All Posts By

Lisa Barwise

Lisa Barwise
In Carb Cycling

What does it even mean to say “you can’t out exercise a bad diet”…

That weightloss is made up of different elements and there is really just a formula for success.   You may have heard of it: 70% diet, 30% exercise and 100% mindset.   You will see more success on good diet paired with 3 hours of light exercise a week, than on a bad diet paired with 7 hours of intense exercise a week.   Really. It’s that important (The New York Times agrees with this).   OK, now that we all understand that diet (not a diet- we're talking nutrition here not deprivation) is really really important, let’s move on to the second focus of this post: The ridiculous belief that someone can get abs by doing endless sit ups, or a “thigh gap” (ugh) by spending hours on the thigh adductor machine. You can’t spot reduce! No, really, you can’t, so stop trying. You can't say 'I want an exercise to burn my stomach fat or get rid of fat on my inner thighs' And when there is a magazine or a workout plan with the title “Get a flat stomach with these core exercises!” or “Blast Back Fat!” they are misleading you and not giving you the full picture. This is because if you want a flat...
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Lisa Barwise

How often to exercise (and it is less than you think!)

“Train the body, don’t drain the body” is an expression sometimes heard in Personal Training circles. When you exercise you should be adding energy and life to your body and not taking it away. Frequently I get asked “How often should I workout?” How often you exercise, fundamentally, depends on how long it takes you to recover from your previous workout. Recovery from exercise varies from one person to the next. Here are some factors that will lengthen your exercise recovery: * Age – the older you are the longer it takes for you to heal from exercise * Nutrition – if you eat and drink badly then your body lacks vital nutrients to recover * Intensity – hard prolonged exercise will take longer than short bursts of exercise * Occupation – if you have a very physical job then recovery will take longer If you are constantly feeling tired, falling sick, feel demotivated or getting injured then you need to look at your exercise program. Remember, if exercise is taking away from your health and not improving it then you need to make some changes. One of the biggest mistakes I discover is people trying to work the body…

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Lisa Barwise
In Plant Based Nutrition

Forget five a day, eat 10 portions of fruit and veg to cut risk of early death

Five portions of fruit and veg a day is good for you, but 10 is much better and could prevent up to 7.8 million premature deaths worldwide every year, say scientists. 10 portions. Now that is a lot of chewing (let alone shopping, chopping and washing up.)   The findings of the study led by Imperial College London may dismay the two in three adults who struggle to manage three or four portions – perhaps some tomatoes in a sandwich at lunchtime, an apple and a few spoonfuls of peas at dinner. All of that is good because a daily intake of even 200g, or two and a half standard 80g portions, is associated with a 16% reduced risk of heart disease, an 18% reduced risk of stroke, a 13% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, 4% reduced risk of cancer and a 15% reduction in the risk of premature death. But the study suggests we should be piling up platefuls of vegetables and raiding the fruit bowl every day if we want the best chance of avoiding chronic diseases or an early death. “We wanted to investigate how much fruit and vegetables you need to eat to gain the maximum...
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Lisa Barwise

5 of the Best Tips for Detoxing your Body Naturally

Your body has an amazing built-in self-cleaning system that does a fantastic job detoxing the body all by itself! Like an internal dishwasher! That is, your detox system works great when you eat a healthy, nourishing diet and exercise regularly.  Just like your dishwasher, you got to use the right detergent capsules, salts, clean it regularly and empty the drain. But when that doesn’t happen and your habits get off-track, your internal detox system – which is comprised of your liver, kidneys, skin, lungs and intestines – can get clogged up by junk food, stress, alcohol and toxins from the environment. And, needless to say, a detox system overwhelmed with excess toxins doesn’t functional optimally. In fact, it’ll even send you warning signs. You will know.   [Get Your FREE 1-Day Detox Plan of Delicious “Cleansing” Meals] Sometimes I wish I could reset my body to its factory settings. A clean slate and feeling of purification… like scrubbing your insides until you are shiny and clean. OK, now that sounded a little OCD, but you know what I mean, right? To feel a sense of deep clean. Even though I eat incredibly clean, healthy food, with only a few exceptions, I do still cleanse regularly, at least...
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Lisa Barwise
In Recipes

Tempeh balls in tomato sauce

Tempeh balls in tomato sauce 400g (14.1 oz.) tempeh2 tbsp. coconut aminos (option: gluten free soy sauce like Tamari)2 tbsp. water1 tsp. ground cumin2 onions, chopped2 tbsp. (30 ml/1 fl. oz.) extra virgin coconut oil200g (7.1 oz.) tomato paste1 tbsp. (15 ml/0.5 fl. oz.) white wine vinegarPink Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste2tbsp coconut aminos (or liquid aminos) or option Heat up a fry pan on medium heat.Add the water and coconut aminos before adding the tempeh.cook the tempeh for about 4 minutes on each side.Drain and cool.Place the tempeh in a food processor and mix until smooth.Place the tempeh in a bowl and add the spices.Mix well and then shape into balls.Heat up a frying pan with some oil. Add onions and sauté until tender.Add the tempeh balls to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes.Add tomato paste and water to the skillet just enough to cover the balls.Add the vinegarBring to a boil and then let simmer for about 15 minutes. The recipe makes 4 serves. Bring one serve as a snack one day and place two serves in the freezer to use week 4 or when time poor.
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Lisa Barwise
In Body Shape Change, Plant Based Nutrition

Why am I so tired/sore after working out?

I'm not a subscriber to the No Pain No Gain philosophy. I do not believe you need to wreck yourself in the gym, nor starve yourself.  Neither is actually going to get you the body you desire and actually do you more harm than good. You need to find a balance. And balance doesn't mean doing less or not putting  in the effort. It all comes down to being your own 'Metabolism Detective' and what I like to call the 'Goldilocks Solution'. You need to find your own 'sweet spot' This starts with knowing your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (yes you can actually calculate this) and using this scientific tool to look after your metabolism. Despite there being more information on health and fitness today than ever before, I’ve found myself getting confused and frustrated by all the mixed messages so I wanted to clarify and pour in my own wisdom from 15 years in nutrition and women’s health.   After what feels like 100’s of hours of research (I’m a such a health and nutrition geek), I’ve found a few principles that seem to be the “keys” to effective and sustainable weight loss. One of them is the importance...
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Lisa Barwise
In Beginner-Kettlebell-Training

Ultimate Guide to the Kettlebell Swing

The Kettlebell Swing is the most important of all the kettlebell exercise but also the one that most of my goddesses struggle to master. And this is why I spend so much time on it with my beginner ladies. The kettlebell swing is based on the deadlift movement pattern and hits almost every muscle in the body.   “If you only had time to do one kettlebell exercise then the kettlebell swing would be my choice.”   Kettlebell Swing Overview The Kettlebell Swing should be thought of as a pulling movement. It targets the posterior chain and essentially you are loading and de-loading the back of the body as you accelerate and decelerate the kettlebell. Be warned the eccentric or deceleration part of the kettlebell swing is what causes muscle soreness so you could be walking like John Wayne for a few days following a good set of kettlebell swings!!     The kettlebell swing is a dynamic – explosive- movement. As the kettlebell descends from the top part of the movement gravity takes its toll and the overall weight of the bell increases, so a 8kg kettlebell will feel much heavier at the bottom of the kettlebell swing.   Also at the bottom of…

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