TG: Hi Brandon, thanks for being interviewed. Could you start out by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

First, I would like to say thank you Tom, for the opportunity to share with your audience. I really appreciate that.
To answer your first question, I was very athletic growing up and was always interested in sports and physical activity. I was actively engaged in just about all sports and settled into basketball, track and field, and boxing competitively throughout my teenage years.

When I was 17, I suffered a back injury that would change things for me from that moment on. I had a hard time overcoming the injury with conventional methods of treatment (i.e. – physical therapy, etc.) so I decided I would take matters into my own hands. I read my first orthopedic and rehabilitation text at that time and was fortunate enough to rehabilitate myself and get back to my old “young” self again.

From there I decided to pursue a career in the health, fitness, and rehabilitation industry. I began working with clients professionally immediately out of high school and accumulated several certifications. Roughly a year later in 2000, a colleague turned me on to the CHEK Institute, Paul Chek, and the CHEK Certification Program. I took my prerequisite courses and completed my Level 1 training in 2001. From there, I immersed myself in the CHEK Certification programs and all that they entail and I moved from my home state of Louisiana to Rhode Island to be part of a very elite group of rehabilitation professionals. I worked there for 2 years heading up the clinical and corrective exercise for the facility prior to returning home to start a clinically based holistic health and corrective exercise practice that I run today.

TG: How important do you feel it is that individuals take responsibility for their own health?

This is one of the most critical aspects of attaining ideal health and wellness. As someone who has been in this field for a while now yourself, you are very familiar with the fact that many people believe that when it comes to their health and wellness, that “life is doing them.” They are a victim of poor genetics or some other “cause” of ill health. Taking responsibility for where one is in life, whether that be in terms of health and fitness or otherwise, is a necessary first step in “turning the ship around” so to speak.

I do feel that we, myself included, overuse the word responsibility. The word itself is very punitive and sort of has a stigma of blame attached to it – “Who is responsible for this mess?” I prefer to teach my clients that they are the co-creator/architect of their own health. There is no one or no “thing” to point the finger at for why you are where you are. I am personally a huge believer that 99% of the things that happen to us in our lives – we create. That is not always easy to accept, but for me, true nonetheless.

Health, fitness, rehabilitation, performance enhancement, etc., are not things that can be done “to” someone. An individual has to want to be healthy or fit more than the trainer, coach, or whoever, they are working with. If this is not the case, results will likely not manifest in a timely manner, if at all. So taking on the self-responsibility of creating more health and vitality in one’s life is an absolutely essential step to long-term success in my opinion.

TG: In what ways can people do this?

I feel one of the first ways this can be achieved is through attaining an awareness of the consequences of the choices we all make on a daily basis. For example, everything we choose to eat or not eat has a physical, mental, and hormonal consequence to it. Knowing what those consequences are, at least for some, may help to steer them in the right direction. I am of the opinion that the more you know about a given topic, the easier it becomes to make a better decision.

I also like the Ericsson Theory of Deliberate Practice. The main point of this theory put forth by K. Anders Ericsson, PhD, is that in order to achieve expert performance in any endeavor, one must engage in deliberate practice with the explicit goal of constant improvement.

There are four basic steps to Deliberate Practice and they are as follows:

(1) Practice

(2) Break the goal down into small, manageable components

(3) Enlist the help of a coach and be coachable

(4) Be prepared for setbacks.

In terms of applying the Ericcson Theory to taking responsibility for one’s health, one first has to make the conscious choice to improve his/her current state of health. Then they can choose to find a coach, someone like you or myself as an example, who will help them break that goal into small parts (what to eat, when to eat, lifestyle modifications, and on and on). Next, they have to practice implementing those small action items on a day-to-day basis and finally, they must be prepared for the occasional setback and be aware of how to respond if and when they occur.

TG: You are a CHEK Practitioner. What special skills has this given you?

