My New Body Forums

Mothers Day Classic

Jason — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:56:00 GMT

The Mothers Day Classic gives you the chance to make a real difference to the lives of those diagnosed with *** cancer. Make a difference by simply walking, running or sponsoring a participant, to help raise vital funds for the National *** Cancer Foundation. In 2008 the Mothers Day Classic will be held on Sunday 11 May in capital cities and regional areas across Australia.

If you can't run or walk it, get along and support the thousands of others who are doing their bit for Breat Cancer Research!

More details at www.mothersdayclassic.com.au

Pick Your Protein Carefully

Jason — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:51:00 GMT

Your body needs many different proteins for various purposes. It makes them from about 20 'building blocks' called amino acids. Nine of these are essential amino acid, which means you must get them from food. The others are nonessential. This does not mean you do not need them. You just do not have to eat them because your body can produce them.

It is easiest to get protein from meat, chicken, turkey, fish and dairy foods. Cooked meat is about 15 to 40 percent protein. Foods from animal sources provide complete protein, which means they contain all the essential amino acids.

Next to meat, legumes – beans, peas and peanuts – have the most protein. But they are called incomplete proteins because they are lacking some essential amino acids. You can get complete protein if you combine them with plant foods from one of these categories – grains, seeds and nuts, and vegetables. Eat any two or more of these plant foods, with or without beans, and you get complete protein.

You do not have to eat these foods in the same dish, or even in the same meal. But many cultures have created combinations that work well – like corn and beans in Mexico, or rice and split peas in India.

So it's not all about quantity, but quality counts!

The Biggest Loser

Jason — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:50:00 GMT

I guess a lot of you out there watch the Biggest Loser. I hear a lot of people bag the show saying that it sets unrealistic expectations for people in the "real" world. This may be true to a certain extent, but it also shows that given discipline, hard training (none of this 30 minutes, 3 times a week), a good diet and motivation, that ANYBODY can achieve a transformation like these guys have been able to do. Sure it might take longer, because we don't all have access to Bob, Jillian, Shanna, Michelle or The Commando or access to the White House, but given the right support, the right program and the will to succeed ANYONE can improve their health, fitness and lifestyle!

The Biggest Loser

Jason — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:44:00 GMT

The Biggest Loser

Jason — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:30:00 GMT

Viewers of the biggest loser will know for themselves the advantages of having your own personal trainer push you towards some awesome results. Whilst most of the trainers at www.gopersonaltraining.com.au (our Personal Trainers of choice) may not yell and scream as much as the trainers on the Biggest Loser, they are just as good as providing you with the motivation and knowledge to help you achieve your goals.

If you need more than just a program from www.mynewbody.com.au, then maybe try some face to face personal training with www.gopersonaltraining.com.au to take on the challenge of getting fit, losing weight and toning up. They will help you become the biggest WINNER!

Mynewbody on ninemsn

Jason — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:14:00 GMT

You can now find www.mynewbody.com.au on the ninemsn network of sites under the health section. www.ninesmn.com.au has lots of information about health and wellbeing including the full www.mynewbody.com.au site.

How strong are you?

Jason — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:10:00 GMT

You can do a quick and easy series of tests to see how strong you are:

What you will need to do is use My New Body's free fitness assessment and do the following tests: Click the link to go to our assessment page: http://fitness.mynewbody.com.au/assessment/

How many pushups can you do in 1 minute?

How long can you hold a "plank for? (What's a plank - click here http://fitness.mynewbody.com.au/exercise/abs-and-core/abdominals/plank-34)

How many squats can you do in 60 seconds?

Once you have performed these exercises and entered your results in the free assessment you will get almost instant feedback on how strong you are. Simple as that. If you then need some help to improve your strength in certain areas, you can use the site to see what exercises to do to strengthen your weaknesses or get your own mynewbody.com.au program (Click here to go to the info page http://mynewbody.com.au/membership)

The benefits of aerobic exercise - more than you thought!

