CarbonNYC

I often get questions on the topic of health and fitness. Coming from friends family and of course the comments and e-mails I receive through this blog. Here are some of the most common ones I have heard. So hopefully you will enjoy the post.

What is the best way to do cardio in the gym?

Sometimes it is cold, miserable and or wet outside and we need to get to the gym for a workout. My preference for cardio in the gym is to mix it all up. Keep the intensity flowing and jump from machine to machine every 5 minutes. Not only does this benefit your body by working it in various different ways but it makes the time pass much quicker.

Some of the best cardiovascular machines in the gym are:

• Stepper
• Cross Trainer
• Rower
• Bike

Stay away from the treadmill for anything more than a short run, as it overemphasizes the quads work and neglects the hamstrings making it potentially problematic. Try the 4 above machines for 5 minutes each throwing in a few sprint intervals on each. It works for a great cardiovascular workout that will improve well being.

Lower back pain?

Lower back pain is a tricky one and I suggest going to see someone who specializes in the area especially if the pain is serious. Saying this many people seem to have a slight nagging lower back pain with nothing profoundly wrong, this can be solved pretty easily by strengthening the core.

• Keep your core braced while doing all exercises in the gym, even running. To do this just suck in and contract your abs while working, this will brace your lower back muscles and force them to stabilize.
• Practice The Plank (See Below) until you can work up to holding it with good form for 2 minutes. This sounds challenging at first but so many people report improved symptoms once they strengthen in this static movement.
• Do Posterior Chain strengthening exercises. If you have a kettleBell get swinging!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCaJ8sqkCqI

Best Source of Carbohydrates?

For me it comes down to the following, Base your carbohydrates on fibrous Fruits and Vegetables in abundance (careful on the non fibrous and sugary fruit though) then load up on your god dry carbs, think startchy tubers like Sweet Potatoes, Turnips, Squash, Swede, Carrots, Beets and White, Red/Purple Potatoes all the nutrient packed varieties. Next up comes Corn based products and Wild Rice, Polenta can also be a very nourishing addition. I am also a huge fan of some good corn on the cob with good butter and sea salt, its a great easy side to most protein meals. Last but not least comes grain based products, keep these in moderation but if prepared correctly things like Oats and Sprouted/Sourdough bread can be good, especially when fresh.

• Stay Natural, nothing from a packet with added ingriedients….
• Always get them in their most wholesome form….
• Remember to eat your green vegetables..
• Think whole foods your grandma would be proud to see you eating!

Don’t have time to exercise, what should you do?

I can sympathize with this one as many people are working silly hours and  going to the gym can be a monumental task especially when you take into account the travel times/ changing etc. So what to do?

• Walk, Walk and Walk some more. Walking is the ultimate exercise which restores Chi and burns fat. Plus it gets you outside and into the fresh air. Get of the bus early, park your car further away do whatever it takes to sneak in some more walking.
• Create a basic home gym (Essentials for a Home Workout….)
• Get some running shoes and hit the road. throw in some Pushups and Body weight squats with a 20-30 minute run and its a pretty time efficient workout most anyone can fit in!

How to not overdo nuts?

Although I have given out some guidelines on this in a previous post, its something pretty hard to control due to nuts addictive nature. My Solution is make yourself a simple rule, only eat soaked and dried nuts. Soaking your nuts not only gets rid of the anti-nutrients it also makes them far easier to digest. As they take time to prepare though you are more likely to use them in moderation.

• Leave your nuts in a bowl of water and sea salt overnight
• Next morning drain the nuts and dry them
• Leave them somewhere to dry out for 12-24 hours a fan oven or blow heater works well. Also in summer leaving them out in the sun is amazing
• Once they have dried to the core and have a good crunch you are ready to go!

Since I started doing this I have become way more careful with my nut intake, sure I will still have some raw nuts or nut butter but I make sure the majority of my intake comes from my own freshly soaked and dried nuts.

Is it bad to eat before bed?

This is a common one and the answer is that it really depends. If you are hungry you need to eat so don’t sweat it although I do find it is best to leave at least 90 minutes after having a largish meal and sleeping. Some nights though I find it hard to nod off if hungry and the best solution for me seems to be warming up a small glass of raw milk and mixing in some cinnamon. It is an old trick but not only does it put me right out it makes my sleep far deeper.

• Eating before bed won’t make you fat, eating unnatural, refined foods wrecks your metabolism and causes fat gain
• Stay light before bed when you can
• Have something to soothe the stomach if you find it difficult to sleep

Normally though I would suggest eating your last meal of the day 2-3 hours before sleeping and going to bed feeling light.

I will try to keep this kind of Q&A type post up regularly. So please comment with some questions which I will try to answer in the next of the Q&A series….

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