never a chore to see the one you love until, that is, your love runs dry.

Has that possibly happened to you and your body? 

Are you feeling as though you ‘have-to’ go to the gym? Or that you had ‘better-not' eat that, even though you really want to?

Well, perhaps more than drinking skinny pooh tea or gluten free juice detoxes you actually just need to fall back in love with your body (and maybe even just yourself).

Here are my top 3 tips to rekindle the romance;

1. Spend some time in Nature: but here’s the key - you have to do it by yourself. No phone. No music. Just you and raw nature. Why? Because it will suddenly put you back in touch with the amazing senses your body has. Your ability to hear, see, taste, touch and smell. Even if one of these abilities is lacking a little, don’t worry. In Buddhist and Yogic philosophies they believe that you can reach enlightenment through simply meditating on just ONE of the senses.  When nature begins to infiltrate your senses, you suddenly realise how wonderful life really is, and not just life, but your body for helping you to experience the richness of the nature surrounding you. It’s a practice of gratitude, not just in the mind but in every 'sense'.

2. Dance: not just any dance, I’m referring to free form movement. Dancing the way you wanna, liberated dancing. You don’t have to do it in public, you just have to do it, and you have to do it without drugs and alcohol (I mean this wouldn’t really be a very health oriented blog if I was encouraging that sort of thing, now would it?).

Scientists have actually researched to discover that beat perception is innate (the study is pretty cool actually) - to myself and Shiva Rea (as discussed in her incredible Burning Man TED talk) this innate awareness of beat is one of the very reasons that it is so important (and maybe even imperative) that we shake and move what our mumma gave us, freely.

I personally believe that Dance or free form dance is a joyous way to connect to celebratory vibes within the body. We are talking about love here, and I don’t know about you but I’ve seen a few romances begin on the dance floor.

3. Meditate on Love: This meditation actually comes from Thich Naht Hanh (a Buddhist Master)

Reading it alone can be enough to bring about a sense of peacefulness to any negative fires within your mind or heart - but what I have found helpful on myself and my clients is actually recording this on my phone, and playing it back during the meditation - from there it becomes a guided meditation. *If you don’t like the sound of your voice, then, well, get over it, this is a blog about loving yourself, so start with learning to love your own vocal chords. 

“Until we are able to love and take care of ourselves, we cannot be of much help to others.”

May I be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.
May I be safe and free from injury.
May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

May he/she be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.
May he/she be safe and free from injury.
May he/she be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

May we be peaceful, happy and light in body and spirit.
May we be safe and free from injury.

May we be free from anger, afflictions, fear and anxiety.

The first verse is in reference to yourself, the second verse can be said twice, as you would actually have in mind someone you love first, and then for the second round, visualise someone you ‘hate’ or ‘dislike’. The third verse is about including all of you together.

Cultivating love is also about forgiveness, and although you might not think that forgiving your ex will help you become more fit, the release of resistance towards that person or situation will, in time, support your body and your life. Be it through a simple reduction in cortisol, or the vanishing of a need to emotionally eat - letting go of anger and resentment, while cultivating absolution will make you a healthier human.

To finish - here are some of my favourite quotes about love. Apply them not to the love you have of others, but instead, love of yourself. See how it feels (it feels damn good when you get it right - better than hot cinnamon donuts or warm baths or dare I say it, a morning coffee).

"All, everything that I understand, I only understand because I love."

 ~Leo Tolstoy~

“If I know what love is, it is because of you."

~Herman Hesse~

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

~Lao Tzu~

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

~Rumi~

Lots of love

x

Miss Vertue

This blog came highly requested after the snapchat protein rant I endured everyone to a few weeks ago. Interestingly, I have been inundated with questions and requests for Plant Based protein suggestions. 

To quickly answer another commonly asked question, while I don’t consume milk or whey protein, I am yet to become Vegan. I was Vegan a few years back and it unfortunately rendered me quite ill (I developed chronic fatigue, severe anaemia and very low blood pressure). I am not saying that will happen to everyone, it just happened to me. I might also add that when I undertook a vegan lifestyle, I did so in a very uneducated way, no supplementation, barely any green vegetable consumption, lots of processed carbohydrates and barely any protein. So, I was bound to become ill. Needless to say, I am reluctant to dive back into it, and am taking slow and consistent steps to reduce my consumption of animal products - for ethical reasons only, not health reasons.

As I mentioned above, one of the main reasons I became so ill was my huge lack of protein intake.

Proteins are composed of amino acids.

We are amino acid driven organisms. We need protein for, not just our muscles, but also our hair, skin, nails and many metabolic functions within the body, including the production of hormones, enzymes and even haemoglobin.

We can store fat (in fat cells) and carbohydrates (as glycogen) - but our body has no way to store protein as an extra reserve somewhere, because of this, we need to eat it consistently.

The good news is, we don’t always have to get it from dead or suffering animals (sorry if that’s a little graphic, but I think that it’s important to acknowledge and respect the source of your protein, especially if it’s coming from the suffering of another life).