That is a great question. The training that I have received as a higher level CHEK Practitioner has proven for me to be invaluable. I suppose the biggest take-away that I have received to date is the ability to accurately assess my clients on all levels – physical, mental, emotional, chemical, and even spiritual – to identify the root cause of their issues. Integrating this information into total wellness program design in order to give my clients whatever tools they need to foster health and well-being is what I consider to be my greatest ability as a CHEK Practitioner. The CHEK Program has been the catalyst that has helped me to help individuals who would be considered “challenge” cases. To anyone who has a passion for living a life of health and helping people overcome chronic pain and ill health, I recommend the CHEK Institute Programs without reservation.

TG: How important is the connection between body and mind?

Well, the two are inseparable. Without the mind, the body would not survive and vice versa. There is no body and no mind – there is only a body-mind. So from that standpoint, it is hard to overstate the importance of the connection. One thing that is very interesting is that if you look at the research that has been done on individuals with multiple personality disorders you find that one personality is near-sighted and another personality is far-sighted! One personality will be allergic to cats and another personality loves cats with no ill effects. It is the same body, but a different mind controlling that body.

By the same token, it takes a healthy body to support a healthy mind. I believe it was Socrates that would have his students practice with wrestlers because as he stated, and I may be paraphrasing here, “You have to be in shape to think!” Whatever it is that the mind conceives the body has to have the ability to support that idea for it to manifest. For example, my mind may hold the idea of running a marathon. But if I have spent the last 15 years living a completely sedentary lifestyle, I will probably run about 800 feet and then I will either pass out or vomit – or both!

I encourage creating a lifestyle that integrates mind and body to foster well-being. Many of the Eastern Philosophies do a great job of this. Meditation, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Yoga, and all of the cultivations sciences are excellent additions to a really sound exercise program – provided they are executed in their truest form of course.

TG: What does your consultation process involve?

Well I usually have potential clients fill out an extensive array of paperwork prior to their Initial Consultation in order to maximize time during the consultation process.

Typically, I review past and current lifestyle factors, past and present medical and injury history, review any medical tests/imaging studies the client may have, set an overarching goal, address any questions that the client may have about the healing process, investigate financial and temporal resources available for healing, and establish the short and long-term commitment options.
From there, my clients are scheduled for their physical evaluations and we move forward based on those results.

TG: What are your top 3 tips to achieve weight loss?

My first tip is always to develop a healthy relationship with food. Many people view food as an inconvenience and do not realize that that attitude towards food has physiological consequences which can set them up for fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues, and a host of other problems.

Far too many people try to rely on their exercise programs as the primary tool for weight loss, when the focus should be on their nutrition. You will never out-train bad nutrition. How many times per week can someone exercise? Now, how many times do they typically eat? So where is the priority – the answer is obvious.

My second tip is to eat whole, real food and avoid foodstuffs that are processed, enriched, and/or fortified. It takes life to give life – that is the bottom line. The further from Nature your food is, the more difficult it will be to lose weight. The longer the shelf life – the worse the food is for you. Two very basic rules of thumb that I give my clients is that (1) If it was not here 5,000 years ago it will detract from your health not contribute to it and (2) If it has more than a handful of ingredients, or words on the food label that you cannot pronounce – do not eat it. That’s pretty much it from a very basic level.

I suppose my third tip would have to be to listen to your body. Our bodies are constantly sending us signals and communicating with us. We have to be still enough and have an awareness to listen and interpret the signals accurately. Headaches, pain, digestive problems, fatigue, sleep issues, and on and on – all of these are the body’s attempt to let you know to change your current habits because they are not serving you. If you continue to ignore the body’s signals, it will be increasingly difficult to achieve any health or fitness related goal you may have – or any other goal for that matter.

TG: What part do you feel nutrition has to play in overall wellbeing?

Hippocrates stated very clearly, “Let your food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.” Nutrition is your acquired life-force, or energy. It is an extension of energy from the Divine, or that which you feel created you. It is necessary to provide the body with what it requires to be healthy.

If you stop eating right now, you may live only 2 weeks –depending on your body fat levels. As I mentioned earlier, everything we choose to eat has a physical, chemical, and hormonal consequence to it. Unfortunately, we have added over 10,000 man-made chemicals to our food supply in the last 100 years, and very few (I believe it is less than 3%) of them have ever been thoroughly tested in any quantity.

