Gut Flora - a term you probably have encountered even if you’re not interested in nutrition. What is it and why is it important? Why am I hearing this now and not earlier? First, some quick facts to give you some context on what gut flora, or microbiota is about: 1. Common names: gut flora, microflora, microbiota, microbiome - some experts may have specific definitions for some of them, but by and large, they are
Read more0If you read my previous blog on gut microbiota, then you will know how important it is to manage your bacteria friends in your gut. The reason why this topic has become increasingly popular, is not because it is some gimmicky trend that will phase out and you don’t need to worry about it - au contraire! More and more research is coming out on it so you might as well educate yourself on what
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Survivorship Bias Similar, to my earlier blog Misconceptions: Swim, to have a swimmer’s body! this blog talks about the perils of the pervasive cognitive flaw - survivorship bias. Exercise programs that you frequently read on fitness magazines and social media platforms almost always depict a famous athlete giving his/her workout routine and telling you should follow it too if you want to get a big chest, skinny waistline, broad shoulders, slender legs, 6-pack abs,
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Six-Pack Secrets; Love Handle Erasers; The 5 Foods To Avoid If You Want A Six-Pack; 10 Core Exercises To Whittle Your Waist; Best Ab Moves If titles such as these still attract you to read them, then this blog post is for you! It’s for you, not because it’s going to help you get 6-pack abs, but rather to dispel all the false-promises articles with headings such as these make. Anytime you see fitness articles
Read more0What a month! It was not easy, but I’m glad I did it! I’d like to re-state the reasons why we did this. It’s to see what an effect doing Olive Branch classes, twice a week, for a month will do to our bodies while stopping weight training. We also want to showcase to our followers that we too, suffer and struggle in the classes. We are not superior beings with unlimited fitness capability, contrary
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How many people do you know who is out of shape and obese? And how many of those people you know hate their bodies? Or maybe you’re reading this now and you have similar feelings towards your own body? To find oneself in this situation is despairing, and unfortunately, it is happening all around us. How did we get to this point in our evolutionary path that our current lifestyle has put us at odds
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First week of Call To ACTion! is over. I’m not going to lie - I did the TRX class and the Thursday ACT class last week, and it wasn’t easy! I can still remember after the first round of the conditioning circuit, I was barely able to walk. I had three and a half minutes of break before the second round starts and I was desperate to relieve the pain. The clock wound down, and
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Ladies & Gentlemen! Today is a a bit special for us as it is the first Olive Branch newsletter to be released on a leap day! So to mark the occasion, we are starting a new program that we hope will be inspiring for those of you trying to get back on track after Chinese New Year. The name of the program is (drum roll please).... Call To ACTion! The concept is simple. Your favourite Olive
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Keep Dangerous Chemicals Out Of Your Household And Out Of You! This week’s blog post won’t be about exercise or nutrition but will still be health oriented. I’d like to showcase a brand that has started here in Shanghai in 2013 and improves your health not directly. I’m not talking about any health supplements or juices here - I’m talking about cleaning products! That’s right, you heard me - cleaning products. Specifically, Soapnut Republic.
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Gung hei fat choi! Xin nian kuai le! Welcome back everyone to the year of the MONKEY! Hope you guys had a great holiday, I sure did and I’m feeling recharged! Didn’t get one workout in, but that’s ok, I hit the weights the very next day I got back to Shanghai and although I didn’t hit any personal bests, I did the single most important thing I could’ve done - and that is to
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