Smoothies (From the Article Archives)

One of my favourite meals is a smoothie made from fresh fruit or veg with all the trimmings.

Smoothies are what I call a 'POWER' meal - with a single glass containing vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals all of which tastes great and covers a healthy, fulfilling meal option. Many of us with the current diet, food quality and lifestyle trends can be deficient somewhere in the body from our food and fluid choices.


Higher levels processed foods, sugars, fats, alcohol, caffeine and lower levels of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, grass-fed/free-range meats and water can have a profound effect on our bodies both mentally and physically. Mood swings, energy fluctuations, digestive stress are all problems we have or can face with these dietary choices.


So WHAT!!!


Well the benefits of a smoothie is you can replace and improve dietary deficiencies and score a very healthy meal option whether you're looking to gain weight, lose weight, re-balance or maintain your health. I myself have been utilising smoothies as meals, snacks, and supplements for years and have found it to be a useful tool in my dietary and health arsenal. Here is a typical smoothie i might have as a snack/meal:

PK's Red Bandit:

• 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
•  2 Frozen Banana's
• 1 Cup of Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon LSA (Linseed-Sunflower-Almond)
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk

Blend until a nice liquid consistency, smash it down. That's it.

Some other great recipes I have indulged in over the years are the Gracie Family Smoothies. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a now very famous self-defense practice with the family developing (from the original system created by Carlos and Helio Gracie) a time and truly tested nutritional system called the Gracie Diet.


They have studied and fine-tuned a set of guidelines for food options and combinations which they feel is best suited for our digestive systems and everything that inter-relates to it (i.e. immune responses, hormonal responses etc).


I'll admit not all of these are for everyone, but persevere and modify these recipes to suit your palate, preparation utensils, food availability and budget. Enjoy the vids and please feel free to send me your own recipes or share them below in the comments section. (Beware these guys poke a lot of fun at themselves so don't take them too seriously)

Apple-Banana Smoothie

Watermelon-Banana Smoothie

Honeydew-Banana Smoothie

Vegetable Smoothie

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Please leave a comment or share my thoughts with friends and family.

Best,

PK

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Sugar (The Elusive Drug)

No this isn't some narcotic from a CSI show, this my friends is sugar, the forgotten drug.

I'm not here to preach that sugar is pure evil and that we must stop what we are doing and throw out all our sugar products. I am not asking you to become my disciples or followers and give sugar up forever.

I'm a realist.

And unfortunately sugar is here to stay... However,

What Are You Waiting For??? (From The Article Archives)

A friend of mine loves watching the cricket. He has watched the Aussies rip through the Poms, the Black Caps and the Windies since he was a kid.

Natural Life - Be Like Water (From the Article Archives)

One of my all time heroes is Bruce Lee, not only did he treat and train his body like a temple but also his mind. He was a devoted philosopher and combined his love of philosophy with his love of the human body. One of his famous quotes, which I try to follow religiously...


"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."
 
Much of our lives have become artificial, whether its through diet, lifestyle or even training. "Natural Life" is a way for me to communicate to you on ways people, cultures etc have recreated or evolved from the Artificial lifestyle most of live today, to a more primal or naturally human way.

This post was sent to me a long time ago by a friend and I'd forgotten about it until the other day. Erwan Le Corre, is a trainer who utilises nature as his way of living whether it be through eating, drinking, training etc. This is well made look into the sort of things he does.

So how the hell does this apply to someone living in the city or someone with a busted up body??? Get back to your primal instincts as much as possible, utilise the outdoors, swim, run, climb, breathe, experience.

My challenge to you for the next 6 weeks is one day a week - get outside and recreate yourself. Get back to what nature intended, don't set too many rules. Just get out there and remember...

"Be Like Water".

Enjoy the video

PK

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Nutrition 101

I have a guilty pleasure and it's not sugar or shopping etc.

Don't Give In!!!!

Long time no hear PKT readers.

I am really sorry about my lack of attention to the blogs over the last 18 months but my focus has been on up skilling and developing myself personally and professionally to become a better person. 

PK vs. Shift Work

It has been a while since my first installment of "PK vs." and this topic is one that I am becoming more and more knowledgeable about.

Since i started working in the fitness industry, many clients and new friends have worked in jobs or have careers which involve shift work. For those not in the know, shift work is basically working on a rotating roster which includes night shifts. This is not the desirable 9-5 which most try to attain to working (better suits some families etc.). Primarily you will see hospital, law enforcement, factory, and emergency services working these sort of hours.