Jason — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:03:00 GMT

Below are more than a few reasons why aerobic exercise is not only great for you, but why it is an essential part of a healthy life! Read on and I'm sure you will learn more about the benefits.

Improves Bone Calcium
Improves Blood High Density Cholesterol
Improves Handling Of Excess Heat
Increases Hemoglobin Improves Resistance To Cold
Decreases Blood Tri-glycerides
Emotional Lift (both psychological and physiological (hormones))
Decreases Blood Pressure
Decreases Insulin Requirement
Increases Glycogen Storage
Less Conversion Of Sugar To Fat
Increases Stroke Volume of Heart
Decreases Resting Heart Rate
Increases Oxygen Delivery To Brain
Increased Oxygen Pickup In The Lungs
Increases Fat Burning Enzymes
Fat Deposits Release Fatty Acids
Better Better Control Of Hunger
Decreases Body Fat
Decreases Stress and Increases Ability To Handle Stress
Increases Aerobic Threshold (Endurance)
Higher Level Of Exercise More Calories Burned and More Fat Calories Burned
More Calories Required At Rest
Decreases Load On The Heart
Decreases Incidence of Hypoglycemia

I bet that this is more than you ever thought. All of this from just 30 minutes of exercise regularly (at least 3-4 times per week)!!!

Self assessment of your diet

Jason — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:54:00 GMT

By using the free dietary assessments on mynewbody.com.au you can quickly and easily get some feedback on your current diet.

We have assessments for the following:

Food variety - this free assessment will give you feedback on whether or not you have enough variety of various foods

Fat intake - this free assessment will provide you feedback on what your current fat intake is and whether this is good, low, high or very high.

You can then use these dietary assessments to make changes to your diet or you can enlist mynewbody dietitians to look deeper into your diet. For more infomation on the dietitian services we offer, please click the following link (it just opens up an information page): http://mynewbody.com.au/membership/

Oxfam Trailwalker

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:33:00 GMT

Want to lose weight, get fit, bond with friends and raise money for one of the most respected organisations in the world all at the same time? If you answered yes to all, then the Oxfam Trailwalker could be for you. With walks in Melbourne and Sydney, it's a great chance to get involved in two worthwhile causes (1. Getting yourself fitter, healthier and proud of your own achievements and 2. Making the world a better place by raising money for Oxfam).

What's involved? Simple. Get together a team of 4 people, walk 100km in 48 hours. Simple.

The Melbourne event is being held on 11-13 April - go to http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/melbourne/ for more details

The Sydney event will be held on 29-31 August (to be confirmed) - go to http://www2.oxfam.org.au/trailwalker/sydney/ for more details.

GET WALKING and GET FIT!!!

Eat well when you eat out

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:24:00 GMT

When you are trying to eat well (and clean - ie low fat, low processed foods, etc...) ot can often be difficult when you leave your home. Here are a few suggestions of what you can eat and how to make the right choices...

When eating out, here is a list of good foods to eat:

Sushi and sashimi
Clear soups with vegetables, lean meat, noodles
Grilled meats (small lean serves) – ie eye fillet is better than the t-bone, any gravy or sauce on the side
Steamed rice with your meal
Grilled fish and chicken
Salad (with dressing on the side) and vegetables as a side dish, instead of chips and bread
Stir fries, especially those with seafood and vegetables
Pasta with a tomato based sauce
Fruit salad for dessert

Eating Out Tip: When eating out, you want to enjoy the food you are eating; so pick the 3 dishes you like the most, and you think are relatively low in fat (ie avoid foods that are battered, crumbed, fried, or have cream sauces), and then from these 3, choose the one that is the best for you (usually the least fat).

There is always a good choice available!

Weight loss - rule 4 of 8

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 03:18:00 GMT

Educate yourself.

