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Fitness

Your TOTAL anti-ageing diet plan

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Welcome to week one of Healthista’s 12 week anti-ageing food and fitness plan. Created by nutritional physiologist Rick Hay, it incorporates the latest scientific and nutritional research to help you look younger and get slimmer and fitter

Here’s how it works

1. Weekly instructions Every Monday for the next 12 weeks we’ll be putting up an instructional post from Rick with everything you need to do that week.  It will include meal ideas and recipe tips plus snack and exercise guidelines and advice for little things you can do to keep hunger at bay and energy levels up.

2. Weekly food videos We’ll also be posting up a recipe video each week to give you guidelines on making some of the food on the plan. Don’t worry it’s all designed to be super-fast and super-easy as Rick describes himself as ‘The world’s laziest nutritionist’.

3. Weekly workout videos Each week will come with its own 5 minute workout designed for all levels and to progress in difficulty as the plan progresses (sorry, but you want results don’t you?). This is designed to be done daily – come on, it’s five minutes.

4. The Healthista with the best results will win a hamper featuring an array of health products from the plan worth over £100 Here’s the best bit. You send us your results in the comments of each post or share them with us via Twitter and Facebook – with pictures – and the Healthista with the best results walks away with an hamper of health booty including posh protein powder and super green powders.

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PRINCIPLES OF THE PLAN

This easy-to-follow detailed plan targets ageing and fitness at a cellular level using nutrient dense meals and snacks.

1. Healthy proteins  The first four weeks involves the consumption of healthy plant based protein, combined with low-fat fish and white meat options. A diet full of nutrient dense plant based protein has been shown to increase life expectancy while lowering the risk of today’s common diseases, such as cardiovascular problems, diabetes and obesity related illnesses.

2. Eating small and often There are three main meal choices and three snack options focusing on controlled portions on the plan.  That means the meals can remain varied throughout the course but they’e designed to ensure you get to eat plenty of healthy food and never get hungry.The plan also includes healthy carbs to help with cognition and promote high energy levels.

3. Promoting digestive health The food choices in this plan also help the body achieve the correct digestive function to slow down the ageing process and assist with weight management.

4. Daily HIIT fitness A fitness regimen of 5-minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) and yoga or pilates is recommended to help increase general fitness and slow down the ageing process and features in each or our weekly workout videos on the plan. See the end of the post for an outlined fitness regimen.

5. Moving more, aiming to take 10,000 steps a day Sitting less and moving around more through your work day is one of the best things you can do to lose weight and feel younger. More on how here

WEEK 1 – WHAT TO DO

Before breakfast:
Half a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. This gets the liver and gallbladder and digestive functions and also helps with fat metabolism.

Breakfast:
Each breakfast option is protein-based to help with weight management with some carbs for energy and cognitive function.

Porridge with Berries  Add a few teaspoons of fresh or frozen berries to a small bowl of porridge with a dollop of non sugary organic yogurt. Berries are catabolic, which helps with fat burning, while oats help to keep blood sugar levels stable, thus resulting in weight loss and an elevated mood.

Porridge-Berries

OR

Eggs and toast Two free range scrambled, poached or boiled; 1 piece of toast: rye, mixed or wholegrain with organic butter or olive oil margarine.

OR

Protein smoothie Blend 200-250mls of rice or almond milk with one banana or a cup of berries and a few almonds. You can add one scoop of plant based protein. We like Sunwarrior Sunwarrior Protein Vanilla, a plant based protein powder. These shakes can be used as a meal replacement because they are high in protein and amino acids that keep you feeling fuller for longer. Add enzyme-rich vegetables like spinach or kale for more nutrients. Don’t be afraid of the green color, as the vegetable taste is masked by the fruit, nuts and yogurt.

VIDEO: Rick Hay shows you how to make two super-nutrtious green breakfast smoothies

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You can also add one tablespoon (serving) of Sapphire Blueberry Shots, a nutrient dense antioxidant solution, great for hair, skin, nails and to help with energy levels.

Mid Morning:
Small bowl of berries with a few almonds, and yogurt if desired. Eating every few hours helps to control portion size and helps to regulate blood sugar levels to eliminate cravings.

OR
1 Apple (or other piece of fruit) with a few almonds

OR
Healthy food bar, such as Nak’d or Organic Food Bar.

Rick - and most nutritionists we know - approves of Nakd bars, from health food shops
Rick – and most nutritionists we know – approves of Nakd bars, from health food shops

TIP – Before lunch and dinner, six spirulina tablets or capsules can be taken to help prolong feelings of fullness from the meal.

