Yes, it’s kind of weird, but slightly intriguing…That is, to most people who aren’t Mums or Dads. To them, colostrum isn’t strange at all, know it as the first milk the mother produces at the end of pregnancy and shortly after birth and value it as a natural, nutrient-dense superfood that gives their baby everything it needs to thrive at the beginning of life. It’s the liquid gold version of the stuff we’ve been told we should drink since the ‘80s because it “does a body good.”

So, if milk “does a body good,” in theory, colostrum does a body better? 

In fact, traditional cultures worldwide have used colostrum (both human and animal) in food, medicine, cultural, and religious rituals for centuries. However, only recently has colostrum been studied in the lab.

As a dietary supplement, colostrum has been shown to support immunity, strengthen the gut, and improve athletic performance. Without further ado, let’s take a look at colostrum: the substance, the supplement, the claims, and supporting evidence so you can separate the cream from the milk.

What is Colostrum?
Colostrum is a substance produced in a mother’s mammary glands shortly before and after birth. It’s the first food of all newborn mammals. Since newborns have undeveloped digestive and immune systems, they need a turbo boost of proteins, growth factors, and antibodies to jump-start their growth, form their gut lining, and fortify their immune system. Colostrum is naturally formulated to deliver these goods in a way that mature milk cannot and is essential for every newborns’ survival.  A growing amount of research shows that it may be beneficial at any stage of life, and as a dietary supplement, colostrum from cows (bovine colostrum) contains many of the same nutrients and has many health benefits as human colostrum.

Some of the compounds unique to colostrum include:

• Lactoferrin: a protein that’s a crucial part of the immune defence system.
• Immunoglobulins (IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, IgM): small proteins used by the immune system to seek out and destroy foreign antigens (invaders).
• Growth Factors (IGF-I, IGF-II, EGF): proteins that assist with the maintenance and growth of specific body tissues, including muscle and the gastrointestinal lining.

The Health Benefits of Bovine Colostrum

Colostrum for Immune Support
The Claim:  
Colostrum may support a healthy immune system.
The Research:  
Two studies on elite athletes suggest that colostrum supplementation may be effective in boosting immune system function, with data showing significantly increased number of antibodies in distance runners’ saliva, and more favourable serum levels of immune cells post-exercise than a placebo. But you don’t need to be an elite athlete to reap colostrum’s immune-boosting benefits as it may enhance the immune response in ordinary subjects as well.

Colostrum for Gut Health
The Claim: 
Colostrum may strengthen the gut wall and decrease gut permeability.
The Research: 
Numerous studies have demonstrated that colostrum aids in the strengthening of the gut lining by stimulating the growth of the cells that line the gut wall, likely the result of the abundance of lactoferrin and it’s prebiotic properties. It is also suitable for the lactose intolerant as it does not contain lactose.

Colostrum for Athletes
The Claims: 
Colostrum may be superior to other proteins for the development of lean mass and strength and may improve athletic recovery.
The Research: 
Because colostrum is rich in various growth hormones and is a source of dietary protein, a growing number of hopeful athletes use colostrum to accelerate their strength and body composition gains. While it does not appear to provide many additional benefits when it comes to their strength and body composition goals, the effect on their recovery, on the other hand, is promising. Recent trials have shown that athletes that took colostrum demonstrated faster post-exercise recovery and optimal performance maintenance.

Quality is our top priority, which is why we personally like Kion Bovine Colostrum. It is sourced from grass-fed cows that feed on single-origin natural pastures and is GMO-Free, Hormone-Treatment-Free, antibiotic-free, and BSE-free.

As we’ve learned, our “first food” doesn’t just set us up for good health in our infancy. It’s also something that can promote health and vitality throughout our life.

 If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I have been asked many times why men are hesitant to exercise and/or go to a gym. As someone who owns a gym, and loves exercise and the benefits you get from it, sometimes I do not really have an answer for questions like – “Why is my husband opposed to exercise” “Why are men over the age 50 reluctant to exercise and or go to a gym?  It is beyond my imagination why someone would not want to step into ALTA Fitness and embrace all that we have to offer!!

