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featured - Warrior Goddess Kettlebell Training

Lisa Barwise
In Plant Based Nutrition, Proothie

A Complete Guide to Protein Shakes

When I talk about Shakes here I'm talking weightloss shakes, protein shakes, meal replacement shakes and smoothies. I'm also here to educate you on how these can be amazing tools and helpful additions to your daily life to reach your goals. Let's get started by asking: "So, are all shakes created equal?" The answer is NO. Now I am not here to diss or dismiss any other brands, makes or types. I'm simply going to point out the features and benefits of the shakes on the market and highlight some ingredients in both positive and negative ways for you to make a more informed choice. Then I will give my recommendation based on nearly 20 years of working with nutrition and women's health. And in being 100% upfront and honest, I am an affiliate or ambassador for some of these brands and earn a small amount from them,  but only because I ask to be- I sought them out-  based on my research and experience so I am not reserved in my recommendations! I truly believe I have found you the best and most cost effective. I see shakes falling into 3 categories:   1. Protein Shakes (for Pre workout...
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Lisa Barwise
In Carb Cycling

Why protein is crucial for fatloss

While it seems like all diets come and go—frequently earning them “fad” notoriety—there’s one nutritional strategy that’s highly effective, held strong, and only gained momentum and scientific backing over the last 20-plus years: Higher-protein diets. This is why I advocate a carb cycling programme that focuses on nutrition from smart proteins and healthy fats.   [Related article: What is Carb Cycling and what does it mean for Fatloss in your 40s?]   What are the benefits of higher-protein diets? Why is protein important for weight loss? How do higher-protein diets flex their fat-burning muscle? What exactly qualifies as a higher-protein diet? Let’s dive into these questions and more! What are the benefits of higher-protein diets? Research has shown that consuming diets higher in protein is not only safe for otherwise healthy individuals, these diets may provide a host of health benefits. Higher-protein diets can help: Enhance weight loss Accelerate fat loss Reduce belly fat Protect (and even build) calorie-burning muscle Preserve metabolic rate after weight loss Prevent weight regain Promote long-term weight maintenance Boost metabolic rate Increase satiety and improve appetite control Improve markers of heart health Support glycemic control And more! While there are many benefits associated with higher-protein...
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Lisa Barwise
In Body Shape Change

Strive for Progress, not Perfection

When you set out to accomplish a new goal, you might start off with gusto and determination. You may be highly motivated, ready to make a change and confident it will go perfectly!   But as time goes by, reality sets in, and your goal starts to feel harder and harder to reach. You struggle as you try to recapture the energy and excitement that started you on this path. When you can't, you resign yourself to the idea that the battle has been lost. The glory you wanted to achieve is but a glimmer — a faint reminder of what could have been. Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common. As a wellness coach, I hear different versions of it again and again. The good news is I know it doesn't have to be this way. I know there is an easier path to take toward achieving your goals.   Stop trying to be Perfect   When attempting to reach goals, many people take on a perfectionist attitude, thinking it will lead to success. "If I could only do this perfectly then everything will work out" However, the opposite is often true. Perfectionism can, in fact, get in the...
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Lisa Barwise
In Body Shape Change

Why Rest & Recovery is essential for Body Shape Change and Health

Let's talk about Rest & Recovery   Recovery is just as important as the workouts themselves and recovery isn’t just about NOT doing. It is about looking after your body that is now moving more and has greater demands on it. And ultimately, will prevent injuries. Getting injured is never fun, but it’s even more annoying when you’ve just started a new workout or lifestyle plan.   You need a recovery routine. As I’ve shared with you won’t be exercising every day on this programme. It’s simply not productive and may in fact be harmful. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll be completely sedentary on your days in between workouts. If you want to avoid the kind of injury and even minimize soreness between workouts, it’s important that you move every day. Let me share with you my pancake making story! One morning, I was stirring some pancake batter in a big bowl ready to make Josh some yummy gluten free pancakes and my back goes! I mean, making pancakes! I had to go lie down until the tightness subsided and was able to get to my chiropractor. But it wasn’t the pancakes that did it. At the time I was...
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Lisa Barwise

What is Exercise… do you know?

