How much water do we really need?

How often have you heard the advice, we should ‘aim to drink 8 glasses of water a day’?  I think I’ve included this in my new year’s resolution list every year since I was a teenager and spent the rest of each year berating myself because I never seemed to achieve it.   Increasingly I’ve come across interviews with medical experts including kidney specialists who have been speaking out against the 8x8 directive, there’s even a hashtag ‘#hydrationbollocks’ doing the rounds.  They claim you don’t actually need to drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated.  It’s a myth.  

I’m trying to remember when it became a thing and perhaps it was the supermodels who started it – looking fabulous while lugging around giant bottles of water at fashions shows, along with marketing campaigns from bottled water companies and water bottle companies and the oft-repeated 8x8 advice has fuelled our thirst for of optimum hydration.

I asked my mum and my aunt who were teenagers in the ‘60s if they had any memories of living in fear of dehydration, there was a resounding ‘no’, they don’t remember any advice around water intake, apart from sticking it in the kettle for a cuppa.  My Mum was wondering if it all kicked off when people started going to gyms – maybe?

 In recent years so obsessed are we with hydrating, there has been a rise in the number of cases of hyponatremia (drinking too much water), particularly amongst amateur marathon runners.

It’s not entirely certain where the 8 x 8 advice originally came from – it’s a toss-up between a report from the Food and Nutrition Board of America’s National Research council in 1945 suggesting the body needs one millilitre of water for each calorie of food or nutritionist Frederick J. Stare in the US in the mid ‘70s who recommended an equivalent of 8 x 8oz glasses of water a day to function properly, what his report actually stated though was “For the average adult, somewhere around 6 to 8 glasses per 24 hours and this can be in the form of coffee, tea, milk…fruit and vegetables are also a good source of water."  Like Chinese whispers, the message has been distorted. 

We don’t need an additional 8 glasses of water on top of everything else we’re taking in – to varying degrees water is in almost everything we eat apart from oils and sugar, and the body is adept at removing fluid from the food and beverages we consume. Based on a regular diet, we actually get around 20% of our daily fluid requirement from our food.  For example, milk – full or skimmed – contains around 99% water and as it’s a source of protein too, serves as an excellent post-workout drink.  

Contrary to popular belief tea and coffee are not dehydrating – now obviously too much caffeine isn’t good for you and people process it differently, but yes even these beverages contribute to your hydration levels (woohoo!).

According to Prof. Neil Turner, kidney consultant at Edinburgh university, for the regular healthy individual, even the pee colour chart is bunkum. Speaking of pee, Stuart Galloway, professor or exercise physiology of Exeter at the university of Stirling reckons 5-7 times a day is about normal, more than 8 and you’re probably drinking too much.

There are times of course when drinking water may be advised by your medical professional, for example, if someone has had a bout of vomiting/diarrhoea or kidney stones or urinary infections.  Also, elderly people may need a reminder to drink.  

In his ‘Just One thing’ podcast, Dr. Michael Mosley suggests a glass of water with each meal is sufficient, but for the most part, it seems whoever the marketeer was that came up with the tagline ‘obey your thirst’ was right.  Drink when you're thirsty.

And just in case you’ve heard the advice against drinking water with a meal because it affects the digestive juices – again there’s no scientific basis to this either, water aids our digestion.

PS I absolutely admit this is slightly contradicting my previous blog re hydration BUT we learn as we go, in truth I will no doubt continue to sip water while I’m sitting at my laptop and at the gym, but I am going to be more mindful of my thirst and let that direct me.

5 Simple Tips For A Healthy Start To Your Day

Now I realise that not everybody is naturally a morning person, so it might be enough to just drag yourself out of bed rather than adding items to your list of things to do in the morning, but these measures are very simple and each one can help enhance your day.

1)    Hot / warm water and ginger first thing
Ginger is great for our digestive system, it also has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties . I keep a jar of peeled, chopped ginger in the fridge, I have a big beer tankard that I pop it into first thing in the morning, I then try and drink the whole thing before my first class / client appointment, which doesn’t always happen, but when it does I feel smugly hydrated. I keep it topped up with hot water throughout the day.  Most of the nutrients are just inside the skin, so try to lightly peel rather than chop too much of it away.  

