1. Introduction and New Year resolutions vs healthy habits
2. The law of the farm
3. 5 mistakes you are making at the gym

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Can you really believe we have just finished the first decade of the 21st century. I remember the mayhem regarding Y2K as if it was yesterday.

I am not going to write an article about new years resolutions as I do not believe in them. I hope this does not dissappoint you but I believe that many people set themselves up for failure for weight loss and health when they try to adhere to new years resolutions.

Instead of this, I am a firm believer in following principles and healthy habits. Principles are not laws but general guidelines to follow especially when you are having a tough month at work or you are constantly travelling and trying to stay healthy and fit.

I believe that you reap what you sow and this months main article is about the law of the farm and how you can apply it to achieve a leaner healthier body.

I am really going to emphasize the need for you to really know what you are doing when you are exercising this year and I have written the second part of the article “5 mistakes you are making in the gym”.

I hope everyone enjoyed the christmas cheer and spent some time with families and friends and are looking forward to 2010 with renewed vigour and energy.

I read a lot of personal development books and currently I am reading stephen coveys’ “First things first”. I came across a paragraph entitled ‘the law of the farm’ and straightaway it was obvious how this could be used as an analogy to achieve the health and fitness you want.

The book states that in agriculture, we can easily see the natural laws and principles that govern the work and determine the harvest. In otherwords the farmer lays the crop in the spring, works the land all summer and lets the crop grow and reaps the reward in the autumn.

Can you imagine what would happen if he just forgot about laying the crop, lazed around all summer and then tried to rip up the soil, plant the seeds, water and cultivate the land all during autumn. Do you think he would get a bountiful crop.

What does this have to do with weight loss and health?

Todays society is full of quick fixes like detox plans, diet plans, miracle weight loss cures, stupid cardio fads and crazy ab machines that promise instant weight loss. The majority of people think they can skip the natural laws and processes and just get lighter and leaner overnight.

Yes the short cuts work, for a SHORT time only. However vibrant health is based on natural principles. As Mr Covey puts it, “it grows over time out of regular exercise, proper nutrition, adequate rest, a healthy mind-set, avoiding substances that are harmful to the body”.

Do you reap what you sow?

I know (well I can make a pretty good guess) that everyone will stand in front of the mirror after their morning or evening shower and take a good long look at their body.

I want you to ask yourself the following question – “Is my body the product of regular planned exercise – healthy eating – adequate rest and a healthy mindset?”

If you are 5, 10, 15kg overweight or you are a far cry from the body you want ask yourself that question and be totally honest with your answer.

I have listened to so many people tell me that they eat healthy and yet their body does not reflect their words. Yes you may eat healthy one or two days in the week but then live it up from thursday onwards. You may exercise twice one week and then once the following week. You may get a good nights sleep in tuesday but get to bed late every other night.

The laws of nature apply to weight loss and health but we sow one thing and expect to reap something completely different.

How do I follow the law of the farm?

Here are some practical tips to follow the law of the farm and become the healthiest person you can be:

• Stand in front of the mirror and ask yourself the question above (remember – be brutally honest)
• Know where you are and where you want to go i.e weigh yourself, get your body fat measured, know your blood pressure, get a health check-up. Whatever goal you want, find out where you are and set a deadline to achieve your new health goal.
• Sort out your nutrition – I have talked about this in previous newsletters – if you want the human design guide to healthy eating just email me and I will send it to you
• Start a strength training program – it is the number one tool for holistic health
• Change up your cardio and perform interval training
• Get adequate sleep preferably by going to bed every night at a similar time
• Hydrate – rest and relax. Is your work that important that you cannot relax?

I hope this makes you realise that there are no quick fixes for health. The laws of nature govern everything we do and we can all be healthy, lean and strong by applying simple, timeless, guaranteed to work principles.

Please use this advice and then when you read my newsletter this time next year you can send me your success story.

If you’d like to join John’s mailing list, please email john (at) humandesign (dot) com (dot) au

Following on from part I, let’s explore what the other 5 common mistakes are and this will help you to make the most out of your time at the gym.

1. The gym is not the library

I know you all have stressful jobs and I know the gym can be a place to relax but if you really want to lose weight and get stronger, do not mistake the gym for the library. Everyday I see people sitting on the recumbent bikes reading the latest glossy magazine or their favourite novel. If your exercise is that boring then please change your routine or go to a class where you cannot read.

2. Hanging out at the gym

I know some of my friends who take 2 hours for their workout because they are too busy chatting to everyone they know.

The gym can be a great social outlet but again if you are spending time talking to friends or hanging by the water cooler then you are not taking your training seriously enough. I am quite sure you can chat about the weather at the end of your workout.