Don’t use the excuse, “I didn’t know that x food was high in fat”. Read the labels, ask a trainer, get on a forum, do whatever it takes to learn about what you are eating. The same goes for exercise, don’t use the excuse of I didn’t know what to do? Read a fitness magazine, ask online, ask a friend, buy a $10 calorie book, do whatever it takes.

You can use every excuse under the sun but none of them will help you achieve your goals - you will only justify to yourself why you haven't been able to achieve your goals: nett result = NO GOAL ACHIEVED

Update end Jan 2008

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:54:00 GMT

My New Body is continuing in its quest to become Australias foremost health and fitness site. We have had many thousands of people worldwide already use the site, especially using our free dietary assessments and fitness assessments and our easy to use calculators. We already have had many people buy our online training and fitness programs and have received some great feedback on these programs. Thanks to all so far!!!

Getting a dietitian to review your diet

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:41:00 GMT

This is not as daunting as it sounds, nor do you have to live nearby or know a dietitian. One of My New Body's services is to offer the genearl public affordable on-line and telephone access to fully qualified Dietitians. We will get you to take a food diary for 3 days, review the food diary providing you recommendations and advice and will also hold a 30 minute telephone consultation with you to explain their written advice and answer any questions you might have.

This is what our dietitians say about their service:

What is eaten affects a person's day, their ability to cope with a busy lifestyle and their work and sporting performance. A dietitian works to make eating more suited to individual needs, to help people develop healthy lifestyles and to understand and enjoy food better.

Our dietitians can suggest ways for you to modify your usual dietary intake. This may be needed to help control weight (gain or loss), blood fats levels or diabetes. Others, who experience indigestion, constipation or other digestive discomfort, may benefit from a change in eating patterns.

This is a great service that makes dietitians very accesible and affordable.

For more info, visit: http://mynewbody.com.au/membership

The 12 minute run

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:33:00 GMT

There are several versions of the 12 minute run. Some can determine an estimate of your VO2 max whereas others just give you a ranking based on the population. By far the easiest version of this is to simply run for 12 minutes (or another similar, but standard amount of time), and see how far you go - this is your baseline. Then once per month repeat the 12 minute run at the same location/track and see how far you go - if your fitness is increasing you should have gone further than last time. this is a quick and easy way to check if your fitness and leg strength (endurance) is increasing.

The alternative to this is to run a known distance (eg a 3km running track or 8 laps of a 400m track, etc...) and record your time. Every month run exactly the same track and see if your time is improving. If it is, great, once again you are getting fitter, if it's not, your fitness is generally not improving and you need to make some changes if you want to see your fitness/speed increase!

Wanting more than an online trainer?

admin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:29:00 GMT

Go Personal Training, Personal Trainers on the GO

Go Personal Training is a mobile Melbourne based personal training. We have fully certified personal trainers operating throughout Melbourne and suburbs. Go's mobile personal trainers will come to you and help you achieve your health goals, whether they be weight loss, increased fitness or getting back into exercise.

A program for YOU

Our personal trainers will help you out by putting together your own specific exercise program, which might include cardio training, strength training, weight training, core training and flexibility training. Our personal trainers come to you and train you in the comfort of your own home, at a local park or at your office. If one on one training is not for you, we encourage you to get a group of friends together and form your own fitness group and undertake group fitness training.

Body Fat Percentage

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:14:00 GMT

Did you know… That two people can have the same height and weight, but very different percentages of body fat?

Did you know… That unless incorportaing strength (resistance training) into your exercise regime, chances are that if you are losing weight, you will lose muscle as well as fat?

Weight management is a goal on a lot of people’s minds these days. People get on the scales in the morning, and the number they see may determine how they feel about themselves. But the truth is that some people make think they are overweight, when the amount of fat they have on their bodies is just fine, while others may carry hidden fat that the scale won’t tell them about.

What is Body Fat Percentage?

