NoSugarVember

It's November in 2 days...correction it's NoSugarVember in 2 days.

Why NoSugarVember? Too many individuals consume far too much sugar. The way that the nasty, addictive substance works means that as soon as you consume it, you want more. There are several illnesses and diseases that over consumption of sugar is associated with.We all know about Diabetes but did you know about:

• Depression
• Mood swings
• Irritability
• Hyperactivity
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Mineral deficiencies
• Adrenal gland depletion
• Hypoglycemia
• Candida overgrowth
• Increased cholesterol levels
• Chronic fatigue

Sugar is so dangerous because it weakens our immune system therefore rendering us susceptible to disease and illness. Now I already hear you saying "Oh but I don't even consume that much sugar"or "I'm not a sugar addict" but listen up we are all addicted to sugar in some way or another.

By consuming sugar and products containing sugar you are on the slippery slope down to insulin sensitivity, diabetes, heart disease, impotence and many cancers. Sugar quickly absorbs into your bloodstream reeking havoc with your blood sugar levels, the body responds by increasing its secretion of insulin. Too much insulin encourages certain types of cancer to grow. Breast, colorectal and pancreatic are the most common.

Hopefully my scare tactic are working their magic! Yes, it may never happen to you but why would you want to chance it? We only get one shot at life so why not live in the best possible body we can.

NoSugarVember will began on 1st November and "finish" on the 30th of November. I'd really like it if none of you actually stopped it and just continued on this new Sugar-free way of life. It's totally possible but it takes commitment, like anything in life.

To purchase the NOSugarVEMBER plan for $9.95 please register here

I'm not a believer of artificial sweetener, so it's off the plan. It's a fake, manufactured product that you don't need. If you must have a natural form of sweetnener, I would recommend Stevia. A drop here and there can really sweeten things up for you. Choose a natural stevia and head to the health food shop to suss it out.

Follow my tweets and use #NoSugarVember to keep tabs on everyone!

Who's on board? Say G'day in the comment  box below......

Natalie Carter Recommends: C Coconut Water

There's been so much hype about Coconut Water and I for one refused to become sucked in. I purchase whole coconuts regularly from groceries but always struggled with opening and transporting them around. I've tried many bottle coconut waters on the market but they all taste terrible and nothing like the true experience of cracking the top off a fresh, young organic coconut and drinking the water through a straw. I also pretend I'm a on tropical island, then my phone rings and I'm blasted, quickly, back to reality.

C Coconut Water is a totally, surprisingly, different experience. I was expecting the same 'rank' old coconut taste experience however what I got was fresh, clean coconut flavour almost a carbon copy of a fresh coconut. Why? Because C Coconut Water creators have sourced the best tasting coconuts from across the globe. The coconuts are organic and are so delicious chilled in the fridge. Their product is as close to nature as possible and that's why I love it!

Benefits of drinking C Coconut Water:

- Great for re-hydrating the body. If you've been naughty and indulged in a few too many wines, Coconut water is great for curing a hangover and also helps with jetlag.

- Also helps metabolism and promotes weight loss. The oil from the coconut  also has these similar benefits and has been on my radar for years.

- The coconut is actually a large seed not a nut, so those with nut allergies can consume it by the truckload

- Fat free and low sugar

- It's highly sterile....it case you really do get stuck on a deserted island, you'd probably survive!

- Because it's highly hydrating it's the choice for a healthier sports drink. It has high isotonic properties and has less sugar than most sports drinks. I love a coconut water after a workout

- Higher potassium than a banana....and fewer carbs too! Awesome

- Also contains magnesium, so helpful post workout and for recovery

Go get your C Coconut Water from Thomas Dux or Harris Farm grocers. Enjoy!

Have you tried Coconut Water? What did you think?

Create A Flat Stomach, Part 3

We've gone over Part 1 and Part 2, now friends, it's time for the final section.... Part 3!

You've probably heard me tell you about a BILLION times how important the foods you choose to eat are. Well I'll say it again, The foods you choose to consume, as part of your "getting awesome abs"or "hot body plan" are going to either see you succeed or fail. Simple! Eat shit, look shit. People often scoff at those that are regimented with their eating plans, it's usually a sign of jealously. So get over it and jump on board.

