The French Twist

"The French Twist" ---- An amazing insight into food and our bodies!

 

 

“More than anything, I have an intense desire to share what I have learned with those who seek the same truth- how to live their very best life, one of honesty, freedom, authenticity, choice and ultimately health and longevity.  The French style of eating – sitting down with delight and savouring every bite with discretion, moderation and passion – is the answer.” – Carol Cottrill

 

With each piece of knowledge I gain as I go through life, I believe more fervently that such knowledge is power – power to change one’s life for the better, power to find one’s true calling and power to become our best selves.

I began to become more and more engrossed with Carol Cottrill’s book The French Twist: Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management as I turned each page because while most books focused on helping the reader lose weight preaching restrictive, non-commonsensical prescriptives, Cottrill through her knowledge as a certified nutritionist prescribes a permanent lifestyle enhancement based on understanding how the body communicates with food. And it is the French lifestyle that is her muse.

Having travelled to France multiple times and then returned to apply their pleasure and balance focused principles to her way of living, she offers through first-hand experience coupled with science based research why the French paradox does indeed work and even more specifically why the American’s approach to weight management is less likely to have one’s good health as a top priority.

A few of the many insightful, aha tips found in the book:

• The women of France are nurtured and encouraged to embrace their individuality and eccentricity
• The intense restriction of calories actually has the opposite desired effect
• Logical arguments for how the body processes certain foods and how it responds or is unable to respond to other so-called ‘foods’
• French women don’t follow mass movements, as they are individuals (i.e. the latest diet craze)
• Food is not the enemy, our perception and irrational understanding of food’s power is the problem
• Balance of stress and pleasure, between indulging in wonderful food and burning calories is crucial
• Fresh, high quality food prepared and enjoyed with passion rather than eating processed “food” on a schedule that doesn’t listen to what your body needs
• Your body doesn’t recognize fake; it can only metabolize that which it can identify – real, whole food
• The benefits of making lunch the largest meal of the day
• Use a body brush to dry scrub your body and improve circulation helping skin to shine and lessen the appearance of cellulite
• The real reason red wine has been found in studies to be healthy (hint, hint – it has more to do with lifestyle, mindset and values, than just drinking a glass or two of wine for those of you that drink)
• Exercise regularly as a way of saluting the day – so something you enjoy rather than dread
• There is not one plan for weight management – it is individualistic and it requires each person to truly pay attention and respect their bodies for all that it can do
• Differentiating between real, quality chocolate and the other stuff
• Drink water
• Eat fruit with breakfast in the morning and never forget your vegetables in the evening and afternoon
• Invest in yourself – quality food, quality clothing (fewer items)

 

 

I genuinely enjoyed The French Twist, and while it is full of findings from studies, it is also full of French lifestyle descriptions, details and insights. One of my favourite sections is chapter 10 where the author along with a handful of women who live or have spent time in France share the rituals they follow when it comes to good eating and living.

Trust me, you’ll enjoy this book, and be sure to have your pen or pencil out as I was highlighting, underlining and writing all through its contents as many suggestions were ones I don’t want to forget.

 

Let me know what you think once you have read the book...

 

enjoy your day!

 

 

women training

GYM WORKOUTS VS TIMING OF TRAINING VS DIET:

The trend and patterns of gym training have changed drastically over the years. Think about it, if all the methods of the past worked, there wouldn’t be a need to keep adding varied equipment and various forms of classes. We all used to seeing the “NEW” all fat busting workout or the “NEW” metabolism boosting-Tummy Crunching workout”. So the question is, what have we been doing all these years and what makes these new workouts so special? Many people believe that the more time you spend in the gym; the greater results will be seen. This is true for “male” training, as weight training requires a lot of time because as the weights get heavier the resting period increases. For example, a male may push 200kg on the bench press and do just 2 reps but rest for 5min. The good news is that us as women can have more fun, reduce training time whilst still breaking out a sweat and seeing amazing results if we just understand the physiological aspects of training.