Here in the United States, we have a very interesting silent experiment running and if I were to title that experiment it would sound something like this: “The negative health effects of feeding a healthy population of people overly processed and fast foods over an extended period of time.” The results are pretty clear so far – they get sick – very sick. Over 90% of the money spent on food in the US is spent on fast and/or processed foods and we have more disease of every kind per capita than ever before in history. This is not a coincidence.

If the quality of your nutrition/food is poor – so will your health be.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you.

The future is very promising. I am currently in the process of re-branding my company and I am writing an e-book which is at the present moment untitled. I am currently integrating a fair amount of Functional Lab Assessment into my practice and am also studying Traditional Chinese Medicine Food Cures and slowly integrating these into my practice where applicable. As well, I am designing a several 4-6 week presentation series on various topics such as fatigue, chronic back/neck pain, and weight loss to name a few. I plan to begin these presentations within the next 6 months.

On the educational front, I plan to continue to work towards my Level IV CHEK Certification and position myself as an Instructor candidate for the CHEK Institute.

TG: Hi Michael, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

MJ: You’re welcome Tom & thank you for this wonderful opportunity.  I started my career working as a manual physiotherapist and from there went through a somewhat Parcival journey searching for the Holy Grail even though I wasn’t aware of it back then. Back then, I did what I was always taught to do, which was study hard, work hard, and be the best physio, and most of all,….get results.  It wasn’t long before I started realizing that although I was getting results with patients, there were always those where it seemed I couldn’t do anything for them.  This along with a deceptive healthcare system in the United States steered me towards alternative perspectives such as the strength and conditioning, personal training, and nutrition fields.  From there I ran into Paul Chek’s work and he helped open my eyes to the possibilities that I was only previously unconsciously dreaming of.  I always had an intuition that there was something else missing or at least a different way of looking at the same old conditions and Paul taught me to not only look further outside the box, but to be the box, and still be able to come back within the box and put things all together so that everything flows.  After completing CHEK IV in 2007, like Parcival, I began to ask the right questions and break out of the mold of my old conditioning and walked away from a successful private physiotherapy practice and started working primarily as a CHEK Practitioner.  If that wasn’t enough, I then went through shamanic training with Alberto Villoldo and the box I was grown to be intimately involved with totally disappeared; meaning, even my identity as a CHEK Practitioner was dissolving.  Presently I coined a term “health consulting” to describe the eclectic approach and expansive manner in which I work with clients.  My “Ten second elevator speech” when asked what it is I do for a living is:  “I help people find the Soul through the Body by finding the Courage to change the Mind.”

TG: What edge do you feel you being a Chek Practitioner IV gives you personally?

MJ: As one scales the ranks in the CHEK Practitioner program, you develop what I like to call “perverted seeing”; not like a dirty old man sense but more in the way that you look at things from as many different angles as possible without necessarily accepting what is considered “acceptable” until experience dictates otherwise.  And even still, you are open to the fact that everything is constantly changing so what may be true yesterday, may not hold true today, or even tomorrow.  In CHEK Levels I to III, the intern learns about the Body in relation to the Mind.  In CHEK IV, they are prepared to relate the Mind with the Soul and after CHEK IV, the Practitioner is no longer the same because who they thought they once were no longer weighs them down.  I like to jokingly call this “CHEK V & Beyond” because the ego demands/wants/desires are exposed and the window to the Soul is shattered opened so that It can no longer be ignored.  The CHEK IV training is a process that continues long after Paul Chek gives you a hug and your certificate.  The “edge” personally for me, is the courage to LOVE.  Keep in mind that not all who have completed CHEK IV training experience this initially unless they have also completed Paul’s PPS mastery program.  I actually took a different route where I was called to follow the shamanic path and through that training learned to “wine & dine & sixty-nine” my shadows so that I can be completely present with clients.

TG: What benefits does it give your clients?

