Is 13 Too Young To Climb Everest?

Anybody who knows anything about me knows that I have always wanted to climb Everest - even if I could just get to Base Camp on Everest I would be a happy bunny.  I still hold onto that dream, but seriously after having 2 kids, I am just worried that I might die on that almighty mountain - to date over 200 people have died, with 120 corpses still remaining.  I still want the challenge of climbing one of the biggies, but know it will be one with a more impressive mortality record.

Jordan Romero is only 13 and already plans to scale Everest with his parents. They have had no experience climbing the tallest mountain in the world, and do not even plan to use a specialist team to guide them, simply hiring sherpas to help them on their way.  The mountaineering community is disputing whether this is just a publicity stunt and if Jordan (and his parents) really understand the risks that lie ahead of them.

click here to read the full article.

Most people have heard of Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, the mountaineer who was part of the 1996 expedition that took 8 lives. Definitely a book worth reading, but particularly as it highlights the extreme dangers of the climb. Another book which I would recommend  is Where The Mountain Casts Its Shadow by Maria Coffey, who herself is a mountaineering widow, she talks about the lives of the people left behind when tragedy like this strikes.

Orthorexia - are you obsessed with healthy foods?

Orthorexia is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that creates severe phobias about eating impure, unhealthy food. Most experts still think orthorexia is part of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder whose sufferers obsess about the amount of food they eat and their body weight, rather than an independent disorder.  People are becoming so obsessed what is in their food, wanting only 'pure' foods, that this is leading to severe malnutrition.

Here is the full article.

I watched Food Inc. recently and was just horrified at what I saw.  Seriously you need to eat a big meal before watching it as you won't want to eat again for a few days afterwards. The result is a haunting documentary looking into the North American food system - one of the most corporate controlled, unhealthiest, cruellest food systems on the planet. 


I am pretty healthy when it comes to my diet, but I can see how people can become worried and anxious when we see just how food is produced.  When it comes to food I indulge in moderation and try to make good choices.


Has this documentary had a lasting effect on you?
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Embrace Your Inner Caveman!

Ever heard of the Paleo Diet? During my searching on TOO MANY fitness and nutrition sites, I have come across many different diets or eating habits. But when I came across the Paleo Diet, I had to do some research, this one was new to me, and I might add, I don't think it appeals to me at all.

Here is some background:

• It is a simple dietary lifestyle that is based the Paleolithic Era (in) foods that we ate prior to agriculture and animal husbandry (meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, vegetables, roots, fruit, berries, mushrooms, etc.). And the Neolithic Era (out) foods that result from agriculture or animal husbandry (grains, dairy, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar and fake foods).
• Under the paleo concept the quantities consumed of each “in” food is up to the individual. You can make it meat heavy if you want, or more fruit and veggies if you prefer, as long as the foods you eat are paleo. Fruits in the Paleolithic would have been tart and smaller, and you may want to limit modern fruit because of this.
• Only oils from fruit and nut trees are acceptable ie. olive, avocado, coconut.
• Meat should be wild game, but as a substitute grass-fed meat is allowed.

actually the list goes on, if you are interested here is the Paleo website and check out the top 10 Paleo foods here.

It seems that the crowd over at CrossFit are big proponents of this diet, along with some triathletes.  It seems to be to be similar to the Atkins diet, although possibly a little more restrictive.

Want to know how to be a modern day cavemen? check out these city-slickers.


I hate being restricted in my food choices - life is just TOO SHORT!  I am a big proponent of avoiding processed food.  I have to eat, wherever possible, home-cooked and  healthy food - and this diet looks just too boring for me - there has to be some joy in food don't you think?


Do you have an opinion?

(google image)

PMS and Exercise

Men get pms too!! ha ha 

Do you workout in with a group of friends? Have you noticed some synchronisity happening? During one of my workouts recently, I was feeling pretty fatigued and realised that my period was due, so we did a sweep of the room and all of us who were exercising had our periods due at the same time.  So does menstrual synchrony really exist? 

How do you feel when you exercise? I feel pretty tired and have to adjust my workouts accordingly, but I don't stop going to the gym. I read great advise about exercising from Rachel Cosgroves book The Female Body Breakthrough, she suggests planning your workouts like this; the week before your period and into the week of your period, plan a lower-volume week. Whereas in the following 2 weeks you can ramp up the work and really push yourself.