 

Women are designed with less testosterone than men,  therefore the “belief” that weight training will make us “bulky” like it does with men is false as our testosterone levels are lower, therefore the effect would be different. Due to estrogen levels we tend to pick up weight on the arms, tummy, hips, upper thighs and bum. Therefore, our workouts must focus a lot on these “problem areas”. The new videos and workouts are only focusing on a cardio aspect or a strength aspect. The “big” hype is that it is just more fun and provides a wider variety of options and people have different preferences. The workout below focuses on something we call “functional training” i.e. we use the body to mimic movements that we would normally do on machines. For example, we will use dumbbells and perform shoulder exercises whilst standing verse sitting on a machine and pushing a weight overhead. The fact that we are standing whilst executing this exercise results in the abdominals and core muscles being contracted throughout the whole exercise. Therefore, we are working multiple muscles instead of isolating just a single muscle group .Also, in the circuit workout below; we have combined a mix of strength and cardio training in one workout instead of doing them on different days or as two separate workouts. This in turn places stress on both the anaerobic and aerobic systems which in turn results in the workout intensity higher, shorter and results faster. The combination of training both systems together also enhances the metabolism as time periods between exercises are minimal. Therefore, the body recovers faster and in turn works harder! If we understand this, then we can save a lot of money on buying various workouts to achieve a desired result. Instead of buying five different workouts, each an hour long we can now just mix and match exercises following the same theory displayed in the circuit below to achieve our specific goal.

 

Not all women attend the gym for weight loss. Some women attend to keep fit, others for maintenance, some even attend to gain weight by adding muscle bulk. However, the majority of women do attend to lose weight and the training programs designed below focus on EXTREME weight loss and accommodate, the busy mother, the overworking business woman or lawyer, the newly- wed on the pill, the new mum who is trying to shed off the pregnancy weight whether it be natural or c-section (begin only 8weeks after giving birth), menopause, puberty and so on. We as women are challenged with the job of multitasking; therefore reducing the time it takes to exercise is a “MUST” in the crazy world of womanhood! So, the aim here is to “work smarter, harder and for shorter”!

 

The idea is to avoid eating 45min pre and post workout. This is because if we consume calories we either going to burn out what we’ve just eaten, or what we’re going to eat. Ideally, we want to burn stored energy, not current energy, therefore the golden rule is DO NOT EAT ATLEAST 45MIN PRE AND POST WORKOUT if you want to achieve weight loss. (NB: Understanding the theory about diet and exercise is another topic on its own and is not a focus of discussion in this article, contact me for more information regarding the topic, if keen.)

Regarding diet, have you ever wondered why no one came about with the “GOLDEN INDIAN DIET”? Face it, we can’t diet. However, we can learn to eat proportionately and correctly whilst still keeping in touch with our traditional foods. Below, I have attached a diet plan and portion table which will aid you in losing weight whilst still eating the foods you desire. Also, the rules of training regarding weights vary with culture due to different cultures being built differently as well as eating differently. For example. Indians are generally smaller boned and more petite but consume large amounts of carbs, protein and fats at every meal with our traditional curry and rice. The white population however, eats less spicy foods, more grills and are larger boned. Therefore, heavier weights would just tone them but may result in bulking up an Indian woman. (NB: this has been proven!!!)

 

 I know I have mentioned several interesting facts above, but I don’t want to bore you with the details. For more information regarding that, you can drop me an email. I am going to cut to the chase and draw up three different routines below which will encompass an all fat busting, metabolism boosting, extreme weight loss, tummy toning, initiation of six pack building and all round muscle toning program. Please note these have all been tried and tested by my clients and are still used on a current basis. Before, I give the secrets away, all the new DVDs, videos; weight loss programs have taken the methods below and put it in various orders or ways to create more sales to generate more income in this industry.

WEEKLY TRAINING PROGRAM:

MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
CIRCUIT	REST	AB CRUNCHER ROUTINE	ACTIVE REST WALK THE DOG FOR 20MIN	SKIPPING ROUTINE I.e. all strength exercises from the circuit now performed at 50reps (NOT TIME BASES) alternated with 100 skips between exercises  OR The ex. Routine from the diet plan!	ACTIVE REST: PLAY SOCCER WITH KIDS 20MIN	REST

 

 

THE CIRCUIT TRAINING: - (ALL AGES)

THEORY: THERE IS NO REST! EXERCISES ARE PERFORMED ONE AFTER THE OTHER REDUCING TRAINING TIME WHILST INCREASING TRAINING INTENSITY. CARDIO EXERCISES WORK AS AN ACTIVE REST FOR STRENGTH TRAINIING EXERCISES AND STRENGTH TRAINING EXERCISES WORK FOR A REST FOR CARDIO.

TRAINING TIME: 30-40MIN

REPS AND SETS PERFORMED: N/A

TIME IS USED INSTEAD OF REPS/ SETS IR EACH CARDIO EXERCISE WILL BE PERFORMED FOR 2MINUTES AND EACH STRENGTH EXERCISE WILL BE PERFORMED FOR A MINUTE EACH BEFORE GOING ONTO THE NEXT ONE.

1: THE DUMBELL SQUAT: (1MIN) NB: do not exceed 3kg dumbbells. Ideally 2KG should be used.