MJ: Imagine how awesome it would feel if you can go to someone whenever you had an issue and you can fully express yourself in an environment that felt safe, non-judgmental, peaceful, and perhaps most importantly, no separation which allows for empathy and compassion to fuel the healing process.  Imagine regardless of what was said during your session, healing happens simply from the both of you “listening” to one another.  Sometimes we can develop physical/mental conditions because we’ve forgotten how to listen – to our body, our thoughts, and our actions, as well as to others.  Someone can teach you how to listen simply by being fully Present with you and although somewhat subtle, may be the most effective approach to facilitate the changes necessary for healing.  The clients that commonly feel called to see me are the ones that have some very deep seated issues that are way beyond the physical symptoms on the surface.  My days of superficial “quick-fix” treatments are long past and what I offer clients is an opportunity to go deeper within; and in this manner self-empowerment happens.  There are a ton of professionals who are willing to work on the surface and provide “quick-fix” care…I’ve been there, done that, and have grown to where I am now understanding that some may not be ready to go deep, and yet many are…

TG: How important is the link between body and mind?

MJ: Great question!  The reality is that there is no separation or link between body and mind and it is probably more accurate to say body-mind instead.  We as society have been conditioned to what is called the Cartesian separation from the philosophy of Rene Descartes and Newtonian mechanics of reductionism where any thing can be broken down and studied from its fragments and a theoretical understanding of the whole is formulated.  The problem with this, which is being proven in the quantum sciences, is that the separation of “things” is an illusion.  It is actually not just body-mind, but body-mind-soul, three aspects of the whole Human Being, three sides of the same coin.  To refer one aspect without the other is fragmented and limits one’s Life experience.  I saw this a lot working as a physio where patients would come to me for chronic pain or such and no matter how much I addressed the physical aspects, there were always mental/emotional and Soul issues interfering with their healing.  We are now entering an epoch of Human evolution where we are beginning to learn, or rather remember, the Soul aspect of the three-foldedness of the Human Being.  The difficulty in this task was that how do we objectify one that is not an object?  And this is a question that can truly only be answered through experience and not solely by abstract thinking.

TG: How can we go about developing this link?

MJ: On the surface for your average, everyday person, there is perceived a link between the body and mind and it may be difficult for them to see the connections at first nonetheless acknowledge the two as one in the same.  Someone may be in love and have their heart broken and experience a heavy feeling around the chest is a classic example of the body and mind link.  To transcend the delusion of separation of the body and mind we can learn from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras where the fourth step, or limb, of yoga is called pranayama.  This is referred to as controlled breathing and the breath is the bridge that connects the body and the mind.  Awareness of the breath during one’s thoughts and actions is an initial step to “linking” the body and mind as one and this is commonly how beginning meditators are taught how to quiet the constant activity of the Mind.

Practices such as yoga or qigong or any meditative practice may also enhance or “enlighten” one to body-mind awareness.  I teach a simple technique where whenever one feels something off in their body to immediately at that moment ask themselves what was on their mind or what was going on in their life around the time they noticed their discomfort and without judgment or speculation to simply place it aside and see if a clearer picture, or message, is revealed to them.

TG: What part do you feel food has to play in the mix?

MJ: Food is like the great equalizer to bring together all aspects of the Human Being.  It nourishes the Body, calms the Mind, and soothes the Soul.  But when there is a disconnect between these aspects, food is more like fuel for the machine of the Body.  The Body becomes a slave to the Mind and the Mind a slave to the senses and the Soul becomes lost to the imagination.  As a result, food is used as a source for comfort, pleasure, and happiness and because many look outside of themselves for these feelings rather than within, it is no surprise there are so many overweight people.  Again, what is missing is a connection to the Soul aspect.  The over consumption of food distracts the Mind’s connection to the Soul and this is why in every world religion there is some form of fasting as part of a purification state for one to become closer to “God”.  Fasting brings one closer to their Soul/Spiritual natures because the Mind is less distracted.  The thing about food is to find the right quality and quantity for each given moment you eat that assists the overall rhythmic flow of your day.  Right eating is mindful eating, or conscious eating, where you are aware of your relationship to the food, you, and the greater scheme of Life.

TG: Why do you feel it is that the average person gives very little consideration to the quality of food that they eat?

