We all have our weaknesses and temptations. For me there's one thing I still find it hard to avoid; and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. It's hard to tell if it's years of habit, the ready availability of this temptation, or a genuine demand from my brain, but come mid-afternoon I automatically can think of one thing – CHOCOLATE.

I want it, I need it, I must have it.
And so I do. Or at least, I used to.

You might not be a chocoholic, but I'll bet you've experienced some sort of temptation; and whether it's a regular urge or not, the fact is that when those feelings of desire overwhelm you it can be difficult to resist.

But here's the good news - just as you can learn how to still your mind and wait just one, two, three, even ten seconds longer before giving up on that tough set in the gym, you can also learn how to overcome those sweet cravings and wait those extra minutes or hours until the sense of urgency has passed.

Five steps to kill the cravings

1. Stop the cravings before they show up
Many of my clients – even the healthy eaters – rely heavily on carbohydrates in preference to proteins and fats; however, protein and fat are a crucial part of your diet, because they form the building blocks of your hormonal system, and without them your body cannot perform all it’s metabolic duties. This includes releasing stored body fat and giving you optimal energy.

When you don’t include natural, whole sources of protein and fat in your main meals, or only do so from time to time, your body starts sending distress signals telling your brain to get nutrition immediately. And, typically, sugar is what you’ll crave because it provides a quick fix (followed by a quick slump leading to further cravings). Therefore, if you lay the foundations by including protein and fat at breakfast and lunch, the sugar cravings will gradually stop.

2. Remove temptation or remove yourself
The bottom line is that all too often it is too easy to dip into the biscuit jar or sweets bag when everyone else is doing it. So clear your office space of those sweet devils or if that’s impossible then at mid-afternoon munchie time YOU steer clear of that area yourself. Even if it means you have to sit in the toilet cubicle for 15 minutes. If you work from home, keep a rule of no sweets in the house. That way you’ll have to make the effort to go out, and this is easier to talk yourself out of. It might sound simple, but it works.

3. Brush your teeth
We’re conditioned to understand that freshly brushed teeth mean food is behind us. Try this simple distraction technique as soon as the sweet urge hits you.

4. Stay busy
Ever noticed you always seem to eat more junk when you’re having a slow day? Make mid-afternoon (or whenever your cravings hit) your ‘super-productive’ time. Schedule meetings for this time, run errands, do housework – just do something that requires you keep moving and that typical temptation time will pass by just a little bit faster.

5. Get (true) satisfaction
Once the cravings set in, they’re only going to get worse until your body gets what it needs. But guess what? True satisfaction means real food, in all its glorious richness.

Try indulging with a small piece of quality cheese, some avocado with sea salt on thinly sliced sourdough, or some natural nut butter with celery sticks. The key here is to go for fat or protein based snacks, rather than sugar based – even fruit can do the trick. Once sweet cravings have set in, sugary carbohydrates will only make it worse.

Eating and living well doesn’t need to be a constant battle – if you follow these points you’ll find it easier and easier to push away the demand for instant gratification and you may even find your newfound willpower crossing over and into your workouts.

Information provided by Kat Eden, who is a personal trainer and holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach. She is the co-author of the book ‘Crunches Are Not Enough’, and has personally trained over 400 people. Find out more from Kat at www.bodyincredible.com

Q) I recently read about a person in one of your columns having great success with a high protein diet on both his physique and energy levels. I would really like to get a good high protein diet as well. Can you give me any clues as to how to go about this? I am a 54 years young woman who does four spin classes per week and will also be including two to three resistance training sessions a week. My Vo₂max is 39 and I am quite fit. Could you steer me in the right direction?

A) I should point out Karen that I am an advocate of a protein-balanced approach. Personally I have found the most success when I make changes within my diet that I know can be sustained. Unless you are trying to lose fat/weight quickly due to heart problems or before surgery or for any other special reason, I would suggest that ensuring you maintain a protein balanced diet, rather than something rigid and limiting will, in the long run, reap the best results.

You’re an incredibly active woman and for that I congratulate you! Because of this energy expenditure it is important you continue including carbohydrates in your diet, particularly early in the day although concentrating more on low glycaemic carbs such as fruit and vegetables (and less grains). This will ensure you still obtain ample fibre, vitamins and minerals and antioxidants with slower burning fuel to keep you going (important because a consistently high protein diet with the exclusion of complex carbs can be challenging on the bowels and kidneys among other organs). I suggest having a palm-size portion of protein with every meal (eggs, meat, chicken, tofu, beans etc) and for morning and afternoon tea a small handful of nuts or some cottage cheese.

