9 weeks and counting

HERALD SUN MELBOURNE CAREER EXPO involvement:


Hi peeps,
It has been a pretty hectic week and my poor body is feeling it...sook, sook, sook...lol. The week began with a little health scare, which has been found to be perfectly fine now, but I was a little worried at one point. I had blood tests come back with off the chart statistics for my kidney function...so much so that I was told that by rights I should have jaundice and about to be admitted for dialysis....yeh you can imagine, feeling pretty sprightly and very much kicking this diagnosis was more than a shock. So I was rushed to take a second test, which came back perfectly fine. So what was the issue in the first test you may ask. I was a little dehydrated t the time of the test, that is about all. what this did highlight for me was the necessity to get your bloods done regularly, because despite feeling fine we never really know what is going on at a cellular level. So for those training hard, pushing your physical boundaries, be proactive about your health management, in fact everyone should be proactive. You only get one vehicle in this life, take care of it.

Saturday saw me perform my IFBB Elite Championship winning routine on the main stage of the Herald Sun Career Expo at the Exhibition Centre. The interview with John Savage that followed was an opportunity to promote the IFBB federation and I was very happy to answer the questions of all that took the time to come up afterwards to say hi. It was a pleasure meeting you all and I hope to see lots of new faces competing in the shows in the not too distant future.
If anyone cannot find information about the IFBB here in Victoria go to (www.dohertysgym.com) or for information on the national happenings of the federation go to (www.musclefitness.com.au)

So we have more going on this coming week, I am so excited to be spending the day with Charlie Suriano, top photographer for Blitzmag publications (Ironman, Runners World, Golfers World, Womens Health & Fitness) the results of which will be seen very soon. I first worked with Charlie at Monica Brants FEM CAMP in Melbourne and despite Monica not being there to coach through the shoot, I know it will still be a heap of fun.
I have another DEXA scan coming up and having had some noticeable changes since the last one, I am pretty excited to see just what has been going on.

All the GIRLS GUIDE 12 Step Program girls have been asking some great questions and been doing the activities from the program, I am so proud of all of your highly motivated and committed efforts. Next week is half way through the trail, so we will see how you have all gone when we meet over an organic coffee next weekend.

So as a cold & wet Melbourne Sunday winds on through, make some firm and challenge worthy plans for your day and coming week, get those medical tests booked in and above all get excited about the plethora of possibilities for your health and fitness waiting to be explored and challenges accomplished.
xx

Lovely COCONUTS

There has been a great deal of hype surrounding coconut water recently. Most of the health conscious celebrity mob have been snaparazzied holding bottles of the stuff.
So what is the deal with coconut water and should you consider including it as part of your health regimen?
Here are some facts:
Unlike water which has no caloric value, coconut water does have a small amount of calories, so consuming large quantities will impact a calorie controlled plan somewhat. However, there are some positive medicinal benefits to this naturally derived liquid. Intestinal complaints, kidney, digestive and liver issues can benefit from consumption of coconut water due to the high anti-viral, fungal and bacterial properties. The high bioavailability of vitamins means that it is also wonderful for treating skin irritations, dry and chapped skin, eczema and promoting cell nourishment and renewal. As an anti-ageing aid it is wonderful because the coconut water also promotes hydration of the cells.
High in B group vitamins the water also helps to promote energy and vitality while being low in fructose the young coconut water has a minimal impact on blood glucose levels so is considered to be safe for diabetes sufferers.
For those concerned about their waistlines will be happy to know that the water from young coconuts contains less than 1% of the fat found in the fruit flesh so it is 99%fat free as well as being high in minerals, proteins and calcium.
Amino Acid Composition of Coconut Water: The following chart shows the percentage of each Amino Acid of the total Protein content.

Amino Acid % of total Protein
Alanine 2.41
Arginine 10.75
Aspartic acid 3.60
Cystine 0.97 - 1.17
Glutamic acid 9.76 - 14.5
Histidine 1.95 - 2.05
Leucine 1.95 - 4.18
Lysine 1.95 - 4.57
Proline 1.21 - 4.12
Phenylalanine 1.23
Serine 0.59 - 0.91
Tyrosine 2.83 - 3.00

So what do we think? Well I would certainly include the pure water as part of my health regimen, nothing beats regular intake of pure mineral water, but to include coconut water certainly will not harm your results but rather improve your overall heath and well-being. I suggest you consume pre and post training to maximize the nutritional benefits.