I come across many people who are actually proud of their shitty, highly processed diets. Are they serious or just living in a dream world? Processed foods (especially sugar) will eventually lead to your health's demise. This is not a joke. You can keep living with fake, processed foods as the bulk of your diet or you can choose to consume foods that offer nutrition and life prolonging goodness. I'm not guaranteeing that by switching your processed diet you'll drop loads of kilos and suddenly look amazing but over time this is the benefit that clean, healthy living can have on a individual. Even if you only consume junk a few times a week, it's still a few times too many. Are you finding it hard to shed the last few kilos? Do you waver between a certain number on the scales or a dress size that you just can't seem to decrease. Well it's your diet that needs to be altered and the junk removed to achieve a positive result. You can bust your ass at the gym (to no avail) or you can make simple changes to your diet and see changes- you choice. Be smart guys! Change your food choices.

We live in a period of time where we have an abundance of information about health available to us, sometimes too much, however we are bigger than ever. Yes disease is reducing but we are living with some of the biggest people (obese individuals) and it's in our backyard not just America. Why? Because we won't give up eating our comfort foods. Because overweight people still are being told to consume their 4-7 serves of carbohydrate everyday and only 2-3 serves of protein. How much more research do we need to find to convince the general population that this ISN'T the correct way to successfully achieve weight loss and overall health.

What is processed food? Now I don't need anyone to be a smart ass, I do understand most food goes through some kind of processing but I'm talking about Anything that is NOT fruit, veg, meat, fish, legumes, beans, dairy, eggs, nuts, oils, whole grains

Biggest pains in my ass:

1. Sugar  (soft drinks, High fructose corn syrup, too much fruit, lollies, refined, raw, white its all the same crap)
2. Sweeteners/fake sugar
3. Fake oils (hydrogenated oils)
4. Breads and white processed flours
5. Pastas
6. Soy
7. Boxed products with ingredients lists a mile long

By cutting the above out of your diet, you will see changes to your both internally and externally. By removing sugar alone, big changes occur. To experience this benefit, why not join me and my AWESOME Twitter followers and participate in NoSugarVember? We will be sticking to the below shopping list the whole of November and eliminating (also all) of the sugar that can creep into our diets. Keep following my tweets and look out for the #NoSugarVember hash tag.

Use my personal shopping list to help you on your "Eat Clean" journey. To order a personally designed nutrition program by me, click here and let's get started! If you are read to change, I'm ready to get you there.

Use this list and also don't forget:

- Eat regularly (every 3-4 hours)
- Consume 1.5-2 Litres of water per day
- Eat Protein at every meal and as snacks
- Allow 1 cheat meal per week
- Reduce alcohol intake (no more than 4 standard drinks per week better yet don't drink)
- Determine your daily calorie allowance and always be aware of what you put in your mouth nees to be expended with some exercise. Energy in vs Energy out. Get that balance right and you are a winner!

Natalie Carter's Eat Clean Shopping List (all can be found in Coles/Woolies) 1 kg tub Jalna biodynamic yoghurt (organic) Tub of cottage cheese 2 litre organic milk (full fat- Parmalat brand) and I also have organic rice milk on hand at all times. Chicken breast (free range) Steaks (lean fillets of beef, pork just mix it up. Also I love beef and turkey minces) Salmon fillets or other oily fish Various pieces of organic seasonal fruit (berries, apples, orange, pear) 200g Raw nuts (cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts just mixed no salt and not roasted) 1 Box of oats or muesli (try The Muesli if you can't make your own, its 97% Sugar free!! Also can try plain organic rolled or spelt oats. 1 bag brown rice & quinoa (each) Cans of tuna or red salmon in springwater (Sirena is my favourite. I only consume tuna in small amounts due to mercury levels) Seasonal Veg: zucchini, green beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, spinach, lettuce leaves (dark leaves not iceberg or cos), carrots, tomatoes, half celery, red peppers, aparagus, baby fennel, sweet potatoes (I recommend ordering an organic fruit & veg box from Aussie Farmers Direct- it's great, seasonal produce delivered to your door. A couples box is less than $50!) Dozen Eggs (organic or free range) and a bag of frozen egg whites (for smoothies) 3-4 bottles of San Pellegrino or mineral water Store cupboard: extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, mixed herbs, sweet smoked paprika, any other favourite spices/herbs, tinned tomatoes, almond meal, raw cacao powder to add to my smoothies chick peas, cannellini beans. 1 kg Packet frozen berries

Create A Flat Stomach Part 2

Welcome back, in case you missed Part 1of Creating A Flat Stomach, here it is.