With Men’s Health and Wellbeing being such an important area of discussion in recent times, I thought I’d do a little digging and find out why men don’t take care of themselves and how we at ALTA can help change this.

Statistics have shown the following:

• 61% of Australian men do not engage in regular General Practitioner (GP) visits.
• Men that do visit a GP tend to keep their appointments short.
• Men account for most statistics that relate to diseases that are linked to lifestyle factors, such as diet, smoking, exercise, weight.
• Men who are under 75 are twice as likely to die from preventable AND treatable medical conditions.
• Three out of four suicides are male.

I did ask around and found that the top 5 answers

1. “I am ok the way I am”
2. “Too expensive”
3. “I get enough exercise from walking”
4. “It’s boring”
5. “I am too old”

I also asked our clients at ALTA why they DO visit, and their top 5 answers were:

1. I want to improve myself, physically, emotionally, and mentally.
2. The trainers are great at understanding my needs and help me be the fittest and healthiest person I can be.
3. Knowing that I will improve my life expectancy outweighs the costs.
4. I love the sense of companionship I have with fellow patrons.
5. It’s always fun to learn new things.

So next time you visit ALTA, let us know your thoughts and talk to us about how we can help you and the men in your life be fitter, healthier and happier

 If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Carl Jung explains archetypes as the symbols of our collective unconscious, the impersonal and inherited traits of human beings that present and motivate human behaviour and continue to influence feeling and behaviour even after our consciousness developed.

For us women we can often identify with the female archetypes at any time of day, week or month, even depending on where we are, or who we are with. Having us understand the archetypes can help to understand what motivates us and why. There are 13 female archetypes but there are 4 that are more common and may resonate with you.

Women today are often in a masculine role as well as feminine stepping in and out of the roles and often losing our femininity. So embrace your femininity and let me know if you are stronger in one or like me I’m often all four in one day!

Maiden

She is young at heart, full of optimism, energy, and a care-free nature. She embodies independence, strength and confidence. She revels in her femininity not ashamed or inhibited, has confidence in herself before others through self care and self love. She is full of enthusiasm & authenticity, intelligent, can plan, organise and confident in her own skin.

Nurturer / Mother

She embodies creativity, nurturing (of the self and others), and attention. She guides and protects her own children and others and she is not only a mother to her own she gives unconditional love to others. She is also connected to nature and the environment, brings harmony, balance and care.

Wild Woman

Knowns as the warrior, or witch she is playful, competitive and sometimes destructive. She is fierce in protecting her family and brings sexual and fertile energy along with strength & motivation. The dark and buried side is from burying emotions and energy when she just wants to be heard.

Wise Woman

She brings deep intuition and wisdom, the advisor, that has been brought about by deep pain and delivers the strength from our ancestry. Helping others to grow and strengthen as an advisor.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Register here

This is a simple 10 day challenge where for 10 days you eat no processed foods or take away, just simple honest to goodness food. It is based primarily on my learnings and Changing Habits nutritional guidelines, and we can help you break down those unhealthy eating habits, guide you into eating wholesome home-made foods and meals.  I guarantee that you will learn so much about your food and how it makes you feel great when eating well.

To keep it as simple as possible, let’s not over complicate it, there is no weighing, no meal / portion sizes.  There is just a list of foods you can use to make your own breakfast, lunch and dinner or as JC and I do, make 2 nutritious meals a day.

So what will it all look like you ask?

• Starts Monday 2nd May
• In a neat little PDF guide you will get:
  • An allowed foods list – I highly recommend you go shopping Sunday and buy what you need for at least 3-4 days and go through your pantry and clean out anything that will tempt you
  • Recipes – including vegetarian options
  • Hints and tips to make it an easier transition
• Each day I will email you a quick 5min run down
• A Private Facebook Group, where you can ask me any questions, tell us what is happening to you, share pictures of your meals and be supportive to others in the group
• For a one off cost of $67 (remember, it’s free for return participants!) – just a contribution to the effort and time we’ve put into this would be appreciated.

 

Count me in!