This is general advise and I think it depends on each individual, I for example don't feel the need to do lower-volumes for 2 weeks, but definitely 4-5 days suffer!!

I am hopeless at keeping track of my periods, then I found that there are great apps for your iPhone, I use iPeriod. It records everything you need to know, including when you are likely to suffer from mood swings, which is helpful for your partner!

And finally here are stills from a 1950's menstruation film where one of the classic pieces of advise is that the girls may partake in dancing during their periods, just so long as it isn't square dancing.

(image from huffingtonpost.com)

high fructose corn syrup is more fattening than sugar.

 (combinedmedia/Flickr)

I can't say I am super shocked at this research, but its always good to have these things substantiated. This product is in so much of the food we eat, read your labels carefully!

see below for full report:

As if you needed another reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS): researchers at Princeton University have found that HFCS is actually much worse than regular sugar when it comes to causing weight gain.

The study found that rats with access to HFCS gained significantly more weight than rats with access to table sugar -- even when their caloric intake was the same. A second study by the researchers found that HFCS lead to long-term increases in body fat, obesity, and a rise in body fats called triglycerides.

Said Princeton psychology professor Bart Hoebel, "When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they're becoming obese -- every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don't see this; they don't all gain extra weight."

This new study contradicts earlier beliefs that high fructose corn syrup and table sugar were similar in that they both contained high levels of fructose. Instead, say the Princeton researchers, they now believe that fructose -- in HFCS -- and glucose -- in table syrup, may be processed by the body differently. Fructose is metabolized to produce fat, they believe, while glucose is processed as energy or stored as a carbohydrate in the muscles and liver.

Researchers also pointed out that since high fructose corn syrup was introduced 40 years ago, U.S. obesity rates have skyrocketed. In 1970 15% of the population was considered obese, and today around 1/3 of American adults qualify as obese.

(info obtained from yahoo.com)

Spring has Sprung - and Friday is here!

(image from www.beaconhillpark.ca)

I have had a pretty hectic, but fun week with the kids off school for March Break.  The weather here in Toronto has been averaging 15 degrees,  so our days together have been very enjoyable.  We have spent most of the time outside riding our bikes, playing tennis and  ball-hockey and today going on a big hike in Caledon, Ontario.  Its great to see the kids running freely and unrestricted - not complaining about walking, this is how kids should enjoy activity.  Has spring has sprung in your part of the world?

I have had a deliberately quiet week away from the computer to enjoy March Break, but have still pulled together a few snippets for you to enjoy from the weeks news.

I have had a pretty flat week exercise and food wise. I broke Lent!! ARRRGHHHH - totally by accident I stuffed a huge piece of banana-bread down my throat and realised too late - and that has just sent me on a spiral of bad-eating habits!! I need to pull myself together quickly - and reading inspiring stories often helps.  This story of a blind man who is attempting to complete a triathlon in truly inspirational.

And there is a good chance I will check here for some new food ideas to get me back on track.  And just one day after Pepsi announced it was cutting sugary drinks from schools around the world, Kraft Foods, the largest food maker in N.America says it plans to cut sodium by 10% from its products over the next 2 years. Every little helps I suppose!

Anybody who knows me, knows how I like a good curry, but worryingly some spices imported from India may contain lead that is harmful to children.

This is my big year for turning 40 and I was discussing with friends recently how turning 40 in this day and age, is so different to when our parents were 40 - we all seem younger, more vibrant and confident with our lives.  But what is the future of 40?

Hope you all enjoy your weekend -  see you Monday!

Online Workout Resources

time to pick up your skipping rope.

love this image from http://farm4.static.flickr.com

With so many people now offering workouts online, I thought I would list a few of my favourite places to go if I need some inspiration.  Many of these fitness experts provide workouts that are based on bodyweight exercises, requiring little or no equipment - so if you are unable to get to the gym, or off on your holidays, get yourself some great ideas right here!

Womens Health Magazine could be your one-stop-shop for all your workouts.  Great ideas to give you the tools to build your own workouts - or use one of their ready-designed routines by the likes of Rachel Cosgrove.

Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training, has produced loads of youtube videos of wide ranging workouts from 12 minute workouts, bodyweight training, fat loss programs - you name it, he has taped it.

Freaky Fridays with Coach Dos Remedios and Frank Addelia are great to watch and very inspiring, using everything from Valslides, TRX, Kettlebells and Ropes.

