Evolve Health and Fitness Studio Sydney

🍐How much do you love PEARS?

They are amazing in snacks, salads, and other meals...

Because not only are they deliciously sweet, they also offer lots of health benefits.

💡They’re full of fiber that helps keep your digestive system happy. Plus they contain prebiotics that feeds the good bacteria in your gut, keeping it healthy and in balance.

Their high copper content works with iron to make sure your body can produce red blood cells. This also keeps your blood pressure and cholesterol low.

✅Pears also contain “flavonoids” which are antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties that protect against diseases like cancer and diabetes.

👉TIP: Eat the peel whenever you can! That's where most of the nutrients are.

REFERENCES
www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-pears
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/288165
www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/prebiotics-overview

⭐️Do you ever cook with FENNEL?!

It’s a member of the carrot family that has surprising health benefits – and it’s a great choice to add some variety to your meals.

If you’ve ever had it before, you might have noticed it has a mild licorice flavor, which is because it’s related to anise.

✅Every part of the fennel plant is edible, from its seeds and bulb to its stalk and leaves.

It’s loaded with fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron, as well as vitamins K, C, A, E, and B6.

Fennel is also a solid source of polyphenols, an antioxidant that fights inflammation and boosts the immune system.

Add “anetholes” to the list, too … which is another powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

👉It might even help boost breast milk production in nursing mothers and is believed to help ease menopause symptoms.

Add it to salads, stir-fries, soups, and sandwiches. It’s also really tasty in baked goods and seafood dishes!

REFERENCES
www.healthline.com/nutrition/fennel-and-fennel-seed-benefits
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284096
https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/169385/wt1/1

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

I have a GAME-CHANGER challenge for you this week.

Are you ready❓

It’s MEAL PREP WEEK.

If you don’t already do this, you’re going to love it because it frees up TIME during the week …

Not to mention the fact it will eliminate the stress of having to figure out what to eat each and every night.

You might even find that you save $$ because you’re not going out to eat as often.

Here are some tips to get started:

Keep it simple. Make 1 or 2 options for each meal of the day. EXAMPLES: you might make overnight oats and breakfast burritos for breakfast; chicken and tuna salad for lunch; and baked fish or chicken with roasted veggies for dinner.
Get organized. See what you have on hand, make a list of the things you need, and do a “speed shop” at the grocery store.
Look for timesavers. Some of the pre-cut fruits and veggies in the produce section are worth the investment.
Cook it up. Set aside an hour or two to spend in the kitchen. Later in the week, you will be so glad you did this!
Store your prepped foods in reusable glass containers or freeze them in freezer bags.

💡Are you in on this? Tell us your meal prep strategy below. 👇

👩🏻‍🍳When is the last time you ate BARLEY?

Barley has been farmed since ancient times … and it’s still one of the world’s most popular crops with 156 MILLION metric tons harvested worldwide in 2019.

💪🏻For good reason – this low-glycemic grain is packed with nutrition.

It’s rich in fibre as well as B vitamins and minerals like selenium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

It’s also loaded with antioxidants like vitamin E and beta-carotene which help repair cells and protect your body from inflammation.

✅ Plus, it will keep you feeling full for hours.

It’s easy to add barley to your diet … just add it to dishes like soups, stews, and even salads!

💡Some people even drink barley water – which is the water barley is cooked in – for its nutrients. Pretty neat.

REFERENCES:
www.statista.com/statistics/271973/world-barley-production-since-2008/
https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-grains-101-orphan-pages-found/types-barley
https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/581732/wt1/1
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/barley

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

👮‍♀️Welcome to your PORTION PATROL CHALLENGE.

I know I don’t have to tell you how easy it is for portion sizes to start to creep up.

We are used to everything being supersized with many places doubling – or even TRIPLING – how much they serve.

So this week we’re going to zero in on our portion sizes as an awareness exercise.

First, check the labels on your food paying special attention to the serving size.

It’s shocking how small some suggested serving sizes actually are!