Directions: Place the dumbbells over head, stand facing forward with feet shoulder width apart. Bend the knees into a squat down as though you are sitting on a chair. The knees must not go over the toes and the back must be straight. Return to starting position and repeat until 1min is up.

2. Star jumps or jumping jacks: (2MIN)

Perform this exercise for 2min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. THE FORWARD LUNGES: (1MIN)

Stand with feet split stance shoulder width apart. Place the Dumbbells on either side for greater intensity. Step down into a lunge so that both knees are just merely above the floor. Do this for 1minute per foot i.e. keep pulsing in this motion on the foot that is forward and then swop feet positioning and repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

4. SKIPPING (not suitable for individuals with knee and cervical injuries) (2MIN)

Skip using a rope for 2minutes

 

 

 

5. BURPIES: (not suitable for individuals with spinal and lower back injuries) (1MIN)

Start off in kneeling position as seen below. To execute the motion jump out into push up and immediately jump up and then back to kneeling position again. Repeat this motion until 1minute is up.

 

 

 

 

6: JUMP SQUATS: (2MIN)

Nb: same as original squat excluding dumbbells and performed in a jumping motion.

PEFORM THIS CIRCUIT TWICE!

 

REHAB CIRCUIT: timed circuit as above i.e. strength for 1minute and cardio for 2min. NB: THIS CIRCUIT IS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR MENOPAUSAL PHASES OR FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OVER 50 YEARS OF AGES AND HAVE FACTORS SUCH AS JOINT PAIN, ARTHRITIS, OVERWEIGHT, OSTEOPEROSIS, OSTEOARTHRITIS, SPINAL, BACK AND KNEE CONDITIONS.

 

1.BALL SQUAT:

Place the ball against a wall and stand facing forward with your back on the ball, dumbbells hanging on either side. Bend the knees into a squat as though you sitting on a chair-hold this low position for 2 seconds and come back to starting position. REPEAT for 1min. Feet must be shoulder width apart and knees must not go over the toes. Back must be straight.

 

 

 

2.STAR JUMPS ON A WOODEN BOARD OR MAT

SEE STAR JUMPS ABOVE.

3.FORWARD LUNGES WITH BAND:

STAND IN A SPLIT STANCE, FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART WITH THE BAND PLACED UNDER THE FRONT FOOT. LOWER DOWN INTO A LUNGE MAINTAINING THE BAND AT SHOULDER LEVEL. REPEAT UNTIL 1MIN IS OVER AND SWOP THE POSITIONING OF THE FEET AND DO THE EXERCISE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER MINUTE.

4. JOG ON THE SPOT

5. AB CURL on the ball:

Position yourself steadily on the ball in a pushup position. Using your knees, roll the ball towards your chest. Return to starting position and repeat until 1min is up.

 

 

 

 

6. V-Step:

Walk out wide in a v and step back in a narrow v.

 

THE AB CRUNCHING ROUTINE: 20min

ALL AGES UNLESS WHERE SPECIFIED OTHERWISE!

 

REPS: 8-12

SETS: 2-3

1. TORSO AND LEG LIFT: Not for individuals with weak lower back/spinal injuries.

Lay down flat on your back, arms and legs extended. Lift the chest up whilst simultaneously lifting the legs up to meet the chest. Hold for 2 seconds and lower down to starting position. Repeat

ALTERNATE EXERCISE FOR LOWER BACK/SPINAL PATIENTS:-This is also an excellent exercise for all individuals.

Lie down on the back with feet and arms extended. Place a theraband under both feet. Lift the legs up and drop just below the mat using the theraband for strength and support. Repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. FORWARD PLANK:-SEE REHAB CIRCUIT ABOVE
3. AB CURL- SEE REHAB CIRCUIT ABOVE
4. V SITUP WITH MEDICINE BALL: (not suitable for cervical patients! They must place a theraband or towel behind their head and execute the same motion)

Lie on a mat on your bag with legs stretched out in front of you. Grab a medicine ball (2kg). To execute the exercise lift 1 leg simultaneously whilst lifting the chest to meet the leg. Alternate sides.                                                                                                                                                   

5. SIDE ANCHOR:

Lie on your side. To execute the exercise push the hips off the floor and hold for 8 seconds. Do this 3 times and then repeat on the other side.

 

6. Forward Crunch: Spinal, cervical and lower back patients will perform this and the next exercise on an exercise ball.

Lie on the back, with knees bent. Crunch up so that only the shoulder blades come up. Go back to starting position. Repeat.

7.SITUPS:

Same as above but you will come all the way up towards the knees.

 

For those using the ball you will come all the way until you are upright on the ball.

