Eat on the go and stay healthy: PART TWO

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We all get stuck in a rut.

In fact, I believe the way we live our lives is broken.

People in the UK spend less than 2 hours of their day outside

The average british citizen will spend 47 years working, probably in a job they hate

The fitness media does a terrible job of separating facts from fiction.

And so try as we do, after doing a diet 95% of us will regain the fat lost within 3 yrs.

Back to 'stuck in a rut' mode

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I did this once.

I worked two jobs, studied for a masters degree and tried to start a business.

It was depressing being in that cycle and not feeling like I could break out.

I cracked.

I quit.

I made some tough decisions and quit one job, quit the masters degree and built the business into Raw Strength Gym.

But most people don’t quit, they crack in a different way.

They submit. Into the black hole of a meaningless life. Every day the same. No way out.

STUCK IN A RUT FOR 47 YEARS+

Why is this?

Humans have been removed from their natural environment and placed in air-conditioned boxes.

The natural stress of our ancient environment has been replaced with modern stressors such as work (and work colleagues!), deadlines, traffic jams, social media and financial pressure.

Our body responds to modern stress just like it responded to the old sabre-toothed tiger: fight or flight.

The problem is, we are not in great danger in modern life!

We begin to crave fats and sugars as the brain believes we need more energy to fuel a fight or flight.

We may feel the need to relax after an event (read: after a typical day at work), and thus emotional eating or binge eating is more likely to occur.

Meaning...

Your Job Is Killing You

Kinda...

Anyway, don't quit your job just yet.

Here are the best ways to break out of a rut:

1) TRAIN to MANAGE STRESS

Think of every stressful situation as 'priming' your body for a fight/flight, when in reality you're just sat at work.

You MUST use those primed responses (adrenaline, cortisol etc.) or your body will start to become inflamed, and over the long term this causes real damage

Damage from chronic inflammation includes:

fatigue.

fever.

mouth sores.

rashes.

abdominal pain.

chest pain.

You gotta avoid this at all costs, and training intensely is a great way to do so!

Lift weights: squat, deadlift, do pull-ups, press-ups, kettlebell swings, sled drags. Move with purpose and aggression to burn away all that stress AND build new muscle for a healthier body.

Sprint, run, jump, do yoga, go for a walk - do SOMETHING.

2) LEARN CHEEKY FOOD COMBOS

We are currently loving the 'vegan hijack strategy' for convenient foods, allow me to explain...

Lots of food retailers now stock vegan friendly meals, which is awesome for vegans AND for everyone else.

Vegan meals are high in nutrients, fibre and protein.

If you eat meat, buy some pre-cooked meat (chicken, beef, ham etc.) and throw it on top.

If you want some carbs, buy an instant rice pot and pour some boiling water on. DONE.

Easy, right?

Food marketing and point of sale stuff (meal deals, supersize options etc.) is there to appeal to your emotions.

Just be aware that you could be making a better choice for your own health, and then make a choice by thinking outside of the box.

What else could you combine that would make an unorthodox but healthy meal?

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So there you are guys, part two of this weeks 'Eat On The Go' series.

Train to burn stress away. Eat to build your health up.

Have a great day

Rise Above

Ant

Anthony Shaw Head Coach

Raw Strength Gym, Warrington

PS - if you want help, we have a 6 week program called RISE. You get teamwork, support, advice and a solid direction for your life so that you can feel good, look better and live a life of purpose.

Click here to find out more: http://rawstrength.co.uk/built/