2)   Consider including protein in your breakfast
It’s important we get enough protein in our diet. Protein is involved in building and repair in the body and is vital for healthy muscles and bones. From mid / late 30s onwards we start to lose muscle and bone, women in particular during perimenopause / menopause are effected by the depletion of oestrogen and need to be mindful of their bone mineral density.  Eggs are the gold standard of protein and a perfect breakfast option (if you like eggs!).  Protein, as well as providing material for muscles and bones, will keep you satiated for longer and you won’t get that energy peak and drop that you can get from many processed cereals and juices*.  Can’t do the eggs? Porridge also fairs well on the protein front and you can add some seeds and a dollop of live natural yogurt which contains protein and healthy bacteria to benefit your gut.

*With cereals and juices check out the ‘sugar’ from carbs on the ingredients label.  A breakfast high in sugar may provide a satisfying energy surge straight after eating but can leave us feeling hungry or sluggish mid-morning once that surge subsides.  E.g. Flahavans porridge contains .9g sugars from carbs per 100g whereas Special K contains 15g sugar from carbohydrates per 100g.

3)    Cold water showers
If you’re not into early morning sea swims, 30 sec to 2 minutes of cold water add the end of your shower can actually have similar health-enhancing benefits – helping to boost the immune system, as well as energy and mood.  Research is starting to show that cold habituation decreases inflammatory responses over time.  So try a quick cold blast at the end of your nice steamy shower, perhaps not quite as sociable as the sea swims, but certainly easier and convenient.  And just for the record, I’m totally into early morning sea swims…mid-summer…in Greece.

4)    A brisk morning walk
Getting out for a brisk walk in morning light can actually help improve your sleep, boost your mood (helping to offset the effects of SAD in the winter) and cut your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Any form of walking outside during the day is good, but going in the morning is like a gentle alarm to let our body and brain know that the day has started.  Light helps reset our body clock, which in turn tells our body when to go to sleep and when to wake up.  The earlier you have exposure to daylight the better for your sleep, possibly even making it deeper with less chance of waking up.  Light exposure also triggers the release of serotonin which is a feel good hormone, helping to boost our mood.  Brisk walk = moderate-intensity exercise where our heart is beating a little faster, we’re breathing a little heavier but we can still hold a conversation.

5)    Some Gentle Stretches
Simple stretches, the likes of child’s pose, lying on your back and hugging your knees to your chest and figure 4 stretch are all lovely and simple stretches to do in the morning to help stretch the muscles around hips and lower back.

Yoga & Pilates - What's the Difference?

‘What’s the difference between Yoga & Pilates?’ is a question I am asked quite often. I sat down yesterday morning with the intention of writing a few words explaining the differences between Pilates and yoga. Who I was I kidding? Even though I tried to stick to the basics and keep it as simple as possible, including sticking with Pilates matwork, it still took me nearly two days to finish.

Origins

Yoga
The origins of Yoga (meaning ‘yoke’ or ‘union’) can be traced back to 5,000 years (or 10,000 depending on who you ask) ago in Northern India to the Vedas (or Rig Veda) a collection of sacred poems and hymns where yoga was first referenced.  Yoga progressed through the ages from what was originally a meditative and spiritual practice to incorporate asana ‘physical’ practice the discipline of ‘Hatha yoga’.  In the early 1900s, the Indian yoga teacher Krishnamacharya revolutionised the teaching of yoga. He and his protegés have greatly influenced how yoga is perceived and taught in the western world.

Pilates
Joseph Pilates (1883 – 1967) developed the Pilates technique (initally called ‘contrology’) in the 20th century.  Originally from Germany he started to develop his technique when he was interned on the Isle of Man during the first world war.  After the war he moved to New York where he set up his first studio with his wife Clara in 1926.   He used Pilates apparatus – specially made machines (what we know now as reformers, the barrel, Cadillac etc.) and to begin with many dancers came to his studio to rehabilitate injuries. Passionate about physical fitness and his method, by all accounts he was quite a character. He worked with and trained a group of teachers known as ‘The Elders’ who passed on his technique.

How Do Yoga & Pilates Classes Differ?