Snapper Fillets with Cabbage & Crushed Potatos (Recipe of the Week)

(Photo Courtesy of fit.webmd.com)

I wanted to provide you the reader with a "Recipe of the Week" article which you can try out for yourself. These recipes are not calorie counted and occasionally they can be slightly "unhealthy." I am not considering the Glycemic Index, or whether its high protein or low carbohydrate etc. The aim of this series is to provide some decent meal ideas, without the eagle eye focus on nutritional content.

With each recipe I will provide a rating of Heavy (calorie dense - good for heavy training days), Medium (not too heavy not too light on the calories - great for lighter training days) and Light (low calorie density - ideal for off days and recovery days).

Please don't hesitate and contribute comments, questions, recipes, hints and tips to any of the recipes. I am no masterchef! And I am providing meals for the masses not for a specific group i.e. weight loss.

Well, without further a do...

We Always Need Heroes - Laird Hamilton

(Photo Courtesy of Tom Servais)

This is the second installment of the "We Always Need Heroes" series, and coincidentally this one is also about another waterman, one of the modern pioneers of waterman - Laird Hamilton. This Hawaiian surfing legend has been a major contributor to not only building the profile of surfing, but also one that has done it on his own terms and in his own way. Surfer, wind/kite/body surfer, hydrofoiler, sailboarder, stand up paddle boarder, and more famously Tow-In Surfing are just a small sample of what this man does for a living.

The Millenium Wave Tahiti

(Photo Courtesy of Tim McKenna)

This man was born for the ocean, and it is his passion for the ocean and how you can use it that I look up to. Despite the fact that he is paid to do it, he is life revolves around playing and living in the ocean, and he does not take it for granted. It is this lifestyle which I am sure many of us wish we had, but Laird developed and worked hard for it and deserves the right to live this way. A humble man by nature, and not one to look for the limelight (ironic considering his character the movie North Shore haha) he is never far from the media but only for doing what he loves.

A bloke never shy from an epic challenge, but it is preparation that is the key to much of his success. Laird eats and drinks organic, drinks little to no alcohol, in bed by 8pm each night, does regular Yoga, stretching, myofascial release work and meditation, and gives loads of love and time to his family. To top off the list HE IS A GYM JUNKY (when the surf isn't pumping), and he and his mates from malibu get together and do these wicked circuits. 

A man of incredible talents in the water he has inspired many (and even scored critics too), but it is his overall outlook on life and how he holds himself that I find appealing. He has been a hero of mine for a long time and when I bought his book "Forces of Nature - Mind, Body, Soul and of course Surfing" I got this amazing new outlook on many things to which I had never considered.

(Photo Courtesy of mensjournal.com)

So I tip my cap to Laird, he will be and will always be a hero of mine. The lessons that I have learned across the board have had a significant impact already, and I sure as hell hope to be dominating like he is at his age, that's for sure!

Enjoy this quick video montage of Laird, and for more Laird stuff click on this link - Laird:

Heroes Lesson (This lesson is courtesy of Lairds book):
Your path is yours alone - The best way to find your path is to start with a dream and then refuse to listen to anyone else's opinions about what you "can" and "can't" do in pursuit of that dream.


Charge It,

PK

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Alzheimer's Disease (Dementia)

When it comes to health, we as professionals don't always have the answer. If you came up to me and asked if physical exercise and healthy lifestyle choices will stop any chances of someone getting any long term health issues like Cancer or Dementia, I can't honestly say that it would. It isn't as cut and dry when it comes to questions and answers like this.

A Morning At Hybrid Fitness

It has been a while since I have had time to get everything back to normal after my hectic move up to Lismore. Fortunately, I scored a few days back in the Clarence Valley last week and all I wanted to do was go check out the Hybrid Fitness new gym facility in Grafton.

Magnus Scheving aka Sportacus

I came across the kids show "LazyTown" whilst channel surfing, during my time laid up with a serious ankle injury. It's a great show about being fit and healthy as well as good morals laid out for the kids through its stories. The star of the show "Sportacus" is played by a former aerobic gymnast, Magnus Scheving, what I didn't know is that he is also the CEO, creator and co-founder of LazyTown Entertainment.

Welcome Aboard

After an amazing time at Main Beach Training Yamba, it is time for me to pack my bags and move onwards and upwards.
Now that I have stepped aside from the title, I can now explore healthy training, nutrition and lifestyle with you.
I look forward to this fresh start, and I hope you enjoy the site.
Thanx,
PK