The Journey, the Temptation and the Caffeine hit

The Journey:

If you caught yesterday's Sun Herald, you may have seen an article on one of my favourite athletes, John Maclean.

For regular readers, you'll probably know I love his book "Sucking the marrow out of life" and I love hearing about his latest challenge.

For those unfamiliar with John, let me recap:

- Hawaiian Ironman Finisher
- Swam the English Channel
- Represented Australia at World Rowing Championships
- Represented Australia at World Cycling Championships
- Completed Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
- Sydney Olympian

that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Johns achievements.

Oh, I forgot to mention that he is also in a wheelchair.

Yep, this bloke has accomplished more in his 42 years then most people acheive in 4 life times. No excuses for what he can't do, more looking to what he can do and inspiring others - especially kids in his position that anything is achieveable.

Johns next challenge is the Beijing games later this year in the mixed rowing discipline.

I can't wait to see him on the start line.

"Eighty percent of success is rocking up to the starting line".

So what are you rocking up for at the moment?

Got a few kilos to lose?

Got a new job that you've got your eyes on but are nervous about the first steps?

Got a burning desire somewhere deep down that just needs to be scratched?

Whatever it is, make sure you're at the start line.

The temptation:

I set myself the challenge since getting back from overseas to be my own success story.

So far so good.

I set myself the challenge of a maximum of 4 cheat meals a week - less than 10% of my normal eating plan and am meeting that easily.

No alcohol too. Not a problem.

Going well so far.

I am finding it a good test when I am out visiting family to resist the temptation of digging in to the snacks on the table.

Yesterday was a good challenge - some nice homemade sweets looking pretty tempting on the table.

Was I tempted?

No. I asked myself is this going to taste as good as the satisfaction I'll feel when I hit my goal?
No way.

Did I want to waste a cheat meal on that? Nah. It looked good but not that good.

How are you travelling with the temptations that you come across?

The Caffeine Hit

Having trouble sleeping at night but can't put your finger on the problem?

Read on for a possible solution.

Caffeine Imposters Can Cost You Sleep
By James B. LaValle, RPh, MS, ND, CCN

Everyone knows caffeine during the day can affect your sleep. But you may not know that there are caffeine-free foods that may have caffeine-like effects on the brain. These foods can even be toxic to your brain. But once you know what to look for, you can avoid them and protect your health.

These foods are sometimes referred to as excitotoxins because they cause over-stimulation, which can lead to nerve cell damage in the brain. And anything that causes increased brain cell activity could counteract your attempts at rest and relaxation. Be aware that excitotoxins come in all shapes and sizes. But here are three common sources:

1. Aspartame: This is the phylalanine-based artificial sweetener often used in soft drinks, diet gelatins, and sugar-free gums and mints.

2. Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG. MSG is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. It's found in more than 6,000 processed and preserved foods, often listed on the label as an ingredient that's "partially processed" or "partially hydrogenated."

3. Natural glutamates. Natural glutamates are found in abundance in both plant and animal protein - and if you're allergic to any of those foods, they can also act as excitotoxins. Any time your body has an immune response to a particular food, one of the side effects is increased stress hormone production and increased inflammation.

And chronically increased stress hormones can affect your sleep. So if you have trouble sleeping from time to time, the problem could be related to your diet. Keep a food diary to see if you can pinpoint the culprit (s).

If you need help with a food diary, let me know and we can look at some online training options that can help you sort out the dramas.

What's your excuse?

Fire UP!