Lee-Ann Barnes

I’m a self-employed journo, personal trainer, group trainer and wellness coach looking to make a difference in people’s lives. I’m brutally honest and straight forward and tell (and write) about things as I see them.

My philosophy in life is that “shit happens” and it therefore always good either to have a contingency or a very good sense of humor.

My business venture is called “LeeWay” because we all have opinions and I enjoy voicing mine and then listening to other points, whether it’s argumentative or agreeable. I have a degree which did not help secure a high-paying job, yet it was a valuable life experience. I have various certifications in personal training, human resources, journalism and life skills. I have varied interests and tend to be indecisive at times. I’ve lectured for educational institutions and written articles for publications in my spare time while being a full-time employee of an international corporation. Through my career I’ve experienced the politics, admin and service nightmares. I’ve gained knowledge about dealing with clients and managing staff that has taught me how to tell somebody to go hell as well as to make them look forward to the trip.

My main goal is to create and manage a successful business and have positive feedback and referrals from clients. My focus is to learn more about the financial aspect of running a business, but I fear that my creative side will prefer the profile of a struggling artist and I will be doomed to be poor, yet well-dressed. My passions are exercise, writing and working with people –my goal is sensory overload.

Below is the mission of my personal training business and I can be contacted at 083 508 2257 or mail me at leewaytraining @webmail.co.za

Services:

•Editing and proof reading – R120 per hour

•Article and press release compilation – R150 per hour

•Internet research and article compilation – R170 per hour

Diabetes is a disease that has become one of the main killers as a result of modern lifestyle habits. Afrikaans people call it “suiker siekte” as it involves the body’s inability to control glucose levels and produce insulin which is used to convert food into energy.

The two types of diabetes are medically divided into insulin dependant (auto-immune condition) and non-insulin dependant diabetes. Insulin dependant diabetics accounts for 5-10% of all diabetics who have to inject themselves as the pancreas cannot produce insulin. Type 1 diabetics have more severe symptoms and have more trouble controlling insulin levels throughout their lifetime. Most diabetics are non-insulin dependant and have to manage their diabetes through proper nutrition and exercise habits.

Type 2 diabetes affects 1.5 million SA citizens and occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin to remove the excess sugar and carbohydrates from blood. Many more people are affected by insulin resistance which will become diabetes unless managed properly with a healthy diet and regular exercise. People over forty who are overweight, inactive and stressed are at risk. Although diabetes cannot be cured, it can be managed and sometimes prevented.

Obesity affects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men and excess weight puts strain on the organs of the body to maintain proper functioning (homeostasis). The vicious circle continues when increased body fat accumulates and secretes free fatty acids into the bloodstream and promotes insulin resistance.  The body tries to compensate by pumping out higher amounts of insulin as insulin resisitance increases and glucose tolerance worsens. Excess glucose leads to hyperglycemia which damages blood vessels and leads to worse side effects once diabetes is diagnosed. Symptoms include thirst, frequent urination, weakness and blurred vision.

Low blood glucose is hypoglycemia and is caused by eating too little carbohydrates or skipping meals. Hypoglycemia has a fast onset and needs to be treated quickly with fruit, sugar or carbohydrates.

Strangely, it is not only overweight people who develop diabetes. This disease affects people with poor eating and exercise habits or it could just be hereditary. Halle Berry, petite Hollywood star, tries to control her diabetes problem by eating five small meals and exercising daily. Eating regular low calorie nutrtitional meals ensures the stabilisation of blood sugar, allowing one to lead a normal life whether it be surviving a day at the office or being a Bond Girl.

There are various medical and dietary studies undertaken to help to manage the increasing number of people who develop diabetes. Rimonabant is a trial drug that has been developed to target diabetes and obesity. One in every seven US dollars is used to fight diabetes. Oral medications (hypoglycaemic agents) are taken to stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin to lower blood glucose.

Diabetes has terrible side effects such as retinopathy (eye problems), angiopathy (cardiovasuclar system problems such as ineffective circultation), neuropathy (nerve problems) and nephropathy (kidney problems). Blindness, kidney failure, ulcers, gangrene and strokes may result from mismanaged diabetes.