What you do as part of your exercise routine is key to achieving a flat stomach. Whether it be in the gym or at home, a great selection of top exercises is vital. I look at the abdominal as a whole and don't break them up. Why? Breaking up body parts is time consuming and very old school body building. You body works as a WHOLE unit, so use it as one. There is more to life than sit ups. Get with the times, they are so dated and cause more harm than good. All these exercises below will target your whole core and get it rock hard.

Here are my Favourite 5 Abdominal exercises:

1. Plank: This recent article in the SMH also agrees that the plank is the new crunch. Throw away the lame, tired and ineffective ab crunch for a plank. Your stomach has muscles that are not dissimilar to the working of a corset. We all want that streamline look, don't we? Well then stop wasting time with crunches (that will build thickness in your ab area) and start including planks into your regime.
- Balance on elbows and toes
- engage navel to spine, tuck pelvis under so you are one straight being
- Make sure your head is over your hands and keep your body long.
- Hips remain up at all times. If you feel pain in your lower body, check your navel is drawn in and give you hips a little tuck under
- Hold for 45 secs to start with then continue to build it up. Repeat 3-4 times. My mum (who is 59 can hold the plank for 4:04 min! Amazing.  Well she does have a great trainer, I must say!

Plank

2. Hip extension with plank: A variation of the plank with added glute and hip stability. Arms and back will also get stronger.

- Start with arms extended, tuck pelvis under, long body and navel drawn in to spine.
- Slowly lift right leg off the ground by engaging your glute (ass cheek) hold for 3 secs (don't let that navel relax) and then lower leg down and swap.
- Left leg goes up, hold and return

20 alternating x 3 sets

3. Wood chops with resistance band or cable at the gym:
Great for shaping the obliques (love handles). This is a total core workout, when performed correctly.

- Fix the resistance band to something that won't move (door handle is great)
- Stretch the band so there is some tension on it (this you'll have to gauge and work at your own level)
- Stand tall, navel to spine, pelvis tuck under, knees slightly bent
- You now have to keep your hips still (look at my hips are they moving....no! Keep them facing straight ahead)
- Rotate your upper body only with straight arms then return to center and repeat.
- Try for 15-20 reps and repeat on right side. Repeat 3 times through

4. Lower ab heel taps: THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EXERCISES YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR LOWER ABS! I REPEAT BEST EXERCISE FOR LOWER ABS. Got it? Ok, good! Why? It effectively helps correct the typical 'sway back' or 'banana back" posture lots of people have.

- Lie down on your back with bent knees off the ground and upper body relaxed and long.
- Press you lower back into the floor by rotating your pelvis. You can use your hand as a guide. Place it in the small of your back and try to squash your hand with your lower back. Just keep it there for the first few times to make sure you are doing the exercise correctly.
- With your navel firmly in, slowly lower your heel down to the ground. You may THINK you can do it quite easily but the hand will be your feedback, if it's not getting squashed while your heel in going down, you need to rotate your pelvis more and draw the navel harder down into your spine.
- Alternate legs for 20 and repeat 3 times through. Make sure the reps are all perfect and if need be just work up to doing 20. We want quality not quantity.

Lower ab heel taps

 5. Side plank: Great for building strength in the obliques and mid section.

- Lie on your side, shoulder over elbow, stack both hips on top of one another. Push up on to side of foot
- Raise up arm in line with shoulder and look up at your raised arm.

- Hold for 45 secs (increase time as you get better) and then repeat on other side. 3 sets through

What more ab workouts? Go to my YouTube channel and check it out. My final, Part 3, is only a short wait away. Stay tuned and in the meantime get moving with these exercises! Did you miss Part 1? Silly, go back and read it here

Create A Flat Stomach Part 1

I am asked on a daily basis "How do I flatten my tummy" or "How do I get a strong core" and I thought I'd share my answer with everybody today. Not only are you going to get the inside scoop, you can finally put to bed all the rumours and misconceptions out there.


Keys factors that play a part in successfully achieving a flat tummy:


- Diet: The state of your tummy is reflected by the foods you eat. Eat crap, look crap. Simple! Your body really is a temple and it's imperative you remember this. What about skinny people who eat crap but have flat stomachs? They most likely have a high percentage of body fat and also visceral fat (the fat surrounding your organs) High visceral fat levels are dangerous in ANY individual, obese or skinny.