Yoga
Generally speaking – a standard studio class will very often involve an introduction with some guided meditation, a warm-up, possibly a sun salutation followed by a series of standing, seated and lying poses, which can all include forward folds, twists, backbends.  Possibly some breathwork and always relaxation ‘savasana’ at the end. 
You might be flowing through the poses quite quickly or holding them for a particular breath count.  Breath focus is always encouraged, some teachers may use chanting e.g. ‘Om’ which is a beautiful addition to any class. There are 84 classical yoga asana and many many variations.

Pilates
One of the differences between yoga and Pilates is with Pilates you are almost continuously moving in time with the breath. Often you will be maintaining stability through the trunk – using your core strength - while moving the arms and/or legs dynamically, challenging and building core strength and stability and joint mobility.  Other times you can be making quite small precise movements and wondering how on earth it can be so challenging?  There is a strong emphasis on spine mobility with movements including forward flexion, lateral flexion, extension and rotation.  Joseph Pilates famously said  ‘If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30 you are old, if your spine is completely flexible at 60, you are young’ (bear in mind he said this back in the day when 60 was considered old!). There are 34 exercises in the Pilates matwork classical series again with lots of variations.

What can Yoga & Pilates Offer Me?

Yoga - Mind Body Spirit Connection
For people starting yoga, they may be attracted to the physical practice and want to improve their flexibility or perhaps they are looking for a way to reduce their stress levels.  There is an extensive and ancient yoga philosophy that underpins the yoga tradition should you wish to pursue it.  The ‘Eight Limbs Of Yoga’ provide guidance for an entire lifestyle offering practices to connect and nourish your mind, body and spirit including asana (yoga poses), pranayama (breathwork), dhyana (meditation) but also principles for how to treat yourself and others and the theory that we are all connected to each other and the universe – yoga can be an extremely profound experience.

Pilates – Mind Body Connection
With Pilates there is great emphasis placed on the connection between the body movement and the breath (inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth, breathin into the ribcage).  The principles of Pilates (which can vary a little from one school of Pilates to the next) include body awareness, breath, centering, concentration, balance, control, efficiency, flow, precision.  ‘Engage your core’ is a term you may hear often in a Pilates class, ‘core strength’ is a key focus in Pilates.  Correct alignment and posture often referenced in class. There isn’t an official ‘spiritual’ philosophy to Pilates, I have no doubt however that it has influenced many people’s lives in a very positive and life affirming way.

What About The Different Types of Yoga & Pilates?

Yoga
I’m going to keep this fairly simple (for all our sakes) - There are different types of yoga ibut the physical practice of Hatha yoga (Ha meaning sun and Tha meaning moon) is the type of yoga that is the most influential in the west. While studio ‘hatha yoga classes’ usually offer a more traditional practice of holding poses for a certain amount of breaths, under the Hatha Yoga umbrella there are many different types of yoga, from the very energetic ashtanga series and vinyasa flow to Iyengar and yin and restorative yoga and everything in between. You could say there is something for everyone within the yoga realm. 

Pilates
Pilates can be divided into ‘classical’ – those who follow Joseph Pilates original teachings quite strictly and ‘contemporary’ – Pilates which has been modified and modernised.  And then we have mat Pilates and equipment based Pilates which uses a series of machines using springs, straps and pullies and lots of fun stuff to add extra resistance. 

Within these two categories, there are many different schools of Pilates.  Without a doubt the influence of the physical practice of yoga can be seen in many of the exercises.  Pilates is often used as a form of rehabilitation and many Physios are trained as Pilates Teachers.

What Are The Benefits Of A Regular Practice?

Yoga

• Improved body & breath awareness.

• Stress reduction.

• Can help lower blood pressure.

• Can improve strength, flexibility, joint mobility & balance.

• Weight-bearing exercise aids bone health.

• Helps to reduce the risk of injury.

• Can help mental health with sense of overall well-being.

• Can provide a sense of spiritual connection.

Pilates

• Improved sense of body and breath awareness.

• Improves core and overall strength and muscle tone.

• Better joint mobility.

• Improved posture.

• Weight-bearing exercise – can help bone health.

• Can help improve focus.

• Better balance and stability.

• Can help mental health with happy hormone release.

• Can help build body confidence.