MJ: Again, there is a conditioned belief that the Body is simply a machine and food (ie. any food) is the fuel and that food is food and as long as one has food in their belly it doesn’t matter what the quality is (and if it’s cheap, quick, and convenient, even better).  It is this conditioning that desensitizes us and our relationship to food, the food sources, and the planet that grows the food sources.  The paradox here is that the more processed and refined food one eats the more of a “robot”, or machine one becomes.  In other words, the less Human.  How do you think our ancestors were able to distinguish what plants, bugs, or animals were safe to eat or what plants had medicinal attributes and for what ailments?  Even in our modern times in the Amazon Rain Forest there are shaman who can “listen” to plants and know which is for what situation.  If you simply tried to eat more wholesome, fresh, organic or locally grown food and eliminate or minimize any processed food for a couple of weeks and then went back to eating junk food, you would be able to distinguish a significant difference.  Of course this would entail finding some courage to change the Mind by challenging some of its old beliefs but commonly it is when someone gets sick or hits “rockbottom” that they are open to even try something new.

TG: What are the most common barriers that your clients have to success and how do you overcome these?

MJ: Without hesitation it is the person’s mind/ego that has created protective mechanisms that are so cleverly engineered that one may not ever be aware of them until total chaos forces then to be known.  Each person is their own worse enemy because they have a shadow they are either not aware of or are aware of it but trying to resist, or fight, it.  The shadow is that dark part of us that we don’t want anyone to know about because we’re ashamed of it.  The ego can be so clever in hiding these shadows that we project our issues outwardly and recruit others to play along with our drama.  How often do you see someone that bothers you or pisses you off?  It just may be that they are simply acting out parts of you that you have not been willing to fully address.  If not, then it wouldn’t bother you, would it?  You see, in this respect we’re all liars.  And the more lies we refuse to address, the further away we push our Soul/Spiritual natures from us.

I help clients from where they are and commonly they are “stuck” in the Mind level so what I do is go in their mind and do what the mind does best which is wrap itself around things with its thoughts and have their thoughts wrap around themselves and then unravel them with several different perspectives and angles of the same issue so that eventually the Mind can start seeing through its own workings and self-willingly be able to “step outside” of itself.  It is then the client can get out of their Mind and start communicating with the Soul through the Imagination.  Now the Mind, rather than just communicating with the Body and the senses, can relate to the Soul as well and all three aspects learn to work together.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?

MJ: If I knew the future I would be considered a psychic which I am not.  But I can tell you my dream.  On the microcosmic level, the dream is to teach others to reconnect and relate with their Soul/Spiritual natures in this lifetime rather than wait for the period after death.  And to do this in a manner that is practical, real, and universal.  On the macrocosmic level, the dream is to move to Peru and open up a retreat center where anyone in the world can visit and learn their way back to Health.

TG: Thanks for your time Michael, and we wish you all the best for the future!

Website: www.jocsonhealth.com

Blog:  www.jocsonhealth.blogspot.com

Youtube:  www.youtube.com/mjocs

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Jocson

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TG: Hi Robert, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

RB: I started personal training initially out of one of the Fitness First health clubs in Queens Park.  I worked there as a freelance personal trainer for 2 years and really enjoyed my time there.  This gym was a hard gym to find clients in as most of the clients couldn’t really afford personal training but I managed to still get a 30 hour week of personal training on a regular basis here.  At the same time as working there I hired a personal training studio by the hour just off Baker Street where I trained one or two clients, this studio is actually where Power plate began and they shared an office with this studio.  This studio was tiny and had very little equipment it was at this point I decided I wanted my own studio at some point.

TG: Can you tell us a little about your studio?

RB: I opened Personal training studios W10 in 2006 as I wanted a place to train my clients from Notting Hill and Queens Park.  Personal training studios W10 is hired out to personal trainers by the hour and I am a personal trainer here to.  Personal training studios W10 is open 24 hours a day and we regularly train clients at 11:00pm and later.  Personal training studios W10 is a popular personal training location for businessmen and women who want to train in peace after a hard day.

TG: What do you think is the biggest myth in health and fitness?

RB: Just picking one is hard, but I would say my number one would be how often you need to workout, most guys think that if they workout 6 times a week they will get the best results, this is not the case, I tend to workout for 40 minutes at a time 3 times a week which for bodybuilding I find keeps me at the optimum level of muscle growth.