Our bodies are made up of a lot of different kinds of tissues (plus a lot of water). There is muscle, fat, bone, and specialized tissue such as is in our various organs. The body fat percentage is just that –- the percentage of our weight which is made up of fat. Body fat percentage is similar to terms such as body fat ratio and body composition. The part that isn’t fat is called our “lean body mass.” A 72.5kg person with a lean body mass of 54kg has 25 percent body fat (18kg of fat). That may sound like a lot, but our bodies need a certain amount of fat for insulation, energy storage, hormone production, and other functions scientists are just discovering.

How Much Body Fat Should a Person Have?

This depends upon a few variables. Women need more body fat than men. Breasts are almost all fat, and women have more fat around their hips -– that’s just the way it was meant to be. If a woman’s body fat drops too low, she will stop menstruating. Also, men naturally have a greater amount of muscle bulk. Another factor is age. As people get older, their muscles tend to shrink, and they tend to accumulate visceral fat. This is at least partially related to the decline in testosterone and other hormones.

What should your body fat percent be?

Your ideal weight and fat-lean ratio varies considerably for men and women and by age, but the minimum percent bodyfat considered safe for good health is 5% for males and 12% for females. The average adult body fat is closer to 15%-18% for men and 22%-25% for women. Athletes tend to be at low end of this scale due to the increased lean weight (muscle mass) of top athletes. While low levels of bodyfat seem to be related to improved performance, body composition alone is not a great predictor of sports success.

How Low Is Too Low?

While the average body fat percent in the Western world (esp Australia, UK, and the US) is increasing, low body fat percent is also a health problem. The female athlete triad highlights the probelm. Women athletes who lose too much fat risk injury, decreased performance and health issues.

How Much Is Too Much?

Just as too little body fat can cause physiological complications, too much body fat is also harmful. For men over 25% and women over 32% fat, there is a dramatic correlation with illness and disease.

Isn't Body Composition Genetic?

Some aspects of your body composition are genetic (where you store fat), but most fat increase is related to lifestyle.

Can I Change My Body Composition?

Yes. To increase or decrease your percent of body fat you need to create the right balance between the calories in and calories out. The best way to do this is to decrease daily caloires by about 500 and increase your exercise. Aerobic exercise along with strength training is ideal. Our online trainers at My New Bodys can write a program for you to help you achieve your own specific goals.

The importance of Core stability

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:10:00 GMT

In a healthy spine there is activation of deep core muscles in stabilization of the trunk before the body moves. This interaction between the deep core muscles and the nervous system plays a role in the proprioceptive feedback sent to the brain as we perform activities and undergo our normal activities.

From rehab to sports and fitness training, the importance of core stability is no secret. A strong core leads to the improvement of everyday life, injury prevention, chronic back pain reduction, and enhanced sports performance.

Growing popularity and proven results have vaulted core strengthening exercises into all types of training programs from the rehab clinic to the Pilates studio to any program conducted by a qualified personal trainer.

All of our My New Body fitness programs also take into account people core stability needs!

TRANS FATS

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:00:00 GMT

TRANS FATS – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW!

Trans Fats have become a hot topic of discussion in the USA and in the health industry, but general awareness in Australia seems quite low. This may be because legislation in Australia does not yet require Trans Fats to be identified on food labels, so we simply aren’t aware that we’re eating it.

What are Trans Fats?

Trans Fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat with trans- isomer fatty acid. Most Trans Fats in our diet come from chemically altered vegetable oils. These oils are made using a process called hydrogenation, and are appropriately called ‘hydrogenated vegetable oils’. Essentially, a bunch of chemicals (some of them petroleum based) are used to turn liquid vegetable oil into solid fat, and in the process, Trans Fats are produced.

So are Trans Fats Bad for me?