Should I Do Both Or Just Choose One?

That’s entirely up to you – perhaps you need one more than the other.  Many folk are firmly dedicated to either yoga or Pilates.  I was practicing yoga for many years before I started regularly practicing Pilates. The benefits of yoga I found were increased flexibility and mobility and I definitely benefited from the stress reduction, I slept like a top after my classes.

Building my core strength with Pilates perfectly complemented my yoga practice.  Some of the poses I had struggled with like ‘plough’ pose where I felt like I was collapsing in on myself benefited hugely because of my improved core strength.  So too did my balance – again thanks to the core strength.  

My flexibility from yoga has helped me greatly with many of the Pilates exercises.  I also love and find fascinating the yoga philosophy and many other elements that it encompasses and without a doubt would say it has had quite a profound effect on how I live my life.

Choose just one? I couldn’t possibly.

If you don’t have time to both, you could always try a Pilates Yoga Flow class - guess who teaches one?! Click here to find out more.

How I Found My Way Back To A Good Night's Sleep

A few weeks ago I wrote a short post on instagram about my sleep, or lack there of.  I was amazed at how many people commented ‘yup, me too’ – similar to the day I rang the chemist shop to ask if they had chilblain cream and the nice lady said ‘not a tube, we’re all sold out, there’s been a run on it’ – while I still had chilblains and no cream, I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t the only one.

I am almost afraid to say it for fear of jinxing myself, and I don’t want to make any of my insomnia compadres feel bad, but just in the last week or so, I feel like I am back on the sleep track.  Hallelujah.

Why was I lacking in the sleep department? Perhaps fluctuating hormones and definitely a bit of anxiety.     

While I know everyone’s sleep story is different, and my heart goes out to those with chronic insomnia, here are a few things I did to get me back on track.

Coffee – I love it and I love the ritual of the moka on the stove and the reward of a big old double cupper in the morning.  I very rarely drink coffee after 10.00 in the morning and I don’t like going full decaf but I’ve found half caf / half decaf and I don’t even notice it.

Tidiness – It would seem I am evolving or maybe mutating into a tidy person.  It’s taken me a while, but I’ve realised for me, mess = stress. These days, I even make the bed in the morning as soon as I get out of it.   

Journalling – a friend of mine gave me one for Christmas and I take a big old thought dump into this every morning. This really helps me get to the bottom of stuff that’s bugging me.

Acupuncture – I was an acupuncture virgin, but after just one session I slept like the dead for two nights in a row, and barring a couple of unsettled nights, since then I have woken up with my alarm each morning, instead of 3-4 hours before it. Who would have thought being needled could be so relaxing?

There are a few more little hacks that I’ve employed at various times that I have found help my sleep;

The obvious one of course is no devices in the bedroom.  Shut them down before you get there.  If you need your phone alarm put it in your drawer and make sure the sound is off.  Avoid checking it for time during the night.  I also had an electric clock I actually think it’s big angry red numbers glaring at me caused me stress – particularly when they were saying 3am and I was wide awake.

Keeping things cool – while I’m partial to an electrical blanket, I avoid heavy PJs and keep the bedroom cool.  It’s not quite the weather for it at the moment perhaps, but if I wake during the night from Spring onwards I open the window.

Lavender – a friend of mine recommended the ‘This Works’ pillow spray and there is indeed something very soothing about it.  Sometimes I’ll diffuse lavender before going to bed.

A bit of inulgence - My Mum gave me a gift of jasmine silk pillowcases a few years ago and are cooling and soothing.  Apparently, they don’t dry your skin like cotton can…wait…was that a subtle hint that my skin looks dry?

CBT – there are some great podcasts which talk about CBT for people losing sleep.  Repeated interrupted sleep or being unable to get to sleep can cause anxiety.  CBT addresses this and aims to ‘diffuse’ the stress associated with insomnia. https://www.menopausedoctor.co.uk/menopause/041-you-are-feeling-sleeeepy-kathryn-pinkman-dr-louise-newson

Eatin’ and drinkin’ - Finish eating two hours before you go to bed, this works for me. I don’t drink that much wine but I know when I do my sleep really suffers. Waking up dehydrated at all hours and with the fear on top of it - it’s a big no-no for me.