Next, MEASURE your serving sizes at home. Get out a food scale or some measuring cups and see it firsthand.

This is a HUGE eye-opener about what portion sizes really look like.

Finally, we’re going to use this challenge to learn how to eyeball portion sizes.

Here are some quick guides for the eyeball technique:

👍Tip of your thumb: About 1 oz (28 grams) (cheese, PB, mayo, condiments)
👋Palm of your hand: About 3 oz (85 grams) protein (meat, fish)
⚾️Baseball: About 1 cup (75 grams) (raw veggies & fruit)
⛳️Golf ball: About ¼ cup (1 oz) (nuts or similar)
🎾Tennis ball: About ½ cup (30 grams) starchy carbs (pasta, rice, etc.) OR ½ cup cooked veggies
🏓Ping-pong ball: About 2 tbsp (PB, hummus)
💰Penny: About 1 tsp (fats, oils, sugars, salad dressing, etc.)
💰Quarter: About one tbsp (same)

Any of these surprise you?

This week – let’s get on PORTION PATROL! Are you in?!👇

REFERENCE
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000337.htm
https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/healthAndWellness/index.jhtml?item=%2Fcommon%2FhealthAndWellness%2Fconditions%2Fdiabetes%2Fcarbs.html
www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes

🍑What’s your FAVOURITE way to eat peaches?

They are considered a “stone fruit” and they get their name from the pit in their centres.

Just like other stone fruits, peaches are a great source of nutrition – rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, and antioxidants.

They are loaded with fibre, which means they’re good for digestion and gut health …

Plus they are packed with health-boosting antioxidants and heart-healthy micronutrients that help keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check.

✅FUN FACT: peaches contain substances that help stop your body from releasing histamines … which can be triggered when you are exposed to something you’re allergic to. Histamines can make you sneeze, cough, itch, etc.

You can eat peaches raw, sliced into salads, stir-fried, grilled (so good with pork!), broiled, blended into smoothies, or even for dessert!

REFERENCES:
www.healthline.com/nutrition/peach-fruit-benefits

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

Welcome to your MINDFUL EATING challenge.

Your challenge this week is to EAT MINDFULLY at least 1 meal each day.

You may never go back.

The whole idea of mindful eating is to PAY ATTENTION to how you feel before, during, and after your meals ...

From how full you get while you’re eating … to how the food tastes and feels in your mouth … and even how you feel afterward.

This helps you tune in to your body so you can recognise when you’re feeling satisfied and good …

Versus eating out of habit or because you’re stressed, happy, or for entertainment.

Plus, you’ll likely develop a newfound appreciation for the food you eat.

Here’s how to get started:

When it’s time to eat ...

Turn off the TV and put your phone out of reach.
Eat slowly, taking time to thoroughly chew and taste each bite. It takes your body about 20 minutes to recognize that it’s full.
Focus on how each bite of food makes you feel.
Stop eating when you’re full.
And also, before and after you eat, note – without judgment – whether you are truly hungry, and whether the food you chose is of benefit to your health, goals, and well-being.

At first, this might feel a little frustrating but hang with it … it’s just ONE meal a day.

When you start to tune in, you’ll probably find your habits and food preferences begin to change.

💡What do you think? Are you in? Let me know in the comments.

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

It’s the POSTERIOR CHAIN CHALLENGE.

This one can be a HUGE game-changer.

“POSTERIOR CHAIN” is trainer talk for the chain of muscles on the backside of your body. It includes your body’s biggest muscles – your back, glutes, and hamstrings.

All of these muscles work together to support pretty much all of your movements … not only in your workouts but in your everyday life.

BUT here’s the kicker. These muscles tend to “turn off” because we spend so much time in a sitting position.

This causes weakness and imbalances that can lead to tightness and even injury.

So, this week we’re going to target this area!

Strengthening your posterior chain can:

Boost sports performance
Increase power for explosive movements
Activate and build your glutes
Improve posture
Battle low back pain
Decrease the risk of injury

You’ll get the most bang for your buck by working this group of muscles together – so that’s what we’re doing this week!