By taking on this protein-balanced approach your body will be replenished with amino acids for muscle recovery and tone, ensuring healthy transport of hormones and enzymes and fat metabolism; also helping blood sugars to remain relatively low (for sustained energy). For an extra boost you could also have a protein shake every morning to help your body return into an anabolic state. Throw in some low GI fruit such as berries, yoghurt and anything else you fancy.

The recommendations about exact protein requirements vary greatly; a general ballpark is at least two grams daily per kilo of body weight. If you stick to at least this quantity and try some of the above I’m certain you’ll be on your way to a more protein balanced and vital state of wellbeing.

Q) I’ve heard that active people should be aiming for 30 grams of protein per serve. Is that right?

A) This is a common question. The current recommended intakes for endurance and strength athletes are between 1.2 and 1.7 grams per kilo of bodyweight daily. But eating just enough protein to get you past deficiency levels won’t help much with body sculpting or your ability to perform. If you’re a 90kg bodybuilder, the official recommendations equate to 153g protein daily (25.5g per meal if 6 meals daily), yet most bodybuilders would argue this is not sufficient.

A series of Texan studies into post-exercise recovery found significant benefits when taking a protein-carb beverage with roughly 30g protein. Other research suggests 200 to 300g protein daily is suitable for a 90kg bodybuilder (33 to 50g per meal/snack). For a non-elite weight trainer you can feasibly round this down to 30g per meal. I would certainly recommend no less for resistance-training, sports-active people. This amount has become the recognised industry standard in sports nutrition both here and in the US, and is ideal for active people aiming to build or maintain muscle while not putting on fat.

Why is it so high? Exercise and physical activity can increase energy expenditure up to tenfold. In the case of resistance training, joules are lost at a rapid rate. Pumping iron naturally results in microscopic damage to the muscle tissue too, prompting the need for amino acids (in protein) to repair so that muscles grow back bigger and better adapted to the stress. In the post-exercise recovery period, muscle protein synthesis (gains) and breakdown (losses) are normally increased. Protein ingestion has a synergistic effect at this time, supporting the reparative growth of muscle tissue. When combined with carbohydrates it also replenishes glycogen (stored energy) reserves, helping to reduce the extent of muscle breakdown in the body. In short we need to increase our protein as well as carbs for strength, growth and recovery.

As far as the amount goes, the issue of nitrogen balance also comes into play. This is basically a measure of how much protein is actually being used in the body and not wasted or eliminated (via excretions in the form of nitrogen). If you want to achieve net muscle gains, you will want to remain in a nitrogen-positive state round the clock (less protein exiting). This is partly why the strategy of spreading out your daily meals to 5 or 6 is so effective; it prevents the peaks and troughs of muscle development, laying the foundation for net growth. Of all proteins, casein takes the longest to digest in the body, thus making the best contribution to nitrogen balance. How much casein? A much-referenced French study from 1997 found that a 40g casein-based protein drink was able to sustain total protein synthesis in the body up to seven hours.

If you’re really serious about maintaining high protein levels for muscle growth and recovery ensure your post-exercise meal is not only protein-carb balanced (at least 1:1) but also that the protein you eat incorporates slow and fast-release proteins. If you prefer the convenience of a powder, choose a time-release protein powder, which contains different whey and casein proteins for the desired effect. This will modulate the body’s protein synthesis, breakdown, oxidation and deposition so you reap the full benefits from your nutrition.

References
Ivy J, et al. Early post exercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement. J Appl Physiol 93: 1337-44, Oct 2002.
Boirie Y, et al. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:14930-35, Dec 1997.

Read more cutting-edge nutritional advice, in the March/April issue of the Fitness First magazine, in clubs around 11 March.

One of the most common mistakes made in resistance training is to overtrain. Overtraining applies if you are exercising too hard, for too long, and with insufficient recovery time between training sessions to allow adequate body regeneration and repair. Overtraining will eventually lead to is ongoing fatigue, poor results, injury and eventually dropping out of your fitness program.

One of the most common injuries that can occur in the overtrained weight trainer is chronic shoulder pain, especially if it your first 12 to 18 months of training. Does this sound like you? You may be at risk.

To find out more about overtraining and how to avoid it, read the March/April issue of the Fitness First magazine, in clubs around 11 March.

Causes of halitosis (bad breath)

Food: A lot of the foods we indulge in are major causes of bad breath, these include dairy and sweets. They cause anaerobic bacteria in our mouths to multiply, which in turn leads to bad breath.

Medical problems and medication: Bad breath occurs when the natural balance of the mouth is changed. This occurs most commonly with chronic illness and the on-going intake of medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, indigestion and allergies.