Robertson Training Systems specialises in High Octane Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement, and has produced a series of instructional videos which are just great.

If you don't mind having her bum and boobs thrown in your face - then BodyRock.tv is the place for you.  She is clearly selling her body to you (which is awesome I might add),  once you get past that there are some great bodyweight workouts that will definitely challenge the average bear.

Over the following weeks, I will be posting downloadable workouts to print at home and take on the road.  These will be workouts that I have designed and performed myself, maybe using my friends as guinea-pigs.

May The Luck Of The Irish Be With You!!!

Happy St. Paddys Day!!  

It's amazing how big the celebration for Irelands Patron Saint has become, I am still waiting for the day St. George is granted a National Day in England!  We lived in Boston for a few years where St Paddys Day is a huge celebration, in fact having the first ever parade in the USA in 1737! Our favourite pub was called The Littlest Bar, which has since been pulled down to make way for condos, still we made sure the Guiness flowed and watched our only Irish friend get drunk enough to do a few rounds of River Dance!

Maybe you want to try some Traditional Irish food today (not just potatoes!) so how about Grilled Steak n Cauliflower from The Healthy Irishman?  And if all that food doesn't spoil your figure you should check out these lovely St Paddy inspired swimwear - (actually this is a great online swim outlet.)


So enjoy the festivities, bake a Guiness cake, maybe try your hand at this Green Quiz and definitely raise a glass to those fine folk of the Emerald Isle


I will leave you with an inspired quote from a dear Irish friend of mine;

As you slide down the banister of Life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction

ps.  just a final wee word to remind you that St Patrick was indeed British :)




(image from millersisterscafe.com)

Ever had a 'Coregasm?'

I read with interest an article that has been hopping around the internet for a while, that claim women who workout really hard eventually experience an orgasm in the gym.  Well let me tell you, that I must be doing something drastically wrong, as it has never happened to me, or anybody else that I know (well nobody has admitted as much!)

The other day on the bike doing Tabata, I do know I was making strange grunting noises and yelled out at one stage - "This is really hard!!" - which sent my workout buddies into hysterical giggles, but thats as close to a coregasm as I have been.

Anyway Womens Health were inspired enough by this story to produce a list of exercises that will hopefully allow you to have an orgasmic workout!

I wonder if any women out there will be brave enough to tell me if this works for them!!


And sorry men, but to date I can't find any workouts that are going to satisfy you in the same way :(

Tis' Friday Again.....

(image from marmite.co.uk)

I love pulling together some of the interesting and fun articles from the weeks news.

Which is healthier, being Fat and Fit, or being Thin and Unfit?

This exercise is going in my next routine - it looks awesome!!!

I don't have a TV but wish I did so I could tune into Jamie Oliver trying to change the eating habits of the unhealthiest city in the US.  He did it for the children with school dinners, can he do it here?

You are either in the Love It or Hate It camp (or maybe in the 'what the hell is it? camp) I LOVE IT - yes I am talking about Marmite.  The wholesome jar of sticky gunky healthy loveliness!  And the marketing team over at Marmite keep coming up with some really cool products (last year I bought a Vivian Westwood designed Marmite t-shirt).  Check out some of their cool stuff, I especially like their oven gloves.

Stick with your friends and you will live longer!  And chose your food wisely, here are 5 foods to help you lose belly fat!

And finally, sorry to do this to you fellas, but women fake it, YES WE DO!!!! 
The truth hurts, so get over it because its for your own benefit.


enjoy the weekend and see you next week where you should stay tuned for another FABBY GIVEAWAY!!!

its been validated: start interval training NOW!

Slow steady-state cardio - forget it!! thats what the experts have been saying for ages now. Interval training is a must in your workout for optimal use of your time and to see positive fat loss results.


and if you are interested, check out this article confirming again how interval training can help you with fat loss which provides you with the tools and information to build your own program!! this is a great resource!

Attitude is everything!

When Mary-Margaret approached me in January, she was already on a journey to become the healthy. She had dramatically looked at her nutrition and adopted a cleaner, more intelligent menu.  In addition to this, she started waking up at 5am to workout at the local gym, (I think literally knocking on the door to let her in).  My part in all this was to help her use her time effectively in the gym, to provide her with the tools to use functional movements in strength and high intensity cardio to see real changes in her body.

When we got together I knew she would succeed in this journey - she has an amazing attitude and a strong desire to win.  Read all about her inspiring story on her blog.  I know she is already motivating people to join her and I am sure after reading her article you will feel the same way.