The issue we often run into when sourcing our protein from plants, is that it’s often not a complete protein.

A complete protein refers to the amino acid profiling of a protein source. Here’s a quick protein and amino acid 101:

1. There are 20 difference amino acids that can form a protein
2. 9 of those amino acids can only be sourced from external foods, meaning, your body can not produce these. These are called the 9 essential amino acids.
3. To call a protein ‘complete’ it must contain all 9 essential amino acids.
4. Meat and Dairy are complete proteins, nuts and legumes are not.

Right, some more good news; you don't actually always need to have all 9 essential amino acids in every single bite of protein, you just need to have them over the course of a day.

A predictable and boring as this opinion is, it just reiterates why I believe in a balanced diet. Full of many different plants to ensure that you are acquiring all the nutrients required for a healthy functioning body. I mean, what I’m saying isn’t ground breaking information. We all know the benefits of balance in everything we do.

To help with this, I recently found this great article that describes the plant sources of all nutrients that the body requires. Have a read here and make a rainbow on your plate (not of skittles, but of real fruit and vegetables).

If you’re time poor like me, or don’t always have access to an array of veggies, nuts and legumes, you’ll be wondering if there is a convenient protein powder to consume - my go to is also known as 'Vegans Whey'. It is a blend of Pea and Rice protein because when combined, contains a great amino acid profile and is easily digested by the body.

Of course there are some other high protein vegetables such as Quinoa and Hemp Powder (But I personally react very poorly to quinoa, and hemp is a slow digesting protein, so it’s not necessarily the best option post workout).

I will say it again, as cliché as it is, you can’t go past the benefits of a balanced diet so make sure if you are vegan or vegetarian, aim for a range of different protein types to ensure that you’re hitting all of those nine essential Amino Acids.

^Please remember that I am not a dietician or nutritionist. If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough protein then I would highly recommend visiting a doctor or dietician that can point you in the right direction - the above is merely a reflection of my dietary choices, they may not be suitable for you.

References:

*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905294/

**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_Digestibility_Corrected_Amino_Acid_Score

I’m going to require a little audience participation here, or at least, just some involvement with your imagination - it won’t take long. Stay with me to the end.

Imagine you were about to embark on a 12 week holiday. 12 weeks is a long time, and it will probably be more like a journey.

You’re excited. Journeys bring about change, they are change in fact. There is much anticipation for the outcome and for the journey itself.

The only problem is that you’ve got this friend coming a long. He’s going through a bit of a tough time at the moment, you love him dearly but he just won’t stop talking about it. He’s coming on the 12 week trip as well and you know that he will insist on talking about his problems the whole trip. Because he is a little down at the moment he focuses on every negative aspect experienced throughout the journey. Every day, relentless negative discussion.

You’re kind of shitty right? 12 weeks of that? It’s your holiday, how dare he. It’s your journey too, why shouldn’t you have the chance to experience something wonderful?

Let’s use that same scenario, with one minor change. The negative nelly friend is replaced with someone positive. They are keen and excited for the journey - they are fully connected to each moment as though they were riding fast down the highway in a vintage Ferrari 250, roof off, good tunes on (I mean the dream…). They choose to experience joy, or search for lessons. They are grateful for every experience. They know they will come to their destination at some point. They refuse to see how far they have to go and only focus on the rejoice of how far they have come.

Um, yes please! Who are they and what’s their instagram?

Seriously though, who would you rather take with you on that 12 week journey?

You know the answer.

Oh and don’t get all mother Teresa on me saying ‘but maybe I can help the negative nelly…’ In this story you can’t and he’s going to feel that way regardless.

The point of this story is to highlight often where we go wrong when we try to diet or ‘lose weight’. 

We embark on a journey that will take a bit of time and we bring our neg-head friend with us. We bring the inner critic that is judging our progress every step of the way, but he/she judges from the perspective of how far you’ve still got to go. He/She reinforces, every time you step into the shower, the fat that is STILL on you’re tummy, or thighs, or back. He/She makes food the enemy, promotes guilt and makes you feel shameful of any choice you make be it healthy or not.

Where as we really should bring our positive, inquisitive, Christopher Columbus like friend that is excited for the journey. He/She focuses on how close you now are to achieving that push up and thinks upon how strong you’re feeling in your body. How much you’re learning about food and how it can nourish you. He/She focuses on how far you have come already since you began. He/She thinks you are an amazing traveller, and that you are doing so incredibly well.

You can see what I’m getting at right?

That annoying voice inside your head, that is constantly criticising you or your food or your workout - is not necessary. It just isn’t. 

Positive focus is just as important as the calories you are or aren’t having. 

As they say, time flies when you’re having fun - so leave that dull friend at the bus stop and you’ll be less likely to cut your journey short and you’ll get to your goals much more enjoyably.

Happy training.

Stay hydrated.

x

Miss Vertue.