 

8.     BICYCLE CRUNCHES:

Lie down on your back and simultaneously lift the alternate leg to meet the alternate hand. Continue this motion continuously whilst alternating both right hand with left leg and left hand with right leg.

 

 

 

 

GOOD LUCK!!!! J

PROVIDED BY SAFFIYA SOOLIMAN (BACHELOR OF SPORT SCIENCE)

GYM: ULTIM8E ENDURANCE-MOUNTAIN RISE-PMB: Offering: Aquacise,Ladies and Kiddies swimming (pool is heated) Pilates, Aqua-Pilates, pre and post natal, Belly dancing, Bollywood/bhangra/dhaandiya, hip hop, Taibo, Boot camp, Step aerobics, Military aerobics & Body Sculpting, Group training, Personal training and house calls.

TO SIGN UP WITH THE GYM OR FOR ANY QUERIES CONTACT ME VIA THE FOLLOWING:

EMAIL: ultimateendurance02@gmail.com

CELL: 0836608486 (wassaap)

BBM: 25A18F67

WEBSITE: http://.ultim8e.co.za

balance and determination

“Don’t be fearful of living up to your dream.”

 

 

Restless. You know the feeling I’m talking about. Your mind won’t turn off, you keep running through scenarios in your head, you can’t seem to sit still.

I believe we all have the potential to reach our dreams if we only have the courage to pursue them, but in not doing so, the best version of ourselves continues to be masked. The feeling of restlessness that was mentioned above is actually a good sign, believe it or not.  A sign that your dreams want to come into fruition.

 

The easiest thing to do is to succumb to fear and let your dreams slowly drift away. Often times not knowing how our dreams will be accomplished freezes the dreamer and stunts their potential growth.

Here is something to keep in mind, it is okay to not know how you will get there as long as you are continually doing small tasks that put you in a more favorable position to be successful in the arena of your dreams.

 

 

“Pick what it is you love, and the success will come because you’re gonna work that much harder at it.”

 

 

With each bit of effort, the painting slowly begins to turn into a piece of art. And as the picture gradually comes together, so does your confidence. “Each new step becomes a little surer, and each new grasp a little firmer.”

While it is a good idea to do your research in the field you are interested in and become knowledgeable of other’s success stories, keep in mind that each person will find their own way to success. Even two people such as Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey, who have each made very successful names for themselves in for the most part the same business – television/hosting,  went about making their names in different ways. One had a prominent family name to help get the ball rolling and make connections, while the other began from the ground up.  Don’t get me wrong, each of these women paid their dues and then some, but my point is even as Oprah dreamed of being Barbara Walters, she had to carve her own path to get there.

 

 

"Some people are settling down, some people are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies."

-Carrie Bradshaw

 

 

So whether it be in love or your life passions, my advice today is to remain restless, don’t squash this feeling because it is your dream trying to tell you to chase it, to make it your reality. Don’t settle for what someone else says you should attain in life, capture your dream making it a reality that makes you realize the success you knew you could acquire. Because after all,

 

“Happiness comes when you have balance and success.”

 

 

Steadily go forward with a little blind faith, a strong determination and an undying passion, and you, while remaining in balance, will discover your much earned success.

staying in FABULOUS shape

“Staying” in Fabulous Shape
1. 3 meals & a snack is enough If the right healthy and balanced meals are chosen, this is very possible. It is all about training your mind and your body.
2. Don’t waste calories Try eliminating those moments when you continue to eat even when the food doesn’t taste very good or when you’re in the car – can you really savor what you’re eating? Another way to stop losing calories is to watch what liquids you drink, and when in doubt, drink water.

3. Just walk  Whether it is a vigorous multi-mile walk, working in the yard, cleaning the house or walking to town to do some errands, try to incorporate it somehow into your day. Once you become in the habit of doing this, you will get to a point where you will crave this time to be with yourself.

 

 

4. Avoid the sugary treats in the AM Yes, the beautifully decorated and tasty temptations are everywhere when you’re stopping to get your morning caffeine, but try to pass them up as they will not carry you through until lunch.
5. Green tea in the morning 
Known to suppress appetite and ever so slightly, speed up the metabolism.
6. Fiber to fill you up for breakfast (oatmeal or steel oats)
7. Eat your veggies and don’t worry how many. Minus the dip.
8. Almonds – a simple snack One of my favorite afternoon snacks is a handful of almonds, a half of an apple and a few slices of parmesan cheese – oh, and a cup of tea if I can find hot water at work.
9. Eat at a table, enjoy the conversation or something engaging to read

 

 

10. Your body has all the resistance you need (yoga anyone?) Try to include one or two sessions of strength training each week, and if you’re worried about bulking up, smaller weights – more reps, or yoga and pilates which require you to use your own body weight – lengthening, not bulking up, your muscles.

