Not this stuff Oliver, PROPER Porridge! We’ll show you how!
Porridge is a great way to start the day for many reasons but not least because it is packed with energy. And that energy is released slowly so it doesn’t turn to Body Fat but instead helps you get through the morning. Porridge is full of fibre too, which is great for digestive health and leaves you feeling fuller for longer. Studies show that porridge can play a role in lowering Cholesterol (the stuff that can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease).
The best way to eat porridge, in my not so humble opinion, is with lots of fruit and a squirt of honey. You can also add nuts and seeds to give it a little bit more bite and to add some healthy fats too. I sometimes add a little protein powder but not too much as it can make the porridge less palatable.
Here are some of my favourite Porridge Recipes:
Add about half a cup of oats and a cup of milk to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer for 2 minutes or so. That’s it! Now all you add the other bits to increase the goodness and yum factor:
Blueberry and Banana Porridge with Maple Syrup.
Add a quarter cup of Blueberries and a whole chopped banana then drizzle with a small amount of Maple Syrup to sweeten.
Blackberry, Cashew and Pumpkin Seed Porridge.
This is a great tasting breakfast – the Blackberries add a beautiful and fragrant taste to contrast with the crunch and flavour of Cashews and Pumpkin Seeds. Add some Honey to sweeten if needed.
Porridge with Tinned Peach Slices.
A quick and easy bowl of goodness. I’d always recommend fresh fruit where possible but tinned peaches are so easy and keep for ever. Make sure you have a couple of tins in your cupboard and you’ll never be without something to liven up your Porridge. Throw in some raisins to sweeten if needed, or use a (small!) sprinkle of Brown Sugar.
Let me know your favourite Porridge dishes! Email them to me: Felix@LemonBody.com
Felix
Founder
Captain Felix Deer joined the Army in 1985 and served in a number of Training Officer roles, qualifying as a Unit Fitness Officer in 1986. Since leaving the Army in 1994, Felix has sold property, built houses and flown airliners for a living, but has always maintained his keen interest in Fitness.
Some simple advice on what to Eat before and after BootCamp:
Eat too much and you’ll feel ill, eat too little and you’ll feel light-headed. So what is the ideal way to eat before BootCamp?
About 2 – 3 hours before a Workout you should eat a small meal (one that will fit on a side plate) containing about 50 – 70 grams of Carbohydrates and 20 – 30 grams of Protein, but not too much Fat or Fibre as these will slow digestion. You want the fuel and nutrients from your pre-Workout meal to be available for you as you train. Foods high in Fat and Fibre digest too slowly to be useful for your Workout. If you are slightly built or if you wish to lose weight, you should use the lower figures. If you are a larger build, you may wish to use the higher figures.
These pre-BootCamp snacks are perfect to help you get the most from your Workout:
Tuna Salad on a slice of Granary Bread followed by a Banana.
Chicken Breast Slices with Tomato on 2/3 Crispbreads followed by an Apple or Orange.
A bowl of Porridge with Raisins and Peach Slices and a small Protein Shake.
Quorn Slices/Chunks and a Crispy Salad with Low Fat Dressing followed by a Low Fat Yoghurt.
Mashed Banana on Granary Toast and a small Protein Shake.
Some people find Protein Shakes a great and very convenient way to ensure they get the Protein they need before and after a Workout.
After BootCamp, you need to refuel and repair your body so it gets stronger and fitter, as well as continuing to keep your metabolism revved up – which it will be after BootCamp. So what you eat is important and it needs to be simple and quick to prepare so you don’t eat too late.
You should try and eat as soon after your Workout as possible; ideally within 30 – 60 minutes. This will help you to recover more quickly.
Your post Workout meal should provide you with Protein to help repair and strengthen your muscles, Carbohydrates to replenish your Glycogen stores, Fibre for digestive health and some Unsaturated (good) Fats for taste if you want them. If you have a sweet tooth, now is the time for a treat – the sugar will replenish Glycogen stores rather than end up being stored as Body Fat (which is what usually happens to sugary snacks!).