Register here

 

IMPORTANTLY: Please note that this program is not suitable for pregnant women and it is also recommended that all individuals seek professional medical advice before making changes to your exercise or diet. The information, ideas and suggestions we make in this program are purely from JC and I and they are not substitutes for consulting with your health professional.

A few weeks ago, while working at my “real full-time job” (JC joking around that PT isn’t my full-time job) as a Sales Consultant for 99 Bikes, I was in the bike storage room moving bikes around and awkwardly lifted a bike while twisting my wrist which caused soreness and weakened movement for over a week. It was such a small movement yet made a significant impact. During that week, my capacity to work was limited, and I struggled to lift, pick up, pull and move bikes around. I became less efficient or able to give 100% in everything I did.

A little overboard in my evaluation but I wanted to help my team, help my customers, assist in the shop, and most importantly share my joy of riding with everyone. Additionally, facilitating group exercises became tricky when setting up the exercises, moving weights and demonstrating movements. Furthermore, cooking and cleaning at home was done with more precaution and took more of my time. A small injury can stream into all aspects of your life. When you’re not able to live to your fullest potential and enjoy what you love to do most, at work or with family and friends, setbacks like this makes me rethink the importance of health and the corrective functional movement to be able continue to put my best self forward.

Similarly, it’s like someone not using their gifts for the world. Even though there are millions of people on earth, if one person doesn’t act and use their gifts, it may have a ripple effect.  That person may not be living up to their ambitions or use their gifts to help others go further in life. Unfortunately, we can’t physically see or acknowledge this outward result and can only imagine what could have been. The missed opportunity to share and reach out to the people we love, to the communities we are in or to the people we meet. We miss growth, we miss experiences, and we miss living life fully with vibrance and vigour. When we stumble to play our part, our unique talents, skills, gifts or potential to have a positive impact can be condensed to reduced thoughts, feelings and indecisions. The outcome is hidden because the vision is unclear.

The takeaway of all this is the importance of correct functional movements and correct techniques, focusing on alignment of mobility and stability with strength and coordination. This will ultimately reduce injury and create a stronger skill foundation for everyday movements. We may not see the immediate benefits during the one-on-one sessions with ALTA trainers, or group exercise classes but with emphasis on keeping healthy, upholding safety and correct movements, we can believe the future is brighter and we can go further in life to live fitter, healthier and happier.

I’ll leave you with a quote by Agnes Karll Schwest Krankenpfleger.

“A healthy person has a thousand wishes, a sick person only one”

 If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I have a tale to tell –

While rambling along a trail, carrying a pail. I came across a male quail at his pale mailbox, reading his morning’s mail.  “Good Morning!  I said, “What do you mean” replied the quail? “Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on”.  Well, I thought to myself this is not something you see every day.  A quail with a pale mailbox, usually the mailboxes are red!

Now if you would like to meet a quail reading the morning mail on a trail, you need to get out of your house and find a trail. There are countless trails to be walked on, especially in and around Melbourne.  Phil Clarkston and Lyn Carter are avid trail enthusiasts and have compiled a list of walks they have done and give some handy tips.

‘In planning most of these walks we find the old Melways maps are especially good to consult. Once we are walking though, we normally use google maps on our phones if we need to work out just where we have made a wrong turn. or to find the nearest pub.’

Park​ and ​Reserves:

Lederberg Gorge. Located at Bacchus Marsh. (Some great climbing tracks which are not too difficult but be careful on the unmade rocky track. No good in the wet.)
Brimbank Park The end of the walking track along the Maribyrnong River.