Lastly yoga nidra, one of the most relaxing things you can treat yourself to. Click here for one of my favourites.

If your sleep is up and down I really hope you find your own way back to a good night’s sleep.

It's Christmas time...

My favourite pic of the year ‘The Retreaters’!

We’re all busy, so I will do my best to keep this brief!

Another year has sprinted past, having brought with it new adventures and experiences, new friends and learnings and leaving behind lots of wonderful memories in it's wake.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have supported me during the year including class attendants, class organisers, studio owners, facilitators, the retreaters, the brave one-to-oners, the teachers, the trainers, the advice givers, the friends and the mentors.

A special thanks to all who supported Pauline and myself for the Focus Ireland Shine A Light Campaign for which the tally was just over €3,500 which was far beyond our expectations, we were overwhelmed by your incredible generosity. 

Yes of course I'm going to mention the new timetable!  While the lovely 'Above Mayfield' studio has been a welcome addition for the last few months on Sundays, due to training I will be unable to run weekly classes there in early 2020, but the aim is to do some workshops instead, dates tbc. The long running Monday evening class at RMDS in Ranelagh is getting a facelift and will now become Pilates Yoga Flow. 
Please click below for all the details;
https://www.graforfitness.ie/class-timetable

My one little bit of (unsolicited!) wellness advice for the holidays is try and get out for a walk everyday.…with or without company - even a short one will do you good.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas with best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020.

Gráinne

X

Time To Stress Less

I think we’re all a little blue in the face from either being stressed or hearing about how to cope with stress.  Well here’s more of it, but with the suggestion of a very simple stress reducing solution. 

 I’ve managed to reduce my stress levels significantly in the last few years. Changing my job helped greatly, but there was another far simpler change I made, and that was to my timekeeping. For anyone who is reading this and is a paragon of punctuality you might aswell skip on to the next blog, you’re already singing from this hymn sheet, for the tardy types read on.

 For a long time I was a ferocious timekeeper.  Always a few minutes,  occasionally more than just a few minutes late. I was late for appointments with friends mostly, rather than business meetings.  The dread of discommoding a client far outweighed the fear of annoying my friends, whom I clearly took for granted, selfishly valuing my time above theirs.

Part of my issue was trying to pack as much as possible in before finally getting myself out the door.  Also I think I hated the idea of getting to a place too early for fear of actually having to wait for someone – imagine.

About three years ago when I started ‘Grá For Fitness’, this all changed.  I simply could not be late for classes that I was teaching.  I’m not sure if it was a conscious decision but I started applying this new found approach across the board.

I simply gave myself more time.  If I couldn’t get my ‘to do’ list done before I left the house, then so what?  One thing I noticed immediately is the difference it made to my stress levels.   When it came to driving places I drove slower and had more patience with people on the roads.  The level of road rage and related profanities decreased greatly, I was able to find a parking space with a bit of time left over to prepare for whatever the occasion was.   

Google maps is a fantastic timekeeping tool whether walking, cycling or driving.  I nerdily check out timings in advance, eliminating the question of how long it’s going to take for me to get somewhere.

 Another thing I’ve realized is, if you’re driving and running late, you’re far more likely to use your phone to send a sneaky text or call ahead with your ETA (if there are any gards reading obviously I have never done this).  

With regards to meeting friends, my new found promptness was also making my (and their) life easier.  I realized that I had been turning up to appointments late – irritated with myself, on the back foot, and sometimes a little irritated with them because I knew they were irritated at me.  That’s a lot of unnecessary irritation.  These days I even take a little pleasure in getting to my destination early and enjoying that slightly smug feeling of getting there first. 

I still have occasional times including the other day when I was late to an appointment. Instead of using my driving trip to the location to mentally prepare, all I could do was worry about how far away I was, road-raging like a loon and arriving proffering apologies which is never a good place to start.  It served as a reminder.

Of course there are times when being late due to unforeseen circumstances is unavoidable.   I realise ‘first thing in the morning tantrums’ related to issues such as not wanting to eat breakfast or wear your chosen / proposed outfit, refusing to be strapped into the car can cause serious delays, and then of course there are parents dealing with small children.  In the unavoidable cases where it really isn’t your fault, you just have to let the stress go.