How much you eat is up to you but as a guide, you should try and get about 30 grams of Protein, about 100 grams of Carbs (less if you are trying to lose weight). Remember that Vegetables and Fruit count as Carbs, so make sure you include them as they contain lots of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to recover from your Workout. Good Fats (the unsaturated variety, such as Olive Oil) are NOT your enemy. Your body needs Fats in your diet in order to function correctly and so you should try and include some of these in your post-Workout meal but opt for healthy unsaturated Fats from plant sources in preference to unhealthy saturated types. Evidence suggests that diets high in saturated Fats (the type found in animal fat like lard, butter, cheese etc.) are unhealthy and may lead to heart disease and other complications.
Try eating these meals like this after your Workout to boost recovery and replenish your body:
Chicken Breast stir fry with Spicy Brown Rice and steamed Broccoli followed by low fat Chocolate Mousse.
Cod baked in Tomato and Shallot sauce with Green Beans and New Potatoes followed by some Fruit.
Chicken and Pepper Kebab Skewers in Pitta Bread Pockets with Yoghurt Dressing followed by two Chocolate Digestive Biscuits.
Lean Mince Beefburger with Tomatoes, Lettuce and Pickle in a Sesame Bun followed by a Banana.
Six Scrambled Eggs (use only one or two yolks) with Spinach on Granary Toast followed by a small glass of Orange Juice.
Scrambled Eggs on Toast are a great post-Workout meal, especially after a Saturday morning BootCamp with us. Go easy on the number of yolks you use if you have any concerns about cholesterol.
Exercise primes your body to strengthen and increase your endurance and stamina but FOOD is what is needed to recover, repair and replenish after a tough hour of running around and lifting heavy things. Make sure you get the right nutrition and remember:
Eat Wholegrains
Cut down on sugary Carbs such as Cakes, Biscuits and Deserts
Eat lean Protein
Eat plenty of Fruit and Vegetables
Don’t cut out Fats but choose the good variety – the unsaturated ones from plant sources like Olive oil
Avoid processed foods – they’re usually high in Salt, Sugar and Saturated Fats
Captain Felix Deer joined the Army in 1985 and served in a number of Training Officer roles, qualifying as a Unit Fitness Officer in 1986. Since leaving the Army in 1994, Felix has sold property, built houses and flown airliners for a living, but has always maintained his keen interest in Fitness.
Start Active, Stay Active – A report on physical activity for health from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers
How much exercise should we be doing each week? This report uses new evidence to present guidelines for Adults aged 19 – 64. Note that the advice DOES NOT advise reducing activity as people age. Generally speaking, we are more active when we are younger and exercise less as we age. Many of us have sedentary jobs and few of us can rely on our occupation to keep us active and healthy.
All adults should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods. Many adults are largely sedentary, spending large proportions of the day sitting or lying, with very low energy expenditure.
Sedentary behaviours occur in numerous settings, including at work, at home, during transport and in leisure time. Common sedentary behaviours include TV viewing, computer use, motorised transport and sitting to read, talk or listen to music. Many adults spend in excess of seven hours sedentary time per day, and this typically increases with age.
Evidence is emerging that various indicators of sedentary behaviour – for example, time spent watching TV, total sitting time and objectively measured accumulated sedentary time – are adversely and independently associated with becoming overweight and obese, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
While there is accumulating evidence suggesting that sedentary time predicts a number of adverse health outcomes in adults, the available data is not sufficient to suggest a specific quantitative recommendation on daily sedentary time for health, or for maintaining a healthy body weight and the prevention of obesity. It is likely that some reductions in sedentary behaviour may result in a direct transfer to moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, while some will result in a transfer to low intensity activity, such as standing or gentle walking. Based on the current evidence, reducing total sedentary time and breaking up extended periods of sitting is strongly recommended.