Werribee Gorge, not to be confused with Werribee Park. Werribee Park is a nice relaxing place with rose garden, and a day spa, Werribee Gorge is the complete opposite. Located just 8k from Bacchus Marsh at Pentland Hills Road. The gorge has quite a few serious trails.  Not sure what parks Victoria were thinking when they created this park. The trails are steep and rugged with some parts with bolted in hand holds into the rocks
Lysterfield Park A walk around the lake is good or head towards Belgrave or come the other way which is also a good variation
Jells Park: Located near Wheelers Hill, The park attracts over 900,000 visitors a year, with over nine kilometres of paths and trails, 127 hectares of wide-open space and enough picnic areas for everyone to enjoy”.
Botanical Gardens – Melbourne and Cranbourne

Tracks and Trails – Along waterways:

It is also fun to find where our creeks and rivers end up, most emptying into the Yarra but others into the bay. Finding their source is a bit more difficult for most since many begin on private property or up in the bush in Mt. Macedon, Dandenong, or The Great Dividing Range.’ PC
Westerfield reserve trail. Start at Clifton hill or Yarra Bend (Fairfield). Follow along Merri creek all the way to the Ring Road and continue to Craigieburn.

Koonung Creek For a good part you are following the Eastern Freeway and the hum of the traffic can be annoying. But once past the start of the tunnel, you are walking for quite some time through the bush which is much more enjoyable.

Yarra River Trail. Very long trail, starting at the CBD and ending up at Warburton which is about 85k. About 30 minutes past Westerfolds Park you can call into Petty’s Orchard for a coffee and some wonderful cakes and slices.

Gardiners Creek from its source in Nunawading through to its entry into the Yarra.

Tracking Railway Lines:

Caulfield down to Dandenong on the Pakenham Line (Some of is under the new elevated line.)
Mordialloc through to Seaford on the Frankston line; partly along the line but branching out to walk through the wetlands around the Patterson Lakes (Again can see the community facilities developed under the elevated sections of the line. Some wonderful water birds can be seen.) even a quail or two!
Frankston starts here and follows the Stony Creek line as far as the Freeway.

Box Hill to Ringwood A bit of navigation on roads needed between Laburnum and Blackburn. This is the start of one of the ways we walk out to Lilydale.
Capital City Circuit
Eastlink Trail Although I try to avoid the tracks along freeways since I don’t like the constant hum of traffic we have to walk some of them for some distance since they are colinear with other tracks; e.g. Eastlink and Dandenong Creek tracks are one and the same for some distance.

Road and Bay Walks:

We often taken one of the main roads that cut through Melbourne suburbs and walk its lengths, such as Warrigal Road from Surrey Hills down to the bay in Mordialloc, Waterdale Road starting near the Yarra in Ivanhoe, High Street starting Clifton Hill and heading out to Epping and further. You can also walk various sections around the bay, from Williamstown around through to Frankston. One of the most interesting sections is from the CBD in and out of Docklands and through to Port Melbourne. It’s a great way to see the wonderful variety and history that makes up Melbourne.

One of our favourite walks that we do each year is Surrey Hills to Lilydale. We follow the railway line to Ringwood, where there are two routes you can take. You can either get onto the Mullum Mullum track and then navigate through streets across the Croydon Hills until descending into Lilydale, or walk around the Ringwood Lake, navigating your way to the start of the old aqueduct and taking this in a straight line towards Olinda, but you will need to leave the track and head off through the streets to get into Lilydale. We normally head down near the Lilydale Lake where we enjoy a lunch by the lake or at a local café.

As with any activity plan, be prepared, wear the appropriate shoes and clothing and of course physical fitness is a key to enjoying the great outdoors. And who knows you just meet a quail on the trail reading the mail!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Core exercises are key to improving your stability, core strength and posture which in turn helps movement and prevents injuries, particularly to your back.  When most people think of core muscles, they think of abs, but did you know the core is made up of more than 12 different muscles? They include both deep core and outer core muscles and support your spine and pelvis in your day to day movements.
Remember when starting any new exercise, start at a beginner’s level and work your way to advanced once you are stronger at each stage. Starting at an advanced level can cause an injury – or make you so sore you can’t even laugh!

Here are the Top 5 Core exercises to try if you want to commence operation 6 pack!! Hehe!!

• The High Plank – there is no doubt the plank is one of the top 5 if not the top!

– Muscles worked – Core muscles (Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal/external obliques), Anterior Deltoids (Shoulders), Pectoralis Muscles (Chest), Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves

• Swimmers to Superman – this can be done in stages, lying in prone position (face to floor) where we start alternating arm/legs both coming off the floor, then by raising your chest off the floor leaving feet on the floor to more advanced raising simultaneously both feet and chest off the floor and bringing elbows back.