FAT is not a swear word!!

(image from wikipedia.org)

It always makes me laugh how people are scared to say the word 'FAT' in case they may offend somebody.  Regardless of whether it is offensive or not, fat exists and in some cases we have maybe a little more of it than we really want!

I personally think its all about putting things into perspective, there is no ideal body shape or size, we are all unique, but knowing whether you are considered to be in the healthy fat range I think is important.

There are a number of ways of measuring your bodyfat, here are a few sites to help you out:

Body Fat Calculator calculates your body fat % using calipers or tape measure.
BMI Calculator which is a measurement of body fat against your height and weight.
Here's one thats new to me, the US Navy Circumference method.

here is a guide to your ideal %

A living persons body fat % cannot be exactly determined, but there are other techniques which can be used to estimate it accurately which include near-infrared interactance, dual energy x-ray absorptiomerty and expansions!!! 
(YES I KNOW, ITS CRAZY STUFF..)

The weeks round-up: would you like roast tarantulas with that?

(image from www.financialpost.com)

How has your week been? I have been pretty busy juggling my graphic design work, looking after the kids and working-out, of course.  But it hasn't stopped me collecting a few gems for you to enjoy, so put the kettle on, grab a cuppa and read on.......

The tarantula header-line is not a joke, enjoy the World's most outrageous guest requests from hotels.

I have had some nice emails this week from people telling me how this blog is inspiring them to lead more healthier, active lives.  That was one of the main purposes of this blog, so that makes me happy!! Another inspiration at the moment must be the Olympics!! I just love the energy and excitement.  One of my readers, Cheryl found this link to be an inspiration for her and I can see why.

But it appears that not everybody is impressed with the Olympics!!  Moving on from speed sports on ice, how about speed-plating-dating?  is this just another fitness trend I wonder?  Meanwhile, the American College of Sports Medicine has released its survey of the Predicted 2010 Fitness Trends.

A fan of the Biggest Loser? Looks like Jillian Michaels has found herself in a spot of trouble.

And finally some food for thought - an interesting article about the diet from the rationing years of WW2 - it seems some basics principles from that time should still hold true today.

Right off to make my boys some good old-fashioned rice pud for dinner! Have a great weekend 

Something for the weekend Sir?

(image from www.cartoonstock.com)

I wonder did that expression really start in a barbers shop? Still it makes me chuckle.

Here are a few interesting snippets for you to enjoy!!

Lack of sleep really does make us fat!

Check out these fun apps for your iPhone. (I wish I had one!!)

Ever hang out with people who claim to have food allergies, but have never been tested? Its apparently quite common for people to exaggerate their food intolerances and may be causing their bodies more harm than good.

Remember Brian Jacks from Superstars?  Then you will  love this video from the 70's. I feel like we have come full-circle with our exercises and when you see these guys pumping out the dips and squat thrusts you will see why. Remember that Brian Jacks was an Olympian, but that pretty much was forgotten because he was so famous from this show.

I wonder if Brian Jacks would be able to do Flying Squirrel push-ups?  (I tried them yesterday to show off to the kids and ended up re-breaking my nearly healed toe!!)

Calm in a can: Red Bull meet Slow Cow.  (I'll stick with beer thanks!)

When I was a kid my Mam bought me a blood orange and it freaked me out!  I thought she had killed the orange and was making me eat it raw!  (yes I know thats crazy!)

I do these in the gym and they add an extra kick to your push-up!

Pistol Squats - are pretty intense at the best of time, you won't believe what this guy is doing. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME :)

OK FOLKS SIGNING OFF THE WEEKEND - HAVE A GOOD ONE!!

are you ready to hit the slopes?

This year the ski-bug took hold of me, partially inspired by my 6 year old boy who is a much better skier than I am already and probably because I am still a bit of an adrenaline junkie.  Whilst  I am finding that physically I feel prepared to hit the slopes, I still need loads practice to sort out the technical stuff, then I will be really rocking those slopes!

I came across this great article today giving great advise about getting your body ready, it is written by Rachel Cosgrove, who is co-owner of Results Fitness and best selling author of “The Female Body Breakthrough". If you want a person to follow in the fitness industry, you can go along way by following her lead.

Happy skiing!!  And don't forget to check in on Wednesday for my first giveaway!

(photo from www.mynewsletterbuilder.com)