There has been much research into insulin markers, diets, glucose monitoring systems and exercise. Each patient may have a different reaction to exercise, but activity has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, reduce risk factors and stabilise HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin which refers to long term blood glucose. An exercisors ability to participate in physical activity is directly related to the levels of blood sugar.

Since 2006 the term pre-diabetes has become a medical diagnosis when a person is at risk of developing diabetes. Using a blood glucose meter to measure the effects of food, stress and activity on blood glucose levels and carb counting involves matching carbohydrate intake to insulin.

Diabetes is one the of the lifestyle diseases that affects most families. There is no cure for this disease, but it can be managed by identifying trends in blood glucose patters, exercising and responsible eating.

SEDENTARY CONSUMER

Yet another fitness article that you are reading while sitting on the couch eating a chocolate bar or chips wishing that you could look like the models while shovelling junk food into your mouth. The headline looks interesting and the introduction catches your attention but the pictures on the page stay static. The only way that these visual demonstrations can lead to any type of exercise is when you flip the pages very quickly, creating the illusion of movement.

This article will be different. No sexy models or miracle cures – just you and your body with this piece of writing to get you moving.

STEP 1 - lift your eyes off the page and think an exciting thought that gets your heart pumping and your endorphins activated. Your personal excitement may involve a sexual fantasy, weekend getaway, winning the Lotto or buying a new car. What ever gets you smiling. Now your heart rate should be raised and blood should be circulating faster to certain parts of the body, hopefully your brain! You’ve completed the first step to becoming less sedentary by raising your metabolic rate and preparing the body for the next few activities.

STEP 2 – drop the chocolate in the bin, turn the television down and remove all distractions and focus on your body and posture. Are you slouching? Pull your bellybutton towards your spine, lengthen the spine and relax your shoulders. Breathing should already be easier and focus on deep breaths from the abdominal area that causes the ribs to expand on inhalation. Keep your head lifted so that you can breathe deeply and inhale enough air through the nose. Opening the chest by retracting your shoulders should widen the area of the ribs and lungs and make your boobs look bigger. Sit upright and make sure that the legs are not crossed or underneath your body as you should be in perfect balance.

STEP 3 – squeeze your butt cheeks together. Nobody is going to notice the movement if you are at work. If you get busted at the office, you will probably be in bigger trouble for reading this article than clenching your ass. This simple movement causes the biggest muscle in your body, gluteus maximus, to contract. Hold the contraction for as long as possible without holding your breath or laughing. Practise this movement and proper breathing at regular intervals when driving, standing in the lift or speaking on the phone. Women can do more than one thing at a time!

STEP 4 – if you are lying on your back, lift your head and shoulders while reading. Keep neck muscles relaxed and imagine that you are holding a tennis ball under your chin while activating abdominal muscles. Do not hold this position for longer than thirty seconds or less than ten seconds. Do ten to twenty stomach crunches or hold the contraction.

STEP 5 – turn around and put this article between your arms (shoulders directly above elbows) while lying on your stomach. Lift your bum to the ceiling and lower slowly until your body is straight. Your weight should be distributed between the feet and forearms, which are the only body parts in contact with the ground. Keep the body in a straight line and do not arch your back as it will start to hurt. Keep the core activated which means the bellybutton is pulled to the spine (refer to step 2).

STEP 6 – prop yourself up and put the hands under your shoulders and the article in the middle. Keeping the core activated, bend the arms and take your nose to the article. Push up and repeat six to twelve times. Exhale as you push up, making fog on the page or screen, but try not to drool.

STEP 7 – turn onto your back and hold this article about 20cm from your face to avoid ruining your eyesight while multitasking. Keeping your lower back on floor, lift the legs and perform cycling motions with the legs using slow movements. Complete ten revolutions and repeat four times, resting between sets.

STEP 8 – now you are ready for the ultimate test. STAND UP. This is an advanced movement after clenching the butt cheeks but you need to rise from the seated position and close the magazine after you have read the instructions. Drop this article on the floor and stand on one leg while picking it up and dropping it again. Stick the bum backwards, bend the leg you are standing on and repeat ten times before clumsily dropping the article and repeating the exercise on the other leg. This is called functional training and it mimics the actions we perform in our daily lives.

Eight steps to a healthy lifestyle which starts with an awareness of your body, breathing and posture. Now throw away the chocolate and become more active.