– Muscles worked –  Core muscles (Obliques, transverse abdominus)Erector spinae, Glutes, Hamstrings, Latissimus dorsi (known as “lats), Shoulders

• Ankle Touches – Lying supine (on back), knees bent, feet on floor, back flat and lifting shoulders forward (not curled) and touch your hands to ankles alternating side to side.

– Muscles worked – Obliques, transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus.

• Bicycle crunches – key to maximise don’t rush this exercise! Lying supine, lift legs off ground approx 90 degree angle to hip and knees joints, hands behind head and top of back off floor. Use your obliques to form a crunch motion bringing opposite elbow to knee and alternate, straighten opposite leg.

– Muscles worked – rectus abdominis, obliques, leg muscles and hip flexors.

• Bridge/Hip Raises – this is a good old one and most of the time we think we are just doing it for our glutes – but not so! On your back, knees bent, feet on floor, raise your hips to the sky. The key with this is to switch on your core and keep activated until you reach the floor, release your muscles then repeat. Hint for women to help strengthen our pelvic area is to switch on your sphincter,  pelvic floor, lower abdominals which we often call turning on your belt.

– Muscles worked – transverse abdominus, glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae.

Your skin is a window into what is going on inside your body. If your body is suffering, it is likely that your skin is showing the effects of that. People often tell me my skin is nice and my beautiful beauty expert Simona from Simona Barta Aesthetics (next door neighbours to our studio) was telling me how good my collagen is for my age.  Personally, I put it down to the food I eat, exercise, good sleep, nourishing my skin and having a regular facial and red-light therapy. Well, that is what I think and JC has beautiful skin too (he’d likely be a little embarrassed by my saying so but he does!).

Like anything I believe that it takes a bit of thought and effort when we are looking after ourselves, whether it is our teeth and going to the dentist, our eyes and having regular checks, our nutrition, our fitness or our mental health. The answer lies within you to actively look after yourself and with some things we need support outside to help, kind of like how we are here for you and your fitness!

So on to our skin – our body is one unit, when you take care of what is going on inside — taming the chaos, supporting a healthy gut, balancing out your immune system and outside effects such as minimising the effects of pollution and our harsh sun, your skin will follow suit.

Here are some simple food switches & ideas that can help clear up skin imperfections and keep your complexion youthful and glowing!

1. Stay hydrated – if you know me well, I am big on this, your body thrives when properly hydrated, and your skin is no exception. Staying hydrated will help to flush out the toxins that could be building up and causing breakouts, irritations and even wrinkles. Green tea is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components so add this to your daily hydration.
2. Nutrition – Low GI carbohydrates and protein in each meal. Fruits, vegetables, dark leafy greens, berries, (Fresh, local, organic where possible) – or as some say eating the rainbow.
3. Sugar – excess sugar is literally an enemy to our skin. Did you realise foods that raise your blood sugar levels also cause wrinkles? Dermatologists have coined this the “sugar sag.”
4. Preservatives, artificial sweeteners, fried foods – bad on so many levels!
5. Essential fatty acids – especially Omega-3.
6. Key Vitamins – Vitamin A – protects against damage from pollution, critical for skin repair, Vitamin C – antioxidant and a part of manufacturing collagen, Vitamin E – antioxidant that inhibits free radicals and cell damage.
7. Zinc– involved in the reduction of free radicals, DNA reproduction, and maintenance of cell membrane integrity.
8. Ubiquinone or Coenzyme Q10 – a powerful antioxidant which functions in the mitochondria, when cells age their ability to produce energy can also decline, often found in supplements but may assist if applied on skin.
9. Botanicals – as Aloe Vera, Arnica, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender, Honey & propolis and Arnica are known for wound healing/ bruising, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-bacterial effects.
10. Red Light Therapy – love this and personally think it works on our skin beautifully.
11. And of course, EXERCISE! Getting up our heart rate and a sweat helps move the toxins from within.