TG: What are your top 3 weight loss tips?

RB:

TG: What are the most common barriers that your clients have to sucsess and how do you overcome these?

RB: Time is always the main factor, this is what most people say holds them back, everyone has time to workout each week its just that it’s not a main priority so they never come around to doing it.

TG: What should someone look for when choosing a personal trainer?

RB: When looking for a personal trainer go on reputation, personal training testimonials are very important check out their testimonials on their websites.  Don’t get caught up on qualifications I know of many bad personal trainers who have loads of qualifications, experience I always think is more important but qualifications are essential to.  There are a huge number of bad personal trainers in London just doing the job as they think they can do a few hours work and make a good living from it, they often have no qualifications or experience so be warned.

TG: What are the three most important traits a personal trainer must have?

RB:

TG: Can you tell us a little about what you have on offer at your studio?

RB: At Personal training studios W10 we offer one on one personal training in a private luxury environment catering for most fitness and weight loss goals.  What ever time of day you want training we can train you.  The gym has parking right outside the door at 50p an hour so is easily accessible and the studio is available for exclusive hire so you can train in peace.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?

RB: We are currently looking to launch another Personal training studio in Mayfair in the next few months and we are launching an online supplement store soon to go live on our site.  If you are a personal trainer looking for a studio to work from then please come down and check us out, its an affordable studio to workout of and most of our trainers have been working here for years.

TG: Thanks for your time Robert, and we wish you all the best for the future!

TG: Hi Monica, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

MH: Hi Tom thank you for reaching out to me.  My introduction to the Wellbeing industry began in College. I went to Florida State University in 1988, took a gym class & a Nutrition course and loved the idea of FITNESS & HEALTH. I declared my major; it would be a B.S. in Nutrition & Fitness.  After that semester I began a weight training & cardiovascular program on my own.  I would run or rollerblade outdoors, get on thestairmaster or bike in the gym.  I fell in love with weight training- I could pay all my attention to myself and my strength. I attained my Aerobic Certification, AFAA and soon after that began teaching Hi/Low aerobics, Sculpting and Step classes. Upon Graduation in 1993 I entered the world of Corporate Fitness, working at  big Corporations providing fitness programs, classes and health fairs. In 1999 I was ready to leave the paperwork behind and become a freelance Group Fitness Instructor in NYC, following my passion to teach Fitness. I certified in ACE and NASM personal training.  Over the years I educated myself attending conferences, workshops and trainings in all aspects of Fitness and Nutrition. By 2007 I had completed my STOTT Pilates Training and Wellcoaches Certification.  I wanted a place where I could share my love & passion for Wellbeing, more than “just a diet & exercise plan”.  I opened my Studio MJ Pilates & Wellness in November 2007.

TG: Can you tell us a little about your competition history?

MH: Competitions… I love everything about competing.  My first competition was a Regional Event in California in 2001 for the National Aerobic Championship (ANAC- now Aerobic Gymnastics).  I qualified for my first Nationals that year and again in 2002.  By 2003 I switched coaches, I worked with Roberson Magalhaes.  He is Internationally known as a World Champion Athlete and Choreographer. His ability to create dynamic routines, see me for my strengths and believe in me layed the ground works for me to pay attention to what I needed to do to win.  I am so thankful for all he has done for me. During my 2004 season I had a wonderful opportunity to train on weekends in Washington DC with Roberson & 5 World Aerobic Champions. It brought me to a new level mentally & physically.  In 2005 I trained by myself using all the tools Roberson had cultivated in me over the previous years.  I went on to win the National Aerobic Championship womens class II that year. 2006 I wanted to continue competing more frequently, so I decided I would give Fitness a try.  I loved it!  I loved the discipline of training, focus of planning.  I entered 5 Fitness & Bikini Competitions that year finishing in the top 5 in 4 of them.  2009 I competed in 5 Figure & Bikini competitions, wanting to compete not ready to commit time to a routine as I was focussing on building my business. November of 2009 I called Roberson to create music, and get ready to prepare a Fitness routine- my passion was calling- time to get back on the Fitness Stage.  In March of 2010 I competed in the Arnold Sports & Fitness festival Amateur Fitness finishing 5th.