- Genes: Something we are either "blessed" with or lumped with. Your DNA will have significant weighting on whether you naturally have a flat tummy or are prone to a slightly more flabby one. That's not to say you can't aim to create leanness in your abdominal area, it will just be a little harder and not come as naturally as it does to those with a lower body fat percentage. Aim to lower your overall body fat percentage to reveal your abs underneath. We all have them!


- Types of exercises you choose: Some exercises (like crunches) are abdominal thickeners whereas lower abdominal activation will work on creating a drawing in effect on the abdominal  area (very much like a corset). There are many exercises I do with my clients that ultimately change their posture and therefore their abdominal strength and how their pelvis "sits" 


-Stress: When the body is in a state of stress, a hormone called cortisol is produced. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands and the amount released into the bloodstream will depend on the time of day. Cortisol is important for several functions in our body including the maintenance of blood pressure. The hormone stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism and insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. An increased production of cortisol (usually at times where the body is in stress) can lead to weight gain and fat storage especially in the abdominal area. We all know this kind of fat storage is a HUGE pain in the ass not to mention very dangerous and puts us at high risk of heart attacks and strokes. Whilst there as several supplements aimed at lowering cortisol levels and secretion no well-respected studies have found any value in them lowering cortisol and aiding weight loss. The best and easiest way to do so is with exercise. The best kind would be resistance based as this burns a higher amount of calories and also will help lower stress to the body. Stay away from extended periods of cardio (especially steady state i.e more than 1 hour per day)

- Alcohol consumption: In the majority of cases, those who restrain from alcohol whilst following an exercise program have an increased chance of successfully reducing their body fat, especially from the abdominal area. This is because "alcohol lowers testosterone for up to 72 hours and increases estrogen levels. If you want better results from your training, reduce or stop your intake of these substances. To your body, Alcohol is a useless nutrient, that is a poor energy provider and is easily stored as fat - hence the 'beer belly'. Alcohol also lowers protein synthesis by 42% and reduces recovery, performance and dehydrates you. Did you know that each pint of beer has 250 calories, the same as a chocolate bar?" www.musclebulletin.com


- Estrogen levels. Through several lifestyle and environmental factors (diet, contraceptive devices, canned foods, plastics, personal care products and chemicals) we (both men and women) get exposed to increase amounts of estrogen. This creates an imbalance in our hormones and therefore can lead us to estrogen dominance. If we look at a really common cause: the pill. If you take the pill you can be at a disadvantage when it comes to losing weight and trying to manage body fat in areas such as abs/tummy, thighs, butt and triceps and hips. These are the areas where women store body fat and when on the pill a continuous flow of hormones (estrogen) is entering through the body. The estrogen builds up and you have too much. This is not a good thing and one of the main reasons I stopped taking the pill in place of using other methods of non-hormonal contraception. The use of chemicals and plastics also increases our exposure to estrogen. If you currently suffer from PMS, bloating, fat storage in abs/butt/thighs/triceps/love handles (to name a few symptoms) you may need to consult a natural health doctor (or check if your GP is familiar with holistic methods to reduce estrogen) Read here for more info . I also recommend ridding your cupboards of any harmful products that may be in your shampoo, makeup or skin care. Simple changes can be made to your diet  and lifestyle that seem to effect the body quickly and reduce signs of estrogen dominance. 


Try:


- Eliminating soy and all soy products (however some fermented soy occasionally is ok)


- Stop the pill and try non-hormonal devices (IUD's and diaphragm's)


- Eat plenty of cruciferous vegetables: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and bok choy.


- Reduce dairy consumption, opt for rice milk or almond milk instead. Always make sure you consume organic dairy if you do have it. 


- Use BPA free storage containers or glass jars to store food. Reduce canned products


- Buy chemical free haircare and skincare products (hard I know but a general reduction will be a good start). We are trying to minimise all xenoestrogens here.


Stay tuned for Part 2 & Part 3 where I'll go through the most effective diet for fat loss and exercises to add and which ones to ditch. 


Are you committing any crimes when it comes to the above factors? Maybe you use BPA storage containers or drink too much? Go on share your crime.....