Scaremongering

Too many people get caught up in the details, and lose sight of the big picture.

Recently I was told and then later saw) someone put out information about soya milk containing high levels of aluminium, and related it to taking 5 birth control pills a day. What an absolute load of garbage! Yes, soya milk does contain aluminium, but so do a lot of things. Human breast milk contains aluminium. Aluminium is the 3rd most abundant metal in the ground, so it can be found in almost any food. We put it into our water supplies to give the water a clearer 'clean' appearance. It is used as a raising agent in baking, tea has suprisingly high levels of aluminium, as does toothpaste, aspirin and antacids, the list goes on.

 Yes, soya milk has higher levels than cow milk, but the amounts and the effects have been greatly exaggerated. The UK's government Health Protection Agency states "Children exposed to aluminium are not expected to show greater sensitivity compared to adults" and "Little information is available regarding whether aluminium causes cancer in humans. Data from animals studies have shown that it is not thought to cause cancer in animals". The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA, now called Food Standards Australia New Zealand, FSANZ), measured the aluminium intakes of Australian infants as part of the Australian Market Basket Survey (which is now known as the Total Diet Survey ).  It was found that although soy based infant formulas contained higher levels of aluminium than other formulas or breast milk, the estimated aluminium intake was still well below estimated safe levels. Interestingly enough in the past 2 years the UK has relaxed the laws and allowed a greater use of aluminium in products we consume. Basically because of the widespread distribution of aluminium compounds through food, drink and even the air we breathe, exposure is unavoidable. 

Sure, we should do our best to reduce the aluminium content in consumption as it is not an essential part of our diet, but it is also worth bearing in mind that there are no definitive links between aluminum exposure through infant formulas and immediate or delayed toxicity in healthy infants. Better safe than sorry - yes; but people tend to see correlations where there are none, and then draw conclusions based on bad science and logical fallacies.

But here is the bottom line - unless you are eating aluminium foil, you don't really have anything to worry about. However if you are still concerned, just make sure you are getting calcium & magnesium in your diet and you will be fine. They block the aluminium.

Challenge everything, Especially yourself.

 Alex Kay Grimmer

Kettlebell class special offers

If you have not yet tried kettlebells, come along to a BodyQuest class,

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What are you waiting for? Book in now!

Classes are currently:

Monday evenings at 8pm

Tuesday & Thursday evenings at 7pm

Saturday mornings at 9.30am

Coming soon.... Tuesday & Thursday morning classes!

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.

Contact & location details are on my website: BODYQUESTPT

BodyQuest Kettlebell Gym is officially open!

BodyQuest Kettlebell Gym has now officially opened! For the past few weeks I have been working day & night to turn a rubbish-filled derelict building into a full-time strength & conditioning facility. It was hard work but definitely worth it! 

Kettlebell classes are currently:

Tuesday & Thursday evenings at 7pm

Saturday mornings at 9:30am

Classes are open to all, but it is best to book a place to avoid disappointment.

I will be adding more classes to the timetable over the next few days - watch this space!

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.

Contact & location details are on my website: BODYQUESTPT

Coming soon... BodyQuest Kettlebell Gym!

I am pleased to announce that within the next week or so, I will be opening my own dedicated training facility! 2010 ended on a sad note, when The Iron Den Studio I was working out of closed it's doors, forcing me to find a new venue for my classes & clients. However, sometimes being forced to take action is just the kick in the butt you need.

Initially BodyQuest will continue as a personal training and group session facility, but later this year will open an area for members to come in and train using BodyQuest tools such as kettlebells, Olympic lifting platforms, tractor tires, sledgehammers, ropes, jumping platforms, pull up and dipping bars... and more!

This is going to be a year of taking action, and I am really looking forward to the challenges it will bring. I will be pushing for everyone to achieve far more this year than they ever thought possible. If you are looking for functional fitness, strength, endurance, mobility and cardio that just won't quit then get in touch. I guarantee you twice the results in half the time!

Watch this space for details of the new gym!