So, do your skin (& body) a favour, drink lots of water, eat well, move well, and seek advice if you’re not sure.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Unretirement is a growing trend, around the globe, where people who had previously retired are finding themselves living a life that was not what they expected, financially, personally and emotionally. They have then decided to return to the workforce – to “unretire”. These are people in their 50s through 80s who had retired on pensions or savings – or both – but ultimately woke up to the fact that they want more from life than sitting on the porch watching the sunset!

Research has shown that whilst the main reason given was the financial need to do so, more and more retirees are returning to the workforce for much more personal reasons. Indeed, many more people ‘unretire’ to regain a sense of purpose (often lost after retiring) as they feel they still have something to contribute. Others are doing it because they are bored and for social and health reasons. Evidence has also shown that working is an important ingredient in staying healthy, in mind, spirit and body.

People may return to the same industries they were in prior to retiring or opt for something completely new. In some instances where people ‘unretire’ for non-financial reasons, they may opt for volunteering and unpaid roles. Roles where they believe they can add value and make a positive contribution.

So, as 70 becomes the new 40, life expectancies grow, and advances in technology change the way we work, we find ourselves in a new phase of life. One where we find ourselves wanting to find true connections with people, through our work and lifestyle.  We want to experience a greater sense of fulfilment in what we do, whether that be giving back, both physically and mentally, to this amazing universe. To live our best life!

And if this sounds like you, then it is still extremely important to keep up your physical fitness, sound nutrition, sleep, reducing life stressors and good relationships so that you can live long healthy lives.

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

I am sure you all have heard the words “you need to stretch more, it’s good for you.” What’s the point to stretching anyway? It is not very comfortable, can be a bit boring and can take quite a bit of time to see any improvement? Unfortunately, it is just a raw deal that with time, gravity, environmental toxins, injuries/ scar tissues and lifestyle choices, we all become stiffer and less elastic as we age.  Stretching can help maintain flexibility as well as offer many long-term health benefits such as increased blood supply and nutrients to joint structures, increased neuromuscular coordination, reduced muscular tightness, and increased joint mobility. Individuals with certain muscular imbalances or postural problems can benefit from stretching. 

Flexibility is the range of motion possible around a specific joint or series of articulations, and the ability to move a joint is important for daily activities in general as well as for sports performance.

Some basic everyday examples are –

1. Putting on or taking off a shirt, what is the flexibility and range of motion of your shoulders?
2. Bending over to pick something off the floor, what is the flexibility of your legs and back?
3. Can you turn your head and torso to look behind you while back up the car?

Now let’s take a quick look at some types of stretches: –

Ballistic:

The oldest technique is ballistic stretching, which is repetitive bouncing movements. Which has been used as forcing a range of motion in common with dancers and gymnasts. It has been abandoned by almost all experts in the field due to safety concern and is just not a good idea at all!

Dynamic / Mobility:

Dynamic stretching mimics a specific movement or sport activity or exercise in an exaggerated yet controlled manner. Often included during the warm-up or in preparation for a sports event. Examples include mimicking boxing movements or a golf or tennis swing, and walking lunges.

Static:

Static stretching is passive stretching and holding of a muscle, in a controlled movement, to the point of mild discomfort usually for a period of time anywhere from 10 sec – 2 min. An example is sitting on the floor and reaching for your toes.

PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation):

Involves alternating stretching and contracting of a targeted muscle group to achieve maximum static flexibility, and typically produces greater improvement in flexibility compared to other techniques. It usually involves a 10-second push phase followed by a 5-second relaxation phase, typically used by Physiotherapists and Osteopaths. Yoga and Pilates often incorporate PNF into the sessions.

Active Isolated Stretching (AIS):

Similar in concept to PNF, the main difference is that with AIS you are targeting a specific muscle and only holding the stretch for a few seconds. Also, with AIS you are actively contracting the opposite muscle being stretched. Example would be stretching the hamstrings; you would also be actively contracting the quadriceps.

So next time you are brushing your hair, and your shoulders are a bit stiff and tight, instead of reaching for pain medication, why not do a bit of stretching!!

 If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.