Food & Fitness by Ann Wicken
Better Health, Energy, Vitality and Weight Management
Sick of waking up feeling tired and lacking the energy to be motivated?
Sick of exercising yet never getting the weight changes you are hoping for?
Sick of the way your energy levels drop and make you wish you could have a ‘nana nap’ at about 3pm each day?
Sick of hearing yourself say, “Tomorrow I’m going to start eating better and get my body back,” only to find your resolve dissolves before the end of the first day?
As humans we are unique complex beings. We each require a set of personal guidelines to achieve our health and fitness goals. There are however a few simple guidelines that we can all follow in order to improve our health, energy, vitality and to manage our weight.
Nutrition
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean deprivation, tasteless food and lettuce leaves.
The basis for a healthy diet is ensuring you eat lean cuts of meat, a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and small amounts of whole grains. It is important you drink plenty of water. Individuals with specific dietary requirements or health conditions may require a slightly different mix of these food groups.
Basic Guidelines
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Be prepared with good food options at home.
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Eat three meals a day and avoid skipping meals. Hunger can be dangerous.
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For each meal aim to eat a palm size and thickness portion of protein, two cupped handful portions of vegetables, one small cupped handful portion of wholegrains and the equivalent of your thumb in good fats and oils. (Males may need to double these amounts).
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Eat most of your daily food intake earlier in the day rather than later in the evening.
REMEMBER YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
I try to live my life guided by the following quotes
“Life is about giving. It’s in giving that we receive. If you don’t have – you can’t give.”
“If it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you.”
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery."
"Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”
Exercise
Getting fit doesn’t have to mean exercising so hard you hurt, pass out, throw up, or wet your pants.
I recommend including three types of exercise into your week to enhance your health.
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Resistance training - this helps build muscle (no you don’t have to push heavy weights in a gym and look like a body builder) which in turn improves your metabolic rate and helps burn calories while resting. Lifting weights, using resistance bands and performing body weight exercises such as squats, lunges, push ups and chin ups are forms of resistance training.
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Cardiovascular training – this improves the health of your heart and lungs. Exercise that makes you puff, like
You may be wondering who I am. My name is Ann, I’m a wife, proud mother of three teenage daughters and the director and owner of RISE Food and Fitness.
My busy life involves running a family, working, friends, reading and playing sport - mountain biking, running, surfing, netball, and golf, which is a relatively new addition and one I find extremely challenging on many levels.
I share my time between two of the most stunning spots in NZ. Mount Maunganui with its beautiful surf beach and Nelson which is best described as a ‘lifestyle way of living’. With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry I describe myself as a Personal Motivator. I encourage, support and coach others to discover the health and happiness benefits of living a balanced, wholesome and sustainable lifestyle. I share with clients my own personal experiences and the wealth of knowledge I have gained over the years so that they can sensibly and slowly make changes for a permanently enhanced way of living.
Sleep
Aim to get eight hours of sleep at night to allow yourself time to repair and regenerate both physically and mentally. Waking up feeling refreshed in the morning helps us to be energised, alert, motivated, and focussed. Life will always seem more positive and easier to deal with when we aren’t tired.
Remember to turn off your devices at least an hour before you go to bed.
Stress
Being busy and rushed, drinking coffee to get a ‘pick-me-up’, grabbing for poor food choices and trying to be everything to everyone is mentally, physically and emotionally stressful.
Try to prioritise and eliminate the unnecessary ‘things I must do today’ from your life.
Take time to stop and relax.
Try sitting somewhere quiet and take 10 deep, full, luxurious belly breaths in and slowly breathe out. This can be immensely calming and therapeutic.
Contact Ann above or go to her website www.risefoodandfitness.com ...
Ann from RISE Food & Fitness features every month in sheQ, so make sure to catch her in the August edition.
Ann has been in the industry for a number of years and has kindly agreed to contribute her amazing articles each month free of charge for the enjoyment of our sheQ readers. Ann can be contacted via her contact form or by going to her website www.risefoodandfitness.com. Your support is appreciated.
walking, cycling, running, climbing hills, swimming, group fitness classes, and dancing are forms of cardiovascular training.
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Mind-body exercise – this improves our mental wellbeing, helps us recover, relaxes us to burn fat. Yoga, tai chi, stretching and even a quiet stroll in a relaxed quiet environment are forms of mind-body exercise.
Remember, if you have time to spend half an hour on social media each day you have time to exercise.
sheQ is about women, for women and by women, it is about empowering you to be the best person that you want to be. We hope to give you the tools and resources that give you the strength to carry on and get it done!