Understanding the guidelines for adults (19-64 years)
Why do we need new guidelines for adults?
These new guidelines for adults are consistent across the UK and update previous recommendations in the light of emerging scientific evidence. The recommendation about combining moderate and vigorous intensity activity provides people with flexibility to achieve the required amount of physical activity.
What are the needs of this age group?
This is a large and diverse age group. Many key life events that can impact on activity – such as getting a job or retiring, moving house, starting or ending a relationship, becoming a parent, gaining or losing weight or being diagnosed with illness – can happen in these years.
Longitudinal studies have shown that becoming a mother often leads to a decline in physical activity for women. Serious illness, impairment and disability in childhood and early adulthood impact upon physical activity participation; however, the onset of chronic disease in older family members can help to highlight to adults the health benefits of physical activity.
Younger adults can see physical activity as an opportunity to participate in team or individual sports for pleasure and social benefit, to create new social networks and to maintain a healthy body weight. For adults with families, physical activity offers the chance for relaxation, to re-energise and feel less tired, and to maintain a healthy weight. As people approach older adulthood, physical activity is seen as something that helps with weight maintenance and weight loss, and with other lifestyle changes (such as stopping smoking) and provides a chance to be active with friends and family.
How can individuals meet the guidelines for general health benefit?
Doing at least 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week has been a common recommendation, and has been included in national campaigns.
However, the overall volume of physical activity is more important than frequency or duration. These guidelines therefore offer choices for adults in how they make up their weekly volume of activity.
For most people, the easiest and most acceptable forms of physical activity are those that can be incorporated into everyday life. Examples include walking or cycling instead of travelling by car. However, for those people who want to be more active, a larger quantity of activity at higher intensity can bring further benefits. For adults, it is recommended to take 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of moderate intensity, aerobic physical activities.
It is important that these are spread across the week to optimise the short-term benefits of aerobic physical activity. Sport and recreational activity included alongside everyday physical activity can provide important social benefits that help to sustain participation.
Rohan’s Example:
Rohan works in HR at a large company. He would like to be more active, particularly as he’s noticed that he is getting less fit and is starting to put on weight. He often works long hours so finds it hard to commit to anything formal such as a local sports club. Instead he has bought a bike and enjoys getting out for bike rides at the weekend. He has also started taking the stairs at work instead of the lift and tries to get outside for a walk during his lunch break. Once a week, Rohan uses weights machines in the company gym. As his job is desk based, he tries to use his email less and deliver messages to colleagues in person where possible. He also walks 15 minutes from his flat to the train station in the morning and evening – Rohan has discovered that the evening walk also gives him time to unwind after a busy and stressful day.
What intensity of activity is required for health benefits?
Activity needs to be of at least moderate intensity to benefit health. A person who is doing moderate intensity activity will usually experience an increase in breathing rate and an increase in heart rate, will feel warmer and may sweat on hot or humid days. The amount of activity someone needs to do for their activity to qualify as moderate intensity varies from one individual to another. A person who is unfit or overweight may only have to walk up a slope, whereas a very fit athlete may be able to run quite fast before reaching this level.
In an activity like walking, people should focus on their perception of the effort they need to make, rather than their speed. Vigorous intensity activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate intensity activity.
Including vigorous intensity activity in the guidelines acknowledges that, for those adults who are capable of and enjoy vigorous intensity activity, this may be the most efficient way of meeting recommended activity levels.
Someone undertaking vigorous intensity physical activity will usually be breathing very hard, be short of breath, have a rapid heartbeat and be unable to carry on a conversation.
The recommended levels of activity can be achieved through a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity. This allows individuals to meet the target in a way which suits their personal circumstances, including their current level of fitness and health, the time available to them and their activity preferences. For example, a daily walk to work may be combined with a swim, gym-based workout and a weekend cycle ride to add up to the target weekly amount of physical activity.