Doesn’t sound healthy, does it? Well it’s NOT. Trans Fats have been linked to high cholesterol, which can lead to health conditions such as coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. The main problem is that Trans Fats increase levels of ‘bad’ LDL Cholesterol, while simultaneously reducing levels of ‘good’ HDL Cholesterol in the body. While saturated fats (animal fats) also increase bad cholesterol, they don’t have the magnifying effect of reducing good cholesterol at the same time. Health authorities worldwide have concluded that Trans Fats are detrimental to health, and offer no positive benefits whatsoever. Therefore, there is no recommended daily upper limit for trans fats consumption, as any amount of consumption is believed to increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

Which Foods Contain Trans Fats?

Because labeling of Trans Fats is not yet compulsory in Australia, it can be difficult to tell exactly what you are eating. As a general rule, any product containing ‘hydrogenated’ or ‘partially hydrogenated’ vegetable oil is likely to contain Trans Fats. This includes a huge range of sweet and savoury snack foods (biscuits, chips, rice crackers), baked goods (cakes, muffins, donuts) and fried fast foods (hot chips, fried chicken, spring rolls, deep fried fish).

Why are Trans Fats used by manufacturers?

Trans Fats are used because they are cheap, add bulk to products, have a neutral flavour and give products a long shelf life. Restaurants started to use vegetable oils for frying after saturated animal fats were declared unhealthy, and hydrogenated vegetable oils were cheaper to use and had a longer life span.

Avoiding Trans Fats

Avoiding Trans Fats comes down to general healthy eating principles, and taking care when reading product labels. This means using taking care to ensure the only oils you consume, are as close as possible to their natural state, and are NOT hydrogenated!

· avoid products that list hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils or fats on the label

· avoid all fried fast foods

· avoid commercially baked goods such as doughnuts, pastries and biscuits

· contact the manufacturers of your favourite products if you have a concern about their ingredients

· bake or fry your own alternatives at home, using healthier, 100% natural oils such as olive oil

The Final Word

Remember – ALL oils and fats contain the same amount of kilojoules, and even the ‘healthier’ versions should only be used in very small amounts if you wish to lose or maintain your weight!

Febfast for a good cause

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:47:00 GMT

FEB FAST

Here’s an idea which is both healthy and helpful.

“FebFast” is a month long event, which challenges people to sacrifice alcohol for one month to raise funds to help young people struggling with substance use. The benefits of participation are likely to include:

Deeper sleep
Weight loss / reduced bloating
Money saved!
Greater awareness of personal alcohol consumption patterns, and
Greater understanding of how difficult it may be for a young person to give up a serious habit of substance use.

But most of all you are likely to feel great!

If you have a special February event (like Valentine’s Day, Birthday or Wedding), you can purchase a ‘Time Out Card’ . This will allows you time off to enjoy your special event, after which you simply resume participation in FebFast.

Sign up at www.febfast.com.au where you get your own blog space to write a short bio and talk about your expectations and experiences. Get your friends and family to sponsor you and send notes of encouragement via the blog page which also tallies up your funds raised. Proceeds from the 2008 FebFast campaign will be distributed to organisations that undertake research, and provide prevention and service delivery programs for young people.

What is the beep test

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:43:00 GMT

The multi-stage fitness test, also known as the bleep test, beep test, pacer test, or shuttle run test, is used by sports coaches and trainers to estimate an athlete's VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake). The test is especially useful for players of sports like football, hockey, rugby, or tennis.

The test involves running continuously between two points that are 20 m apart. These runs are synchronised with a pre-recorded audio tape or CD, which plays beeps at set intervals. As the test proceeds, the interval between each successive beep reduces, forcing the athlete to increase velocity over the course of the test, until it is impossible to keep in sync with the recording.

The recording is typically structured into 23 'levels', each of which lasts 60 seconds. Usually, the interval of beeps is calculated as requiring a speed at the start of 8.5 km/h, increasing by 0.5 km/h with each level. The progression from one level to the next is signalled by 3 rapid beeps. The highest level attained before failing to keep up is recorded as the score for that test. The procedure is designed to measure the maximum endurance of an individual.

