Part of my mission is to make the lives of those I am fortunate enough to serve and quite frankly those who I meet, both healthier and less stressful. Whether it is through education, empowerment or inspiration.
To be honest I have become frustrated with trying to get the things I wanted, when I want them.
I am a very impulsive person and also don’t like not being in control of the things that are important to me.
I know that you too may feel like that.
So here we go. Here is a list of the things I find useful for looking after my health and things I think you will find useful.
To save you time , which is precious, I have included direct links to the ones that I have used or my clients have used to ensure you don’t make the mistake of getting the wrong product.
Matt’s Rolodex
Milk Thistle- (400mg per day) – This is great for a general detox. Useful if you know you have been abusing your liver with the “wrong stuff” 😉
Magnesium– not the oxide version as this is not very well absorbed. Try to vary between the ‘citrate, malatate and glyconate’. A great way to do this is to pop them all in a pot and mix up.
I am also a massive fan of the magnesium spray which can be applied directly on to the skin. This can be found here.
Zinc – not oxide. This tends to be cheap rubbish that can’t be absorbed! Stick with the ‘ates’. (approx 60mg)
Fish oils- great for cell membrane health. Remember healthy cells= healthy body. It’s also very good for the production of the happy hormone serotonin. This the company that I like to buy mine from and here is the exact tub I get each time
Tulsi- tea- also known as the ‘holy basil’. It has zero caffeine in it, and is very effective at reducing cortisol levels, which is ESSENTIAL for fat loss. Drink this after your last workout as it will ‘chill’ you out.
Organic Original Tulsi or the Three Tulsi
Coconut Oil– God’s gift to healthy cooking
Vitamin D- Spray
Vitamin D – Tablet
A Water Filter– not quite as effective as the ones you can get under the sink attached to the main system, but good all the same.
Drinks Bottle– This is the one I use to take my smoothies to work with me.
Juicer- Jo bought me this one for Christmas last year. It is awesome, I like to use the pulp as well in other cooking, particularly in curries.
BANDS
The Bands we use at our Personal Training studio and the Blast Fitness Camp . They represent great quality and help us to take things to another level in conditioning of our clients.
The thin band that we use is this one……
The medium band that we use is currently black (colours change from time to time)……….
The thick one we use is purple at the moment…….
If you are going to be using this alone at home and don’t have anywhere to anchor your bands I would strongly recommend that you order this door anchor set.
TIMER
The gymboss that I use in my sessions and all our coaches use. This is essential if you are doing interval training.
Timer App (iphone- FREE)
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/interval-timer-seconds-by/id475816966?mt=8
Online Timer (free)
http://www.beach-fitness.com/tabata/
EXERCISE MAT
This exercise mat is VERY popular on my fitness camps. Sure it costs a bit more, but yet again this proves the point that you get what you pay for.
FOAM ROLLER
The Grid– This foam roller is excellent for ironing out those sore muscles and helping to maintain your flexibility.
This is the exact one that I use with all of my personal training clients at our studio. http://amzn.to/W5Pfu5
Foam Roller– slightly cheaper
SUSPENSION TRAINER
The Z-Trainer– a phenomenal piece of kit that allows us to help our Personal Training and At Home clients to get the benefit of using suspension training. If I were you I would start off with getting the Z- Trainer Suspension Training System and the Door Anchor.
Stability Ball– with a stability ball your really get what you pay for. You need one with a thick skin that will tolerate a zip rolling on to it. This is the one that I use
Medicine Ball– This is the weight that I use with my clients whilst using our woodchopper warm up. Obviously the medicine ball has a whole host of other uses, particularly useful for any movement specific exercise or core exercise. http://amzn.to/W5QjOq
DUMBELLS
Here are the dumbbells that I use at my studio and would recommend for home use.
This is the 3Kg–
This is the 5Kg –
The Powerblock Dumbbells– These are the same brand as I use at my studio. Fantastic space saver and very nice to use. Yet again a fine example of you get what you pay for.
Lean Greens– quite simply the best greens drink out there.
I have tried and tested many myself and with friends and clients we all agree that this is by far the best tasting, easily digested and scientifically sound greens drink out there.
I would not recommend anything I wouldn’t give my mum, and I like where possible to get my sources of vitamins, minerals etc from food, but this nutrient dense greens drink, that has no real flavour to it (allowing you to make your own recipes up) is by far the best.
Click HERE to grab yours.
Here is a recipe of mine
2 teaspoons of Lean Greens
2 celery sticks
Cinnamon
Coconut water
Flax/lin seeds
Sun Warrior Vegan Protein– I use this and no you don’t need to be a vegan to use it! The reason I use it is because it’s quite simply pure, no GMO’s no additives, none of that funky stuff and it TASTES good. Mix it with Lean greens and you have a good recovery shake, blend in a banana and that’s the potion your body will love you putting in it! http://amzn.to/15xmDQe
Probiotics– these are particularly good if you have been ill and we recommend that our clients use them to restore gut health after a bug, which if you have children is almost inevitable at some stage.
BOOKS
Patrick Holford- How To Beat Stress and Fatigue. This is a great book , I have actually read it back to front on many occasions. That’s how important I consider it in my daily life and helping others. It’s a nice read, not too scientifically worded, but brilliant content.
500 Health Tips– Gareth Zeal.
This book was written by a nutritionist who I have had talk at my studios for my clients. His knowledge is phenomenal and it’s a pleasure to know Gareth as a fellow professional who is dedicated to helping his clients.
MY BOOKS
NB. These are all E-Books (if you would like a hard copy please email info@fa-fitness.co.uk with your requirements)
Hot to Trot Cook Book– 132 pages of nutritious meals.
Curry Cookbook– exactly what it says without the sugary and nasty chemicals. A real favourite amongst my clients.
Snack Attack Cookbook– the newest addition to my collection. Some great ideas for you to take to work to stop you snacking on the “wrong” things.
Fad Free Fitness Formula– My Amazon Best Seller. I co-authored this with some of the world’s most renowned health and fitness coaches from around the world. It really sums up (the title) how I think we need to approach health, a very holistic approach.
9 Day Clean Up Project– My 9 Day Liver Detox. Ideal for the person who wants to take their nutrition to the next level. Getting back on track after a holiday or lapse.
This is not just any old 9 Day programme. You also get a full breakdown of why and how we detox the liver. You also get 3 weeks of meals and recipes to use immediately after the 9 days.
Ok that’s it from me for today, I hope this helps you all.
In case you need to refer back to it, copy and paste this or flag this email so that you can find it easily.
My Best
Matt 🙂
Owner of Functionally Aware Fitness Personal Training
Voted The UK’s Most Innovative Fitness Entrepreneur 2012
International Best Selling Author of The Fad Free Fitness Formula
Author of The Hot to Trot Cook Book and The Equestrian Athlete Plan
Email: Info@fa-fitness.co.uk / Phone: 07841 136302