People who are currently inactive will often need to build up slowly, particularly if they aspire to vigorous intensity physical activity. Shorter sessions of physical activity offer an easier starting point for people who have been inactive for some time, or who have busy lifestyles and find it hard to make activity a priority.
What about muscle strengthening activity?
Muscle strengthening activities should be undertaken in addition to the 150 minutes of aerobic activity (moderate or vigorous intensity) on at least two days a week. They need to involve all the major muscle groups of the body: the legs, hips, chest, abdomen, shoulders, back and arms.
No specific amount of time is recommended for muscle strengthening, but exercises should be performed to the point at which it would be difficult to do another repetition without help. Although more research is required to define the optimum dose of muscle strengthening activity, performing 8–12 repetitions of muscle strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups twice per week will provide substantial benefits.
Some vigorous intensity physical activities may provide 75 minutes of aerobic activity and sufficient muscle strengthening activity, for example BOOTCAMP! – or participation in recreational sports such as basketball or volleyball.
What type of activity qualifies?
All activities qualify as long as they are of sufficient intensity and duration, including occupational activities and active travel (brisk walking or biking to work).
Moderate Intensity: includes brisk walking, bike riding, dancing, swimming, active travel to/from work etc.
Vigorous Intensity: includes running, playing sport, taking part in BootCamp Workouts, using cardiovascular gym equipment.
Muscle Strengthening includes weight training, working with resistance bands, carrying heavy loads, powerbags, push ups, sit ups, squats, rows – (all the things we do at BootCamp!).
What about sedentary behaviour?
The guidelines also contain a new recommendation encouraging adults to minimise the time they spend being sedentary (sitting) each day. This is included because there is now evidence that sedentary time is an independent risk factor for poor health. Any substitution of sedentary time for physical activity, even if it just results in low intensity activity, will increase energy expenditure. If sedentary time is swapped for moderate or vigorous intensity activity of 10 minutes or more, this will also contribute to achieving the weekly physical activity targets.
Sedentary behaviour can be reduced throughout the day, including at work, when travelling and at home. Examples include replacing motorised travel with active travel such as cycling and walking, taking regular breaks from extended periods of sedentary behaviour and reducing total sitting and screen time.
What is the role of these guidelines in weight management?
For adults who currently have low physical activity levels, doing 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week will substantially increase their energy expenditure and bring health benefits.
For those who are overweight or obese, achieving a healthy weight is likely to require a greater level of activity than the 150 minutes recommended here, and should be accompanied by dietary changes to reduce calorie intake.
People who are overweight or obese should first aim to gradually build up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week. This will provide substantial health benefits even in the absence of reductions in body weight.
A Summary by 1000 Calorie BootCamp Founder, Felix Deer:
What the study shows is what we have been advocating at LemonBody from the very start. We’re not being smug about this – much of the report is common sense but it does feel nice to be proved right!
Move More: Try to avoid long periods of sedentary time like sitting etc. This may be difficult to achieve at work but you can almost certainly do better!
Do 150 Minutes of Moderate to Vigorous Exercise a week: 2 or 3 BootCamp Sessions will do that for you but you should aim to do something on the days you don’t do BootCamp. Anything that gets your heart rate up is good.
Lift Heavy Things: In ADDITION to the 150 minutes recommended above, the report recommends you do Strength Training at least twice per week. Thankfully, BootCamp ALWAYS includes Strength Training and this is especially important for women! You will not grow huge, ugly muscles and look like a man, you’ll just get all the health benefits and look more toned!
Not had your Free Trial yet? What are you waiting for? Just turn up and join in – no need to book. See you at a BootCamp Workout soon!
Felix
Founder
Captain Felix Deer joined the Army in 1985 and served in a number of Training Officer roles, qualifying as a Unit Fitness Officer in 1986. Since leaving the Army in 1994, Felix has sold property, built houses and flown airliners for a living, but has always maintained his keen interest in Fitness.
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders – conditions affecting the brain. There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. Some people may have a combination of types of dementia. Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.