What is exercise... a strange but important question to address for you to truly understand how you are going to reach your health, fitness and body goals.   No what matter your reason, in the end we all want the same thing: a training routine that will enable us to find the very best of our bodies and ourselves. We want to train smart and have fun while training. We want to leave the training floor feeling more energized, clear headed, and happy then when we got on it.   But we also want to leave the dinner table happy and satisfied, not starving and feeling deprived. Although you might be working towards a specific health or weight goal, I hope this journey far surpasses those first few goals and becomes an integral part of your life pursuit for health and wellness. You may find some of the concepts, facts, and programs here simple, while others may seem challenging. I ask that you rid yourself of any doubt here and now and keep an open mind. You have already taken the most difficult step: picking up a program or finding that class—that step is far more valuable then any single...
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Lisa Barwise
In Carb Cycling

Why intermittent fasting is not only safe for women, but the solution to stubborn fat and lack of energy

What is Intermittent Fasting?   Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and not eating. It’s not a diet that says “eat this, not that”, but rather you don’t eat any food for a certain length of time – usually 16-24 hours. There are a number of different types of intermittent fasting (highlighted below), but they all serve the same purpose—to allow your body time without food to spend more of its energy on internal healing and repair—something that cannot happen when you’re constantly in a fed state.       Who is Intermittent Fasting For?   Based on the numerous benefits you’re about to discover, intermittent fasting is really meant for anyone who is serious about improving their health and perhaps losing weight without overhauling their diet. Technically, you don’t need to change anything about your diet to benefit from intermittent fasting, which makes it very appealing to many people. Intermittent fasting is also for those who want that extra edge to burning fat while maintaining their muscle (shouldn’t we all?). It’s completely safe to do and provides enormous benefits so it’s really just a matter of committing to it, trying it out, and seeing if it’s...
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Lisa Barwise

What does it mean to be a Warrior Goddess?

We are living in unprecedented times of stress, we have an excess of information and expectations, demands, responsibilities, multiple jobs, family demands, you name it. And more often than not, to shelter ourselves away from the monotony we turn to unhealthy habits — (name your vice!) But it should be the other way around: the more cornered we get by elements that can throw us off balance, the more committed to our health and wellbeing we must be. Health is synonymous with success, in any shape or form or version. Healthy people thrive in every aspect of their lives — it is the foundation of our greatest achievements, of confidence, of limitless creativity and of longstanding relationships. When you feel good, you not only create a force field of positivity but you become a magnet for the things you wish to manifest in your life. Making healthy choices and caring for yourself de-clutters your mind and makes space for the projects, people and places you’ve always wished you’d have time for and makes you a happy, healthy woman with a happy and healthy family and life. Save Save Save Save Save A WOMAN’S BODY AS BOTH WARRIOR & GODDESS  ...
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Lisa Barwise
In Carb Cycling, Plant Based Nutrition

Gluten free: health fad or life saving diet?

Wheat, the staff of life, has been used by nearly every major civilization since the dawn of time, or at least the last 9000 years. This isn’t necessarily a good indicator that something is good for you.   Have you ever been told to avoid eating gluten or wheat products? An estimated 1 in 100 people in the UK and in Europe has celiac disease. However, only about 24% of people with the condition are clinically diagnosed It is estimated that 83% of Americans who have celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten, it is not a food allergy or an intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Some people with coeliac disease are also sensitive to oats. Damage to the gut lining occurs on eating gluten. The average length of time taken for someone to be diagnosed with the disease from the onset of symptoms is a staggering 13 years. There is no cure for the condition; the only treatment is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. If a gluten-free diet is not followed, the disease can ultimately lead to…