👉THREE DAYS this week do THREE sets of the following routine. You can do this circuit on its own … or add it to your current workout for extra 🔥🔥

Do as a circuit, 3x through:
Supermans (10-15 reps)
Glute bridge (15-20 reps)
Plank (45-60 seconds)
Rest 60 seconds

✅ Are you in?? Let me know in the comments.👇

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

It’s ROTATION WEEK!

This week the focus is on adding rotational movement to your workouts.

Rotational movements don’t usually get the respect they deserve.

They work the whole torso – from your hips to your shoulders – in a functional way and help make you stronger and fitter – fast.

It’s important because in our day-to-day lives (and in most workouts) we usually work in two planes of motion (not to get too geeky, but the sagittal and frontal planes).

Shaking that up by adding some rotations (which usually are in the transverse plane) can make you fitter and stronger – AND improve your mobility and power.

CHALLENGE DETAILS:

Every day this week do a rotational exercise, and then on Day 6, you’ll do them ALL!

Here’s your list:

Day 1: 10 T-planks each side: https://giphy.com/gifs/8fit-workout-hiit-exercises-KzhAmxeRVMEJnrFq42
Day 2: 10 Halos each side: https://giphy.com/gifs/8fit-exercise-halo-warmup-OSw1ZQGT42hR0StzFZ
Day 3: 10 Russian twists each side: https://giphy.com/gifs/8fit-8ZhQhDNeikLb4D1LY5
Day 4: 20 Ab bicycles each side: https://giphy.com/gifs/home-video-exercise-fitness-TMNCtgJGJnV8k
Day 5: 10 Pallof presses each side. This one is actually an ANTI-rotation exercise - but still works the same muscle group - just in a different way! https://gfycat.com/uk/velvetycrazyarcticfox
Day 6: 10-20 reps of all the above, taking breaks as needed.

✅ Who is up for the challenge with me? Let me know below! 👇

REFERENCES
www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/330/high-plank-t-spine-rotation/
www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/394/halo/
www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/65/russian-twist/
www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/241/supine-bicycle-crunches/
www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/exercise-library/332/standing-anti-rotation-press/

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

Welcome to your 1 Minute Push-up Challenge!

Are you ready?! This week your challenge is to do as many push-ups as you can for 1 MINUTE every day.

I love this kind of challenge because it's great for your body AND your mind.

Goal: Aim for 1 more rep tomorrow than you do today. Be sure to listen to your body and take breaks as needed.

You can do standard push-ups, modified push-ups (from your knees), or incline push-ups (hands on a raised bench or wall).

Physically, this is a GREAT opportunity to work on form and technique and finally move you toward conquering full-body push-ups if that’s a goal.

Plus … this challenge can help you build mental toughness by challenging your personal best and getting you out of your comfort zone.

Are you in? Let us know. 👇👇

🔥 WEEKLY CHALLENGE! 🔥

It’s the PEDOMETER POWER CHALLENGE.

This challenge is all about a little FRIENDLY competition – with yourself.

👟Your assignment: set a daily step goal that’s a little bit of a reach for you and GET IT DONE.

→ 2,000 steps is about 1 mile depending on your stride length.

If you normally rack up a lot of steps every day, shoot for the 10,000+ daily steps many experts recommend
If you’re usually sedentary, aim for 2,500 to 5,000 steps a day and then work on boosting that.

Whatever number you choose, the goal is to GET MOVING and get into the habit of tracking your progress.

Here are some tips for racking up more steps:

Take a daily walk around the neighbourhood
Park further from your destinations
Walk the dog
Talk walking meetings
Use the stairs instead of the elevator
Walk in place during phone calls and Zoom meetings
Take up an active hobby like gardening, golf, or tennis
Get moving on the playground with your kids or grandkids
Change it up! Throw in some intervals of faster walking during your normal walks!

💡You can track your steps using a fitness tracker (like Fitbit or Apple Watch) or use the one built right into your smartphone.

Let’s make MOVING a habit! Are you IN? Share your daily step goal below! 👇👇