If you’re already a top time keeper and kept reading – good on ya, think of all the stress you’re avoiding.

If you’re a habitual johnny or joanie come lately, I suggest giving this punctuality thing a go and enjoying those reduced stress levels.

And to all my friends I’ve kept waiting; thank you, I appreciate your time.

My Yoga Journey from Tag Rugby to Teacher Training

Hatha Yoga TTC Graduation Day at Samyak Yoga, Mysore.

Yoga.  For me it started with a weekly class to rehab a tag rugby knee injury and it worked, but it didn’t stop there.   I continued with my weekly class for years and so followed workshops, weekend yoga retreats, week long yoga retreats and eventually I found myself in India doing my 200 hour teacher training course.

 While researching the course I had been given the very useful advice that just because a yoga course is expensive doesn’t mean it is good and vice versa. The practicalities of work meant the month of December would suit best for a condensed course. I eventually found a hatha yoga teacher training course at ‘Samyak Yoga’ just outside Mysore in south central India. I liked their ethos, their speedy and helpful response to my inquiry and their reasonable fee included tuition, individual accommodation and food.  Their maximum of 18 students per course was the cherry on the cake.

As soon as I signed up I was sent a sequence of exercises, which I was instructed to practice everyday to prepare.  I took an ‘ah sure it’ll be grand’ approach to these. If I could have done one thing differently it would be to actually practice that sequence of exercises EVERYDAY. 

 The taxi journey from Bangalore airport to Samyak was truly unforgettable.  It was like a cross between wacky races and mad max.  Cars veering everywhere beeping relentlessly, random cows wandering across the road, people hanging off buses, bikes, each other, piles of rubbish along the roadside – a mad hotch potch of colour and chaos.

Samyak in contrast is located in the peaceful countryside beside a river and surrounded by rice and sugar cane fields. The yoga shala (studio) is situated on the top floor, palm treetops gently waving outside the windows, a frequent playground for a family of monkeys – providing students with a great source of distraction and entertainment.  The dining room is on the ground floor which we all galloped along to gleefully three times daily.   

The students on my course were a great bunch - mostly French, mostly female and mostly had practiced that sequence of exercises much more than I had.  Our teachers Rakesh, Trupta and Arvind taught asanas, pranayama. meditation and yoga philosophy. We were all looked after by the house manager, the ever smiling and always patient ‘Raj’.

 We greeted the sunrise each day with yoga practice for two hours from 6.30.  After breakfast we had yoga philosophy class – this was completely new to me and drew the occasional furrowed brow. Directly after was asana clinic where we examined the individual poses. Lunch followed and then a much appreciated break for a couple of hours.  We returned to the shala at 4pm for teacher training practice with time for a quick shower before kirtans / chanting along with pranayama and meditation.  Dinner was at 8pm followed by falling into bed.  This was the schedule six days a week.  

Physically I found it really challenging.  With so much yoga everyday there was little time for the muscles to recover and I found it hard to see progress because my body was in a constant state of ‘what are you doing to me?’! 

Thursday was our day off.  We all piled into taxis bound for the dusty, buzzy hustle and bustle of Mysore. Much appreciated massages were had, markets were explored, sights seen, many shops visited and purchases made.   The highlight for me was sitting in Devaraja market sipping deliciously hot, spicy, sweet, milky masala chai tea.    

Christmas week was our fourth and final week week and exam time.  Apart from an incredible Christmas dinner put on by the Samyak team it was heads down for the week as we practiced for our practical teaching exams.  Happily we all passed.  Graduation day arrived with a 6 am start to create our mandala with fresh orange, yellow, red and white flower petals for the event.   Speeches were made, certificates presented and many many photos taken.  By 11.00 we were all bidding fond farewells and departing for our next destination whether that was home or further travels.

The visit to India made me realise just how privileged and lucky I am in my daily life.  It was an incredibly intense experience, but a wonderful one. I made some dear friends and it took my understanding of yoga and perhaps of myself too, to another level. I’ll admit that my yoga practice is not an hour a day as my teacher recommended, some days it’s just ten minutes but even that makes a difference to me and to my yoga.  It’s been quite a journey and it’s only just begun.