Workout with me for 10 mins on YouTube!

Due to the questions I've received on how to start exercise, I thought it made sense to record an exercise video. If you are looking to get started and don't have too much time, try this calorie-burning workout for just 10 minutes. If you are feeling spicy, do it multiple times but you will be sweating buckets at the end of this anyway. Who doesn't have 10 mins? No equipment too!

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

There's Wheat and There's Wheat...

I must say that I am constantly guilty of falling prey to marketing tactics (you probably are too). These guys just know how to get us! Because people have been trying to eat healthier in more recent times, you can actually see companies start to repackage their brands to sound healthier as well. 

One of the major areas where you see this exhibited is with wheat and grains. Once people see that their bread is brown, they automatically think it is good for them, right? So what do marketers do? They use that to their advantage. Make the bread brown, put a lot of sugar in it, take out natural nutrients so it gives you a high and is more addictive, and sell it to the customers.

Bread isn't bad, just like carbs aren't bad. It is important however to get the right kind from as natural a source as possible. How do you measure how natural wheat or any other grain is? Besides buying food with as few ingredients as possible, and making sure sugar is not close to the top of the list of ingredients, there is a way you can guess how 'whole' the grain in your food is. 

There are pretty much three forms of grains when it comes to their level of processing:

• Whole: Contains the whole kernel of the grain in as natural a state as possible.
• Refined: Grains have undergone a refining process that removes the germ and bran, as well as most of the nutrients, to give it a smoother texture. PS. This is where white rice usually falls.
• Enriched: Version of refined grains where they try to add some nutrients back in, but not in its natural form.

It is important to note though that they still try to trick you. Remember when we said that ingredients are listed in order of volume in the product (highest volume first)? So if something contains whole grains, it doesn't mean that it isn't blended with refined or enriched grains somewhere down the ingredient list. Check out the whole list! Here is an example of something that had enriched grains and whole grains. If you only looked at the front, you'd see 'whole wheat bread' and be satisfied.

Hopefully, that helps you make better choices. Let's eat food that nourishes our bodies, not raises our blood sugar levels unnecessarily.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: Precision Nutrition and 

Seven Reasons You May Not Be Losing Weight

You exercise. You eat well, or at least you think you do. But that scale has not budged and you don't feel any different. What gives?! Well, though the process to lose weight seems straightforward, there are things I usually find that people leave out, don't know, or actually forget. Here are seven of them for you to think about:

Do Spicy Foods Really Help You Lose Weight?

Have you heard time and time again how capsaicin (the active ingredient in a few types of peppers) aids in weight loss? Have you heard that all you need to do is to amp up this heat level on your food and you'd be burning mad calories? If this is true, we need to all run to the store today and buy all sorts of peppers for an easy weight loss option.

Let's assess the theory, shall we? When you eat spicy foods, you experience a very warm feeling that makes you sweat, maybe shake a little bit, do a dance, etc. So you feel like this heat must be burning all kinds of things in you. I believe it is the same reason why believe believe spicy foods cure colds or other sicknesses.

Now, it is not totally untrue that capsaicin does speed up your metabolism a little, but this increase has been shown to be very negligible and will most likely not affect you overall if you eat and exercise the same. But you do FEEL like you are losing more because you are sweating. Another theory is that because spicy foods make you feel fuller quicker (or simply because you can't eat as much as you're sweating and blowing), you probably can't eat as much as you would regular food. This means smaller portions, not a considerably faster metabolism.

While spicy food is yummy, and while it does make us feel like we're achieving something, there really is no evidence to definitely say it helps a lot. But it doesn't hurt as well ;) So continue with your spicy food, but please make sure that you get the right diet and exercise if weightloss is your goal.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Yoga for Weight-loss: Where to Begin?

If you're a yoga fan, you already know the powerful effects of yoga on your mind and body. However, if you are new to exercise, you are probably thinking "How the hell can ooommm...ahhhhs help me lose weight?"

There are so many different kinds of yoga, and nowadays, the most popular westernized forms do not involve staying in one position for an over-extended period of time. In fact, the most popular forms of yoga in the western world - Hatha, Power, and Bikram - involved fast-paced movements that induce those sweat glands to do their job.

Because there are a lot of balances, awkward positions, planks, and so on, yoga definitely develops muscle strength. But in order to lose some weight and also get some cardio effects, you most likely should be doing one of these yoga forms that are more flow-based and cause you to sweat. I would say power yoga is probably the best form of yoga if your goal is to lose weight.

Another thing to consider is that yoga tends to make you more aware of your body; its beauty, its strength. And so this usually comes along with not eating everything you used to or sleeping better, which aid in weight loss. 

So can yoga help you lose weight? Definitely. Where do you start? Start with the forms of yoga that are fast-paced, challenging in their flows, and cause you to sweat. Take a class from an instructor, buy a DVD, or go to a free website like DoYogaWithMe.com to begin your journey. As you notice yourself getting stronger, you will start to see some pounds shed. 

Will yoga shed as many calories as other cardio exercises though? No. Exercises like running, cycling, swimming, etc. will always be the best when it comes to shedding pounds, but incorporating yoga into your fitness routine can be a great place to start!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

May Fitness Basics: Carbs or No Carbs?

Have you cut out all carbs to lose weight? No-carb diets are constantly in high demand. However, is the premise true? In fact, most no-carb diets still contain foods with carbs like beans that people think are purely protein. But our mindsets need to change. We don't simply put on weight because we eat carbs; the body needs carbs for energy. We put on weight because we eat more carbs than we need. 

If you choose to eat no carbs, your body will look for the energy elsewhere, especially if you exercise a lot. So for instance, it will look for the energy from the protein you eat. Thus, instead of this protein being used to replenish muscles and tissue, it is being used for something other than its intended purpose.

Eat your carbs, but remember that portion control is key!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

May Fitness Basics: Losing Weight

One mistake a lot of people make is with the fad "lose 10 pounds in 10 days" diets. While losing weight is great, losing weight too quickly can negatively impact your body (organ function, etc) and let's be honest, when it's too quick, you're probably not making healthy choices a habit. Do it slowly and make it last a lifetime.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Personal Trainer Spotlight: Esta Morenikeji

Eights and Weights: Tell us a little about yourself.
Esta: A few short years ago, I weighed in at 92kg (about 203lbs) and could no longer fit into size 18 clothing. I ended up wearing a size 20! However in December 2007, I read a book that changed everything. That was the beginning of a new lifestyle which helped me lose more than 23kg (about 51lbs) in 9 months, and made me passionate about helping others to get the same results I got for myself.