Tanya&#8217;s Blog

What is it you want or need in a coach/trainer? For some it’s important to have either a carrot or a stick handy, to keep momentum and motivation up. For these clients, a personal trainer is the perfect partner and coach. For others, it’s about learning – learning more about their bodies; learning about how their regular habits have led to their current physical state, and learning what it’s going to take to change it for the better over the long haul. It might a posture issue, an injury, or simply a desire to change the shape and tone of the body.

Movement or exercise: which is better?

Physical activity encompasses movement and exercise. But which is more important? Movement should come first since the benefits are enormous and far-reaching. Then – if you have the time, energy and desire – think about adding exercise to your day/week.

Pilates revamped

Pilates is, to the exercise industry, what Tom Ford was to Gucci! A much-needed revamping of ideas (around focused movement, in this case). Disciples of Pilates can’t help but sound enthusiastic about it. Whether because it “fixed” their backs, they feel stronger for it, or they just love this style of exercise. What I appreciate about it is simple. It’s the unending attention given to form and control of movement. As a pedant, this is music to my ears!

How to get strong

What is cardio and should I do it?

How to build core muscles from nothing

The means by which to build a strong core seems to be a confusing and misunderstood issue, so to achieve it properly, a knowledge of abdominal anatomy is necessary.

What’s my body type?

How important are calories in weight loss

Calories don’t matter! Should I say it again? They. Don’t. Matter. What matters, in fact, are only three things – the quality (not the value) of calories, your cell’s ability to efficiently regulate hunger and satiety signalling, and when you consume them.

Eat fat to improve weight and health

Clearly the low fat, high carb food pyramid offers poor advice, given the world has become fatter and unhealthier.

Is a plant-based diet healthy?

Animals have a means of protecting against predators. But plants also have a mechanism for defending themselves. Phytoalexins are a plant’s “claws”. These are defence chemicals that can be harmful when consumed. Historically, we’ve assumed that a plant-based diet provides nutrients that are beneficial to human health. But what if we’re wrong?

Reducing menopause digestive issues

As women, we tend to experience a great many menopause digestive issues. This is because our gut houses so many oestrogen, and other hormone, receptors. Before we get into the specifics of menopause and the gut, however, it’s important we understand the digestive...

How to improve gut health

Your immune system is effectively housed within your gut, so it’s vital that you digest, assimilate and utilise the food you consume to the very best of your ability.

Healthy food and the supermarket experience

Jack and Jill lived at the bottom of the hill. Their water source was at the top, until a national supermarket chain opened next door. Although a great convenience, they had to beware the marketing wolves, who were intimately schooled in parting people from their money…

Organic, for your good health

There are some sound reasons you might choose to buy organic over non-organic foods. Before we discuss these, it’s worth clarifying what the term “organic” means.

Health and weight: how to manage them

Health and weight (and how to manage them) are topics that seem to both fascinate and frustrate us in equal measure. The answer lies in understanding your personal fuelling requirements.

Improve health and weight through good sleep

Lack of sleep can increase your risk of heart disease and raise your blood pressure; it can add to early aging, worsen constipation and increase your risk of dying from any disease.

Lower blood sugar in 6 easy ways

Lower blood sugar levels are the key to staying lean and healthy. It's not as hard as you might think and over time, will have an incredibly positive impact on all the systems in your body. Below we're going to cover six easy ways to do just that. Lower blood sugar:...

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Think

Loving the pudding I am

I’m 51 and I’m in good shape. As a woman, this has invariably led to me being regularly called (amongst other things) ‘fortunate’, ‘genetically gifted, or – simply – ‘lucky’.

Armageddon, or I’m-a-gettin’?

If 2020 was the year for catalytic change, 2021 may be the year we stay open to everything; the year we give our all to finding passion and self-fulfilment. Let’s think creatively and expansively. Let’s grow beyond our wildest imagination.

The perfect body. Illusion or reality?

As a gender, us females are conditioned to believe we’re acceptable only when “perfect”. Much of our life is spent chasing this illusory state. On the surface of it, we wish (so very much) for that coveted (and oh-so-model-esque) toned and lean beach body. But deep down we know it’s not likely we’ll achieve it.

Putting me first

How do I show self-love? Let me count the ways… carrot cake from Flavourtown (when they have it in); a really good book (when I have the time for it); a manicure (on my birthday); a good movie (when I’m able to stay awake long enough to watch it). Hang on. I’m not...

Conformity: will it be the death of us?

Conformity will be the death of us. More specifically, that of our kids. I’ve been seeing a lot of teenagers/young adults with anxiety issues recently. This kind of trend is always massively concerning, though not remotely surprising.

Get off the hamster wheel!

It’s only when you can relax, give yourself permission to chill when you want to, but be mindful of your goals all at the same time that you’ll be able to consider a healthy diet and exercise regime a new lifestyle worth adopting.

Move your bootie

Our lives, our work, our play has gotten more and more sedentary and this is a major problem for us as humans – will we be known as the coach potato generation?

Absolutely not obsolete

It was Arnie who recently said (in his deadpan Terminatoresque voice), “I’m old. But not obsolete”. Clearly he’s feeling a lot like I am these days.

Giving birth to the beast

Am I the only woman on the planet who feels as though an alien parasite hijacked me during pregnancy (and beyond)? Don’t get me wrong – I loved being pregnant, but…

Dressing for my inner Chewbacca