Symptoms of dementia can include:
Memory problems:People with dementia might have problems retaining new information. They might get lost in previously familiar places and may struggle with names. Relatives might notice the person seems increasingly forgetful, misplacing things regularly. However, we all forget a name or face once in a while and this is nothing to worry about. If it happens on a frequent basis, it’s advisable to visit the GP who can check why it may be happening..
Cognitive ability i.e. processing information:People with dementia may have difficulty with time and place, for example, getting up in the middle of the night to go to work, even though they are retired. Also, their concentration could be affected. There may be a difficulty when shopping with choosing the items and then paying for them. For some people with dementia the ability to reason and make decisions may also be affected. Some people with dementia get a sense of restlessness and prefer to keep moving than sit still; others may be reluctant to take part in activities they used to enjoy.
Communication: People with dementia may repeat themselves often or have difficulty finding the right words. Reading and writing might become challenging. They might experience changes in personality and behaviour, mood swings, anxiety and depression. People with dementia can lose interest in seeing others socially. Following and engaging in conversation can be difficult and tiring, and so a formerly outgoing person might become quieter and more introverted. Their self confidence may also be affected.
Dementia can be seen as a combination of one or all of the above symptoms. If you or someone you know is experiencing one or more symptoms, which have been occurring for a while and are progressively getting worse, then please arrange a visit to the GP. There are many other reasons someone might be experiencing confusion or memory problems, so it is best to get them checked out and treated if necessary.
Rates of dementia in the UK
Dementia is a global concern but it’s most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age. The Alzheimer’s Society (2015) reports over 850,000 people are living with dementia in the UK today. Of these approximately 42,000 are people with young onset dementia, which affects people under the age of 65. As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia. It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million. Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
Is there a way to protect yourself from Dementia?
If you suspect that you or someone you know is showing signs of dementia, a visit to the GP is the first step. While some people are more likely than others to develop dementia, there are steps you can take to protect yourself, according to a new Study from University College London (UCL). The study summary is reproduced below with the kind permission of UCL and the authors:
Physical fitness is associated with better cognitive performance in older adults with dementia, according to a new study from UCL.
The positive effects were found to be independent of past levels of exercise and illness duration, suggesting it’s never too late to benefit from good levels of physical fitness, even after the onset of dementia.
For the study, published recently in Frontiers in Public Health, researchers used a range of different cognitive tests including verbal fluency and memory tasks, alongside questionnaires on physical fitness and lifestyle to examine 30 adults with dementia and 40 adults without. Participants were over 65 and living in England.
The researchers found that physical activities such as lifting things, ability to balance, taking a brisk walk or stairs instead of lifts improved the ability to plan, organise and remember things – which are cognitive functions known to deteriorate with dementia.
“Our paper provides empirical support for the cognitive benefits of interventions promoting physical fitness for individuals with dementia. We understand that living with dementia poses many challenges to individuals and their families and the idea of improving their physical fitness may seem like an unachievable target. However, we encourage increased physical fitness in any way, even what may seem like minor steps,” said the lead author of the study, Alice Hollamby (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health).
“Even just helping out around the house or in the garden, taking a short walk or swim, lifting things from a seated position could play a big part in slowing the progression of dementia.”
The research suggests that a possible explanation for why adults who demonstrated increased levels of fitness performed better on cognitive tests is because physical activity stimulates blood circulation in frontal-striatal circuits (neural pathways that connect frontal lobe regions with the basal ganglia in the brain) helping to improve cognitive function. Previous animal studies have also suggested that aerobic exercise increases the blood level supply and the growth of new neurons in the brain leading to enhanced cognitive performance.
Co-author on the paper Dr Eddy J. Davelaar (Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Birkbeck) said: “We all know that we should embrace a healthy lifestyle to strengthen our physical and mental well being. However, this is not to say that when one develops dementia, all hope is lost. Our findings suggest that prior levels of physical activity did not influence the association between cognitive performance and physical fitness. This means it is never too late to start.”