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.

Contact & location details are on my website: BODYQUESTPT

Simplify, and Improve

Many people struggle with motivation at this time of year. You feel as if you are not only no longer progressing, but actually losing ground as well, getting worse. One of the main reasons I have seen for this is too many goals. If you try to do too many things, you end up not being able to truly focus on any of them, and your training just goes nowhere.

If you find yourself in this predicament, make it simple again. Choose ONE goal. Don't be afraid that you'll lose everything else, because you won't. Pick one goal, something like deadlifting twice your bodyweight, performing a chest height standing jump, 10 minutes of kettlebell long cycle clean & jerk without stopping, anything really - but focus on only one of the physical goals you do want to achieve.

You will find that as you progress towards and eventually reach that one goal, not only will your motivation return, but your physicality will increase in other areas alongside your chosen goal.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.

Contact & location details are on my website: BODYQUESTPT

Diets

So many people out there want to lose 'weight', (really what they want is to lose fat, but let's not split hairs for now), so they go on a diet. I have lost count of how many people have told me that they are on a diet, and for every single one of them, it is not the first time that they are “on a diet”.

Now don't get me wrong, watching what you are eating and doing your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition is a great idea, I am all for it. What I am against is diets. Diets do not work. It is that simple. If you tell me they are, because you lost x amount of weight the last time you were on a diet, you are fooling yourself. Unless you have maintained and will continue to maintain your new size, shape,weight with ease, your diet failed. A diet will never work, because it is designed to be temporary. The minute you go back to your old habits, you will re-assume you old size, shape, weight, etc.

Think of diets as training wheels. They are an aid to help teach you how to do something on your own – without thinking about it; without having to draw up a complicated plan. You learn something by using them, then you go on and do it on your own, without the training wheels.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

Contact me for Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea.

Contact & location details are on my website: BODYQUESTPT

Choices

One of the biggest problem we face nowadays is choice. When there is no choice, you go with whatever is in front of you, and think nothing of it. Whilst sometimes having a choice can be great, when you have too many choices, it just makes life unnecessarily complicated and stressful. 30 years ago having a television was a big deal (South Africa only started a television service in 1976!). Today if you don't have a television you are living in a cave, and how many different choices do we face when buying a television? Flat screen, LCD, Plasma, HDMI, HD, 3D, etc... We live in a consumer driven market, and not only are more and more companies trying to get a share in the market (for your cash), but existing companies are trying desperately to expand their market-share by offering additional products and also more diversity therein. We don't need more! All this 'more' is there to try and lure you into making an additional purchase that you didn't yesterday. The choices (more often than not) exist not to benefit you, but the line the wallets of someone else. What has this got to do with health & fitness you might say? Everything!

How many different diets are out there? All 'scientifically-proven' to work, all saying that they are the only way to being healthy & looking good. From Vegan to Paleo to Atkins – who do you believe? Exercise is equally confusing. Should I be using an elliptical in a commercial gym, or should I be battling ropes like John Brookefield? Should I be curling and pressing barbells, or swinging and cleaning kettlebells? Maybe I should just be using my own bodyweight and training outdoors, or should I use resistance bands in a pilates studio? In the fitness industry we are bombarded with more and more information. We are suffering from information overload – enough already!

So what's the answer? Well the choices we have won't go away, so the answer is simply not to get bogged down in trying to decide which is best. Pick what appeals to you and go with it. Forget about wondering if you should have picked something else. Just make sure you pick something that suits you, your lifestyle and your needs. If you just want a great beach body, lift iron like Arnold. If brutal, sweaty sessions are your thing, try Crossfit. If you need something to balance a hectic lifestyle, try yoga or Tai Chi. If you want a great all-rounder, try Kettlebells. As far as nutrition goes, just cut out the junk & processed foods and you're pretty much there.

Keep it as simple as you can. In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Challenge everything, especially yourself.

Alex Kay Grimmer

For BodyQuest Kettlebell classes and Personal Training in Southend-on-sea, you can contact me HERE