If you are chatting you are also cooling down and letting your heart rate slow down. This will not help your body to burn calories.

3. Lifting weights too fast

Have you ever gone to the gym and witnessed some of the circus acts that are performed there. I get as much entertainment in the gym some days as I would at cirque de soleil.

If you spot one of the (usually male) gym bandits performing a bicep curl and they are arching their back like a limbo performance, please do not see this as good technique. These guys are lifting weights using momentum and not using the muscles they are supposed to be using and they get injured.

If you want to to get strong and lean, lift weights slowly and with perfect technique, which leads me to my next point.

4. Improper or no instruction

I know that many people are intimidated by trainers so they never ask questions. Always ask about the exercise you are performing. Have you got the right foot placement, are you lifting too little or too much, is your posture good, are you breathing right. Improper form in the gym leads to injuries and pain and poor results. Be strict with your technique and learn how to lift weights the right way from a professional.

5. Not refueling correctly after your session?

I dont know how many times I have asked clients what they are eating after a hard workout and they look at me as if I have 2 heads.

The 60 minutes after your training are extremely important to refuel the muscles and to replace lost fluids from your workout. Research shows that your muscles are like a sponge in the 1-2 hours straight after weight training and if you eat the right protein, carbs and fats you will develop lean strong muscles.

It pains me to see people weighing themselves in the gym right after a workout. If you have lost 1kg after working out the general rule of thumb is to replace each kg with 1 ltr of water as you have only lost fluid.

If you are making any of the following mistakes in the gym, please correct them straight away and you will notice huge differences in your results.

If you’d like to join John’s mailing list, please email john (at) humandesign (dot) com (dot) au

and

Created by Oatmeal

You’ve no doubt been treated to the generosity and gorgeous nature of the sweet and sassy Kristin Rohan. Whether it has been chats over bubbles or coffee or her hand written birthday notes, Kristin has made the effort to put a little sparkle into our days. Now it’s time to return the favour!

Please donate a little so we can spoil Kristin with a couple of bottles of her favourite tipple(s). Leave a message in the comments section and we’ll put them all together in something amazing.

If you’re not comfortable with donating by PayPal you can contact me to arrange an alternative through my gmail address: 

UPDATE! turns out it will be Kristin’s birthday very soon so this will be great timing! Hope to be able to give her the goodies at the end of next week.

1. Is your dad in Good Charlotte?

If the answer is yes, your dad is a dickhead. Good luck kid.

To stop those monsters 1-2-3
Here’s a fresh new way that’s trouble free
It’s got Paul Anka’s guarantee…
Guarantee void in Tennessee!

Just don’t look!
Just don’t look!
Just don’t look!
Just don’t look!

Seriously, you talking about it is exactly what they wanted! Has anyone seen a bottle stocked anywhere? Doesn’t that seem a little strange? And would you really boycott a product just because it has a stupid name and continue buying products from shady companies and dodgy operators?

Her? Really?

(Obviously I don’t just question the females but that’s the quote. Deal with it.)

1 red capsicum (thinly sliced)

1 carrot (thinly sliced)

1 Red Delicious apple (thinly sliced)

A few leaves of fresh mint (thinly sliced)

Rice vermicelli noodles

Rice paper sheets

1 cup of peanut oil (for frying)

Peanut sauce:

1/2 cup of crunchy peanut butter

1 cup Hoisin Sauce

1/2 cup of boiling water

1 tsp chopped chillies

Cook the vermicelli noodles according to the packet. Mix all ingredients of the peanut sauce together (I make two batches, one without chillies for me!).

Heat the peanut oil in a wok on high. Flatten the pork meatballs with your hands and fry them in the wok for 2-3 minutes. Turn to ensure they are cooked evenly but watch out for splashes. I do 3-4 meatballs at a time. Drain the cooked pork on a wire rack or on paper towels to remove the excess oil.

Place a rice paper sheet in a bowl of boiling water until soft. Carefully lay out the sheet on a plate and put a flattened, cooked pork meatball in the centre of the sheet. Add some vermicelli noodles and a tablespoon of peanut sauce. Add some capsicum, apple, carrot and mint. Fold the rice paper neatly (or not so neatly !!) in a roll. Repeat! Serve with the dipping sauce for more peanuty goodness.

These rolls can be reheated but make sure you store the excess in a container lined with baking paper. The sauce can also be stored and reused (I heated the sauce as well).

I didn’t take a photo of these (too busy eating them – yum!) but this image from Chewlog should give you an indication of what your rolls should look like.

I’m going to be adding this recipe to Food.com. Read all about it here!

Do you know what your company’s policy is regarding social networking?

Your answers:

Enough of the stats, back to the words.