“In addition, when reclassifying all participants according to health status and physical fitness level, most of the people with dementia and high fitness levels were misclassified as cognitively healthy. We are looking at extending this work to incorporate additional measures of physical and cognitive fitness, as well as the impact of age appropriate interventions.”
The researchers highlighted that dementia and cognitive impairment cost the UK economy approximately £26 billion per year. The number of people with dementia in England and Wales has been projected to increase by 57% from 2016 to 2040, primarily because of extended life expectancy. Finding ways to slow its severity and progression could have life changing effects for the 850,000 people currently estimated to be living with dementia in the UK.
Senior author of the study, Dr Dorina Cadar (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health) added: “Dementia is such a cruel disease which causes confusion and disorientation to the sufferer and enormous distress to their families and loved ones. Our study has helped to identify risk factors that could modify the rate of cognitive deterioration and disease progression. It is very interesting to observe that the level of physical fitness could hamper the progress of cognitive deterioration in individuals with different stages of dementia. This gives us hope that ensuring a reasonable level of physical activity and optimal fitness could bring extra years of cognitive spark to those with dementia.”
So what does that mean for you?
Put simply, if you start (or indeed continue) exercising you will reduce your chances of suffering from dementia. And if you are destined to be a victim of this awful disease (my dear Grandmother developed Alzheimer’s, so I may be at increased risk) exercise will slow the onset, symptoms and severity of the disease.
Even mild to moderate exercise has benefits. And activities like BootCamp, which involve Strength Training, Coordination, HIIT, Cardio and Flexibility are ideal to keep your Body and Mind Healthier.
If you haven’t been to BootCamp yet, or if you’re not been for a while – just turn up and join in – there’s no need to book. And Everyone gets a Free Trial, even if you’ve had one before. So what are you waiting for?
See you at a Workout soon!
Reproduced with the kind permission of UCL.
Felix
Founder
Captain Felix Deer joined the Army in 1985 and served in a number of Training Officer roles, qualifying as a Unit Fitness Officer in 1986. Since leaving the Army in 1994, Felix has sold property, built houses and flown airliners for a living, but has always maintained his keen interest in Fitness.
Superfoods…they’re packed with good stuff that our bodies need and not the chemicals, preservatives, saturated fat and sugar that characterises so much modern convenience food.
So, here in the LemonBody kitchen, we’ve been getting in touch with our sandal wearing, organic lentil side and created a fantastic Superfood Salad that’s full of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals – and will leave you feeling full and (very) self righteous for hours!
So what’s in it?
1 cup uncooked Quinoa, 2 cups Kale, half a Red Onion, 1 cup Pomegranate Seed, quarter cup Lemon Juice, 1 chopped Avocado and 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil, Salt to taste.
How’s it made?
First simmer the Quinoa for 15 minutes in 2 cups of water, drain and leave to cool.
Now chop the Avocado and Kale into bite sized chunks and finely chop the Onion. Place in a salad bowl and mix in Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and add a small pinch of salt to taste. Leave for 10 minutes and then mix in the (cool) Quinoa and the Avocado and Pomegranate Seeds and your done! You can eat this immediately or refrigerate and use the next day.
How many servings?
You’ll get 4 main courses and 6 – 8 side dishes.
How many calories?
Just 350 Calories per main serving! This Superfood Salad has lots of fibre, releases its energy slowly, contains good fats and tastes great! Yummy!
How much £££?
If you buy the ingredients at Tesco, you’ll spend about £5 to make these 4 servings. Replace the Pomegranate with Raisins or a medium tin of Peach Slices (drained) and the cost is less than £4, or about £1 for each main serving. Not bad eh?
Felix
Founder
Captain Felix Deer joined the Army in 1985 and served in a number of Training Officer roles, qualifying as a Unit Fitness Officer in 1986. Since leaving the Army in 1994, Felix has sold property, built houses and flown airliners for a living, but has always maintained his keen interest in Fitness.
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