11. Find something else to focus on besides food
12. Immerse yourself in your passion and get happy I can look back on the times in my life when I gained a few pounds and those other times when I magically lost a few, and for me both correlated perfectly with my state of happiness and contentedness (happy – weight loss, doubtful – weight gain). Instead of trying to find happiness outside of yourself, seek it from within and discover your passion.  Once you find out what that is, find a way to enjoy it as much as possible.

Get & Stay in Shape?

Why Not . . . Get & Stay in Shape?

 

 

 

“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the assured ways of living a richer and more enjoyable life is to take staying healthy seriously. While our modern day culture provides an array of conveniences enticing us to move as little as possible and eat in abundance, the fact remains, our body is a machine and must be paid attention to regularly.

There are many benefits to staying in shape. Here are just a few: strengthens our immune systems making it better able to adapt to new environments, safeguards our bodies from diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and many other preventable diseases and ailments, increases energy levels, strengthens the mind and acts as an outlet for stress.

I want to share my stories with you today because while I am slender, I’ve had experiences with weight gain, as I know many of you have as well.  It is a daily decision to treat our bodies as the temples that they are instead of the garbage disposable that our junk-food advertisers want us to believe.

Currently, I am at the best weight (not ideal, but best), and what have I realized is that through consistent effort and moderate, consistent exercise and a respect for our bodies, we can all reach our goals. Here is what has worked and the lessons I’ve learned along the path to this realization.

 

 I was nervous about how to maintain my weight on my own upon going to college without hours spent dripping sweat. And here is the answer on how to do just that...

 

 

The “Get” Part
1. Forget Diets First of all, diet by definition is simply what we eat and drink, but the world has turned it into the bad word that it is – deprivation. In the sense of the word, any diet that asks you to change your way of eating and moving temporary to create a permanent situation is not going to work in the long run. Ultimately, it comes down to permanently changing the way we eat. We can taste just about everything we want, but in moderation and fitting into the guidelines of a balanced meal.

 

2. Change Your Lifestyle Clean out the cupboards. Toss the easy to eat snacks (unless they are fruits and vegetables). Throw out the pop.

3. Challenge, Yet Enjoy Yourself For me, I tried just about every exercise before discovering that simple and less jarring is the best way to go. From running, kick-boxing, step-aerobics, swimming, pilates, tennis, volleyball and rock climbing, I have done them all, part of the team, or on my own. And what I have discovered is walking and yoga has left me fitter and leaner than I ever thought I could be. Yes, yoga can be tough, but for me the benefits are seen not only in my fitness, but in my mental calmness.  Find an exercise that can strike that balance – challenging, yet rewarding and somewhat enjoyable so that you will want to stick with it.

 

4. Eliminate processed foods
5. Water, Water, Water
6. Think health, not looks The beauty of this is that the looks part is going to be the cherry on the top.  It will come, but it will take time.  So in the meantime and for all time, focus on improving your body for your health.
7. Respect yourself, but be honest Always respect and listen to you body. As my yoga instructor repeatedly reminds us, push until you are uncomfortable, but not until pain. In order to improve we must do something more, yet gradually while paying attention to what our bodies are telling us.  The more in tune we are with it, the best we will be able to take care of it and thus, ourselves.

 

Paris fashion week day 4: zuhair murad

Last, but not least, Zuhair Murad’s exquisitely feminine, lace and beaded collection was a fitting end to a glamorous week in Paris. Full of gowns and sheer detailed bodysuits, I think you’ll find each item quite fetching for one reason or another.

 

ZUHAIR MURAD

 

 

 

 

fashion week Day 3 :Elie Saab , JPG and Valentino

It's no surprise that Elie Saab is my favourite designer, I adore all his designs and looks, and the pastel colours of beaded fabric always send my heart racing, there is no Elie Saab wear that I wish I did not own... And I am sure you feel the same way!!

 

And lets be honest, Who doesn't love valentine, even if it is for the name itself.

 

Day three in Paris did not disappoint. Elie Saab’s beaded romantic creations continued to impress with sultry red, green, silver and blue hues. Jean Paul Gaultier infused his collection with touches of leopard and fascinators that are reminiscent of a retro chic era. And lastly, the regal Valentino Fall 2013/14 Couture collection was feminine, yet strong with rich camels, tweeds and plaids, as well as printed silks. Have a look and click on the designer’s name to view the entire collection. 

 

 

ELIE SAAB

 

 

 

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

 

 

 

 

VALENTINO