Lunch:

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Green Bean Soup: to 300mls of vegetable stock, add a cupful of the Broocoli and Cauliflower and half a cup of Green Beans. Simmer for ten minutes and season with thermogenic spices such as black pepper, cayenne, garlic or chili.

OR

Grilled Chicken, Salmon, Tofu, Quorn Meat Substitute or Turkey (150g or less) with a cup of Leafy Greens dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This is a protein based meal that is high in antioxidants and full of healthy omegas to help with mood and skin.

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OR

Smoothie, like the breakfast option, can be used as a meal replacement but only for one or two of the meals, not all three. A half serve of the shake can be used as mid morning or mid afternoon snack if it isn’t being used as a meal replacement.

Mid Afternoon:
1 or 2 crispbread with peanut or nut butter.

OR

Carrot and celery sticks with 50g hummus.

OR

1 or 2 crispbread with avocado or a thin spread of Ricotta cheese.

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Dinner:
Grilled tuna/tofu/chicken/turkey or quorn meat substitute (less than 150g) with one to two cups of Steamed Green Vegetables of choice. The vegetables can be dressed with a little olive oil and garlic, sea salt or black pepper.

OR

2 to 3 free range egg omelette seasoned with chili or cayenne for their thermogenic fat burning properties. Pair with a cup of Leafy Greens.

OR

Stir Fry Choose a protein option, like Grilled Tuna/Tofu/Chicken/Turkey or Quorn Meat Substitute (less than 150g) and season with your spices of choice. Pair with half a cup of brown rice, if desired.

After Dinner:

Warm 2 or 3 dates or prunes and serve with a splash of rice or almond milk.

Before Bed:

1 cup of herbal tea of choice. Choose a calming variety such as: chamomile, lemon balm, or valerian.

 

Fitness Plan Week 1: The daily 5-Minute Fat-Burning Challenge

As part of Rick Hay’s anti ageing fitness plan, he suggests making movement a part of your daily routine.

For the next 12 weeks we’re challenging you to:

1) Commit to do five minutes’ HIIT exercise daily. We’ll provide a different HIIT training video each week, all you have to do is give us back five minutes – and a little sweat – by doing the video each day. If you can’t do daily, try and rank up at least four times weekly.

2) Try and walk more than 10,000 steps a day. You’ll be surprised how the steps build up. Here’s a detailed how-to post to get you started walking for weight loss

This 5 minute cardio challenge includes a 3 minute high intensity program followed by a lower intensity yoga or pilates move.

Do each individual cardio exercise as many times as you can for one minute (three minutes in total), followed by the yoga/pilates move for two minutes. Repeat as often as you like, tailored to your own fitness level.

Within each movement we have included varying levels of intensity. Repeat these challenges 2 or 3 times so you continue to grow and keep your body challenged.

VIDEO: This week’s 5-minute cardio challenge video – do it daily or as often as you can this week. 

 

Move-by-move breakdown of the video circuit

Plank:
i) on Knees/Elbows (Beginners)
ii) on Toes/Hands (Intermediate)
iii) Elbows to Hands – Alternate (Advanced)

This is a static position, keeping the body in a stiff plank, the ‘action’s to pull your belly button towards your spine and pull up on the pelvic floor (about 20%), hold this position for up to 30 seconds or more if you can.

Tip: Make sure the hips stay low and elbows/hands are under the shoulders.

Static Running:
Assume ‘running position,’ with one leg forward, one back – just move your arms quickly as if you are running very fast.

Tip: Increase intensity by moving the arms faster.

Abs – Legs Raise & Touch Toes:
Tip: Start with shoulders on floor, legs straight up in the air, breath in, as you exhale reach your hands towards toes, lifting shoulders away from the ground, touch toes if possible and pulse.

Do up to five circuits of the above, depending on how much time you have and then move onto yoga (below).

Yoga:
Lie flat, center yourself, rock up to sitting crossed legged, hands in prayer, eyes closed, raise hands to ceiling, stretching up, then lower and repeat.

Tip: Keep your core muscles engaged and keep feet off the floor when ‘rocking’ up.

RELATED: Week Two: Anti-ageing diet plan

anti ageingExtracted from the Anti Ageing Fitness Plan by Rick Hay. Available for download at the Xynergy website. The Anti Ageing Fitness Plan is a 12-week plan, complete with fitness regimens that are high-intensity and fat-burning. There are 12 weeks of meal plans that help to slow the ageing process, promote weight loss and alkalize the body at a cellular level.

 

 

 

Rick healthistaRick Hay is an Anti Ageing and Fitness Nutritionist with many years clinical experience in nutrition, naturopathy, botanical medicine and iridology. He specializes in obesity treatment and weight management. He writes a regular Natural Health and Fitness Blog for Healthista. Picture: Lydia Jones

 

 

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