This test is now used by the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy as one of the basic measures of personal fitness. It is also used in the fitness test when one applies to be a Police Community Support Officer. The minimum level required for Royal Air Force Officers is 9.2, Army officers at selection is 10.2, and Royal Marine Officers at least 11.0. The Royal Navy has no set level, however a maximal effort must be demonstrated. The test is also used by the Australian Defence Force, Canadian Forces, Australian Federal Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and various Australian States.

It was created by Dr.LA Leger in 1982, and was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test

BRW triathlon series is coming

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:39:00 GMT

BP Ultimate/BRW Corporate Triathlon Series

Welcome to Season 2008

SuperSprint is excited to introduce the 2008 BP Ultimate/BRW Corporate Triathlon National Series. Last season over 14, 000 competitors enthusiastically donned their corporate colours in what proved to be the event's best season yet. The 2008 series is set to be even better with a number of new improvements. Look out for enhancements to the courses and exciting new sponsors, Virgin Blue and Balmain Commercial, who will be joining us for the 2008 season.

For more than 20 years BP Ultimate/BRW Corporate Triathlon National Series has acted as a fun and challenging team event for companies all over Australia. This year we again look forward to seeing the familiar faces of those regular competitors and welcoming first timers into the sport of triathlon. Good luck with your preparation and training!

Race Dates for 2008

MONTH	DATE	EVENT
March	2	Race 1 - Melbourne, Elwood Beach
March	9	Race 2 - Perth, Langley Park
March	16	Race 3 - Adelaide, West Lakes
April	13	Race 4 - Sydney, Mrs Macquarie's Point
April	27	Race 5 - Gold Coast, The Spit

Opening dates for 2008

MONTH	DATE	EVENT
December	11	50% Rule - Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
December	13	Remaining Entries Open - Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide
January	22	50% Rule - Sydney, Gold Coast
January	24	Remaining Entries Open - Sydney, Gold Coast

For more info: www.supersprint.com.au

Our first month

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:21:00 GMT

Well, mynewbody.com.au has been up and running for one month now. In this short time we have had over 30,000 visitors to the site to use our calculators, read our articles, FAQ's, recipes and everything else and we have had almost 3500 people complete our free assessments! The site will continue to grow over the coming months, we will be adding more foods, recipes, articles and FAQs as well as some more exercises to our exercise database! Thanks for using the site, and please keep using it and don't forget to tell all your friends!!!

Our online trainer section is fully functional as well. For a great price you can order a training plan, nutritional review and some motivational phone calls. Enjoy!

Jason

What makes a good trainer?

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:15:00 GMT

Your personal trainer should have the following credentials and have the ability to do the following tasks:

In Australia, they should be qualified (minimum Certificate IV in PT) and registered by Fitness Australia

They should have some good life experience to understand your individual circumstances.

They should provide you with an overall exercise program to be done when they are not around.

They should review your diet and provide practical suggestions to improve your diet to help you achieve your goals.

They should tailor the training sessions and make them interesting and challenging so that every time you train you feel the benefits of the workout. It is not one size fits all!

If you would like a trainer who can do all of this for you and you live in Melbourne, please look up www.gopersonaltraining.com.au

The importance of strength training

admin — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:09:00 GMT

Exercise can be categorized into 3 types of training:

1. Strength training

2. Cardiovascular training

3. Flexibility training

Strength training is normally performed in order to achieve one or several goals: an increase in muscle size, increase in power, increase in muscle strength or an a more toned appearance. Strength training is also very important for those wanting to reduce their body fat for 2 reasons.

Reason 1. Strength training is highly demanding and burns a lot of energy when done well.

Reason 2. An increase in lean muscle mass (this does not necessarily mean muscle size, more muscle density) increases the body’s metabolism. The lean muscle needs fuel, and will burn fuel even whilst you are at rest. Examples of strength training exercises are push-ups, squats, exercises using dumbbells, or using any resistance based equipment.

You can sign up for a program from My New Body to get your own individual strength training program.