Alcohol: Alcohol is another major cause of bad breath. Alcohol ultimately dehydrates you; it is a drying agent, which creates the perfect environment for bacteria to proliferate.

Protein breakdown: Approximately 80 to 90 per cent of bad breath cases are the result of protein breakdown by undesirable bacteria that live on the back of the tongue. By-products of this protein breakdown produce foul smelling gases, which make the breath unpleasant.

Cures

Clean clean clean! Remove the coatings where the bad breath bacteria will live – this includes coatings that build up on the teeth, between teeth, on the back of tongue and nasal passages.  This involves regular, daily brushing and flossing of teeth and also cleaning the tongue.

Change your lifestyle: Avoid lifestyle choices that can trigger the growth of bacteria – bad breath bacteria thrive in acidic and dry mouth conditions, so stay away from foods that stimulate these environments such as diet or sports drinks, coffee, and dairy rich products.

See a professional: By consulting a professional you will be able to determine the true cause of your bad breath. By harnessing the power of oral probiotics to maintain levels of fresh breath throughout the day (such as KForce), you can help fight the bacteria that cause bad breath and keep good oral bacteria at optimum levels.

Information provided by Dr Speiser from the Australian Breath Clinic, located in Sydney and Melbourne. To find out more visit www.australianbreathclinic.com

The great news though, is that the health club is actually one of the best places to find love because the gym environment is typically a relaxed atmosphere that attracts like-minded, health-conscious individuals.

Research reveals that matchmaking potential is high at health clubs with statistics indicating that one in four health club members feel it is a great place to meet that someone special, while one in five members have actually met their partner at the gym.

A girlfriend of mine once joined a health club just before she was about to go overseas to live permanently. She wanted to be in her best physical shape before beginning her trek and then settling in London. In the lead up to her departure, however, each evening at the gym a very cute guy kept catching her attention. Smiles would be exchanged, as were subtle ‘hellos’ but she thought nothing of it as she thought he was completely out of her league and she was focused on heading overseas. Then, one night he cheekily rolled a weight in her direction, almost tripping her over (boys will be boys, after all!). It broke the ice, enabling them to speak, so they went out to dinner and these days they are happily married and still love going to the same gym where they met!  

So what are you waiting for? True love might be staring at you from the other side of gym floor right now!

Tips for men

Want to know how to approach someone you’re attracted to at the gym? Let me share a few secrets that will enable you to break the ice without looking like a stalker.  Remember, while the health club is a great place to meet someone special, it is not as appropriate to flirt as you may do in a night club, yet it can require an equally detailed and thought-out approach.

Do’s:

• Be funny, relaxed, and playful.
• The biggest obstacle to socialising would have to be the iPod. If your person of interest is stuck in their iPod universe you’ll need to be clever and use non-intrusive solid eye contact. Be friendly, smile and look for a positive response. Be patient and slowly wear down the barriers. If you are receiving negative feedback it is time to move on and respect their space.
• Be prepared, pay attention to their workout regime (without becoming creepy about it!) as otherwise your person of interest may appear out of the blue, which could leave you a stuttering mess, causing you to lose that opportunity to interact. Have an ice-breaker prepared in advance, compliment her (again without seeming creepy) and once you know her name, use it!
• Spin class is an excellent way to break the ice, the lights are down, music is high everyone is relaxed and playful. A great time to talk is either before or after the class. Just remember keep it relaxed, light and smile!
• Be friendly and fun! Great relationships often begin with friendships. Challenge them to a race on the treadmill, see who can crunch the most curls or hold the longest plank! It could leave you both in stitches (in a good way, not the medical way).

Don’ts:

• Flex in the mirror, grunt or act like Mr I’m-too-sexy.
• Overspray your cologne, heavy breathing requires fresh air, a nice light deodorant and fragrance is sufficient.
• Stare continuously like a stalker or disrespect personal space.

Tips for women 

The gym a great place to find a partner how cares about their body and health. But how do you approach the guy your interested in, as he is there to exercise not socialise? Last thing you want is a public rejection and have to return day in day out. There is a way to make this a win-win situation though, read on to find out more.

Do’s:

• Be warm, open and smile, you will ooze mystery and charisma. Men (and women!) love a lady who is light-hearted and fun. You will appear fresh, easy going, ensuring you will have them coming back for more.
• Make friends with the staff and other members; the more networks you have the closer you will get to them.
• Ask around and see who might already know them. Find out if they are single for a start. Keep it casual and it will probably get back to them that you were showing an interest, which may motivate them to break the ice first!
• Ask them for help, for example, lifting a heavy weight on or off a machine. Then observe if they are happy to oblige and if so, try starting up a conversation. Of course if it feels/looks like you’re taking their valuable time and that the task is more a bother than a privilege, then you’ll know that making a move is probably not going to be well received.
• Of course, if they are beginning to pay more attention to you and their gaze is getting more intense, ask them out! Seriously, girls can do it! Just keep it casual and light-hearted. If you have all the signs, casually ask them if they would like to join you for a drink. Short and relaxed is the key. 