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Lisa Barwise

How to boost your metabolism to overcome hormonal, thyroid and adrenal fatigue issues to become a fat burning machine

Stress totally messes with our hormones, can have a serious impact on our health and to top it all off is a major contributor to us getting fat. So not cool. And I’m not talking about the ‘I don’t know what outfit to wear’ kinda stress. That deep seeded worry we have often about our futures, finances, health, relationships and family members.  And more recently our reputations, our businesses and being successful (the rise of success flu AKA burnout). Plus our primal mechanisms that trigger our fight or flight and set off our adrenals. Often triggered by the honking horn of a car rather than stampeding rhinos but our body doesn’t make the distinction and is flooded with adrenalin that is never properly utilized and leads to adrenal fatigue. More on this later. It really has a lot to answer for in our bodies in relation to our health but it also is one of the main contributors to stubborn fat in those areas we struggle with the most: belly, hips and thighs.   Why Stress Imbalances Hormones If there’s one lifestyle factor that can ruffle up your hormones, it’s stress. And as you well know, today’s hectic lifestyle forces...
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Lisa Barwise

The Tribe of Sisterhood and The Power of The Circle of Women

Girl Friend Power, not Will power is the key to success with your health goals.   For many women, social support and accountability are essential to successful weight loss and management.   Let me give you the science according to a new study by the University of Illinois. For the study, 23 women participated in a weight loss program that reduced their food consumption by 500 calories per day. Eating more vegetables, planning ahead, and portion control were emphasized. About a year and a half after they’d finished, they participated in focus groups to determine which factors helped or hindered their weight loss. “All of the women lost a significant amount of weight on the program, but many were unsuccessful at maintaining it after the program ended,” said researcher Catherine J. Metzgar, R.D., L.D.N. Those who did keep the weight off reported that a high level of social support from many sectors was critical in their success. This is true of the women in our programmes,  they didn’t find that accountability to themselves was so important, but having support from others was — just having that social support from someone who was going through the same experience. What this study…

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Lisa Barwise
In Plant Based Nutrition

Transitioning to a Plant Based Lifestyle: Why, How and What to Eat?

When I tell people that I eat a plant based lifestyle they ask me does that look like a rabbit eating grass?   I mean, really….   So, before we can begin to explain the benefits of a Plant Based Lifestyle we need to define it. What does it mean to be plant based? ‘Based’ meant something that provides the foundation for… in this case your diet. Save Save Save Save Save Save   And plants need to be a very hearty base of your diet.   As The China Study – the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted- reveals (amongst thousands more, easily accessible studies, let alone common sense) without a shadow of a doubt… we need to be eating a predominantly plant- based, nutrient rich diet, upwards of 90% or more if we are going to be healthy. The reason is, plants are where all the nutrients come from, including protein. Yes, protein! A plant based nutrient rich diet means you are getting all the nutrients (healthy promoting protein, real food carbohydrate, essential fat, water, fiber, vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes etc) that you need to function and perform well, from ALL the nutrient categories and you don’t...
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Lisa Barwise

Why you have back pain and why kettlebells can help

Seriously, you would be surprised at how many people I meet every day, in my classes and in my life that are suffering from back pain.    Not a day goes back without someone telling me about their sore back.  In my class questionnaire 1 in 2 ladies tick the lower back pain box.   What is that about?   In the 1900s, people worldwide were active between six to ten hours a day. Today, most of us make our livings with our minds instead of our bodies. We drive to work, we drive to run errands, we drive to do our grocery shopping, and we often drive to our weekend outings. We sit all day at work, and we also commonly entertain ourselves by sitting. It seems natural, but it’s not. Our bodies are designed to move. In truth the more we stay static, the more we are hurting ourselves, becoming unbalanced, inactive, sedentary, weak, out of shape, uncoordinated, and over weight  individuals.   Why is training with a kettlebell one of the best things you can do for your back?   Engaging the Forgotten Muscles   The kettlebell is able to train and engage the posterior chain better...
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