Don’ts:

• Avoid wearing overwhelming perfumes.
• Don’t dress up as you were in a bar. Avoid the heavy makeup and, instead, opt for a new gym outfit, smell fresh and keep your look natural.
• Don’t wear headphones as this can make you appear unapproachable. To make it easy for him, invite him in with your smile, eye contact and a compliment to break the ice.

Meeting that someone special at the health club can be fun, so take a deep breath, be brave and say ‘hi’. After all, what’s the worst thing that can happen?

1. Get creative with your fruit and veg this year: Why not be adventurous and try a salad with fresh new ingredients such as mango or another fruit?
 
2. Incorporate lean protein into your diet: Make your salad a meal by adding good sources of protein such as chicken, lean beef or fish. Try a Moroccan Lamb, Thai Beef or Grilled Chicken Low GI salads.
 
3. Balance is the key: Add some nutritious unrefined carbohydrates such as pumpkin, chickpeas and lentils to your meals to give you an energy boost. Carbohydrates are essential for brain function and are a great source of fibre and vitamins.

4. Select healthy fats: Fats such as olive and avocado are a great for your skin and hair, ensuring a healthy gloss and glow.  So add some avocado to your next meal.

5. Exercise every day: Try to exercise at least 30 minutes each day for a healthy mind, body and soul!

Try our favourite Summer salad - Spicy BBQ Prawn Salad

Ingredients
360grms cos and mix leaf lettuce
8 basil leaves, torn
Two medium sized tomatoes diced
1/4 medium red onion sliced
1/2 cup of roasted capsicum
2 dozen cooked king prawns

Instructions
Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss through your favourite low fat dressing.
Serves 4, or 8 as a side salad

Nutritional breakdown:
Serving size: 315g, small serving 257g

For more healthy eating tips and recipe ideas visit www.sumosalad.com

Falling home loan interest rates may have provided you some relief; however, many credit card rates have not fallen and, in some cases, they’ve increased. Also, some home loan lenders have not passed on the full benefit of the Reserve Bank rate cuts leaving some paying more than they should.

As a property owner though, refinance and consolidation of those debts could dramatically reduce your payments. But before rushing out to do so, here are a few tips to ensure the most straightforward process:

• Ensure you have the last three consecutive statements on all debts to be refinanced or consolidated.  Reputable lenders will insist on this.
• The statements must show good conduct. In other words, you need to have kept your debts in good order and ensure minimum payments were made on time.
• Make sure that you have the income capacity to repay the new debt. Don’t make the mistake of trying to borrow more than you can afford.
• Don’t forget that every time you apply for credit, this is noted on your credit file.  If you think there is a real chance that you won’t meet the lenders criteria, consider waiting until you will.
• After refinancing, opt for a VISA Debit card whereby you spend your own money but have the benefits of VISA.

If you fall into the category of having heaps of credit card debt, without property but you are wanting a personal loan to consolidate, unfortunately, this is rarely possible as the assessment criteria for these loans is most often very stringent. In many cases a balance transfer to another credit card offering a low rate on transferred debts can help – but beware! Often in the fine print you will see that all payments made will go to the old debt first, and the new debt is charged at very high rates from the date of purchase. In this instance, my advice is that once the balance has been transferred avoid using the card.

Information provided by Andrew Cusack, director of Money Warehouse (www.moneywarehouse.com.au)

For more tips and ideas to make your finances healthier, read the March/April issue of the Fitness First magazine, in clubs around 11 March.

Sadly, 75 per cent of those women will be diagnosed at an advanced stage where most will not survive the five-year cancer bench mark. While the prognosis for breast cancer has improved significantly, the prognosis rate for ovarian cancer continues to be bleak and the instances continue to rise.  There is no early detection screening for ovarian cancer and the symptoms are quite vague and non-specific. We do know, however, that women detected at an early stage can achieve a 90 per cent full recovery, so awareness is critical.

On Sunday 8 February, Ovarian Cancer Australia will launch the national awareness month. During this campaign, Ovarian Cancer Australia’s aim to inform and educate the women of Australia as to the signs, symptoms, risks and preventions of ovarian cancer. 

Find out more at www.ovariancancer.net.au