​​​TG: What are the specific benefits that Pilates has over other group fitness classes?

MH:​What I love about Pilates is that it keeps us in the moment to the fact that everything in the body- muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons etc…is connected and works together. Like an intricate web.  The idea is to balance the web, not to pull to tight in one aspect of the body. I love that Pilates uses so many types of positions-seated, lying prone/supine, kneeling, side lying, rolling and so many types of movements- extension, flexion, lateral flexion, rotation.  The body is meant to move and Pilates encourage that movement!

I love the ability to create movement, strength and correct postural curves in the spine. I work with my clients to improve movement patterns and imbalances in the spine, shoulders & hips.  Pilates pays attention to breathing through in a balloon shape through the back, sides and front of ribs.  This is so valuable for everyone to improve, most people daily have no connection or attention to their breath.

TG: What benefits will the untrained individual experience when starting Pilates?

MH:​​When starting the biggest benefit is the feeling of alive, free and stress free.  You will begin to feel the oblique muscles around the ribs expand, stretch feeling toned. The spine lengthen & stretch decreasing pressure on the lower back (lumbar spine) and neck (cervical spine) The pelvic bones form a bowl shape. Now imagine that bowl filled with water and saran wrap over it.  If you turn the bowl over nothing spills out, the saran wrap is snug.  Create that visual in your pelvis. Your sure to feel stronger, more engaged in your abdominal muscles

TG: What does a day in your life look like?

MH:​​My morning begins about 5:30am- by 6:30am I am training a client or getting a workout in.  (Depends on what type of workout I want to do).

I have classes & clients through the morning. 1:00 I schedule paperwork, emails, general computer work.  3:30 I get another workout in…( I schedule my day like this because I like it, and it works for me)

4:30-9:00 classes and clients.

TG: Many people come to Pilates to overcome back pain, specifically low back pain, how effective is Pilates at addressing this problem?

MH: It’s important to understand what is going on in the lower back (lumbar spine)- with 5 vertebra- are they short, long, where is the curve and what other skeletal/muscular things can you identify.  So Lowerback pain comes in all shapes & sizes, there is no one size fits all solution. Pilates can help educate you on what is happening in your Lumbar spine and choose appropriate exercises, movement and body placement  to move you through a process to re-educate the spine.  With so many muscle attachments on the lumbar spine it’s important to feel your way rather than rush through movements.  You also have to address the spine as a whole not just the lower back/lumbar region- it’s a domino effect.  Pilates is great for looking at the Lower back, it should be done in a small group (no more than 6) or Private instruction.

TG: How important is correct nutrition?

MH: Food is Medicine- Nutrition is everything. Understand that just because it says “organic” doesn’t mean it’s the best choice.  I find some fruit in NYC “organic” from New Zealand.  That’s a long way- how does it really stay fresh? It’s about quality of food, how you feel after eating it and positive, uplifting thoughts and emotions. Look for local Farmers Markets. If you can’t pronounce the name you probably don’t want to eat it.  We are hunters & Gatherers

TG: You have a great studio, can you tell us a little more about what you offer there?

MH:​​Thank you.  I offer small group Pilates classes (maximum of 6 people) on the mat with Props, and Arc Barrel. Clients that take 2 classes per week receive 1 free weekend class.  I do this to give back for their support and commitment to my studio and themselves.  Private Pilates, Personal Training, FlirtyFloorwork- a dance class inspired by Pole dancing.  It includes sexy movements of the spine, hips and body.  Wellness Coaching offers people an opportunity to create new habits in health, stress reduction, nutrition, weight, exercise through weekly sessions and accountability. Nutrition Programming provides a thought out effective Nutrition Program for each individual client. Metagenics NutraceuticalSupplements.    Create the Body You Want is an all inclusive  program offering 2 pilates classes per week, nutrition program, weekly coaching session, exercise program, daily motivational quotes.   I want to share my passion for Fitness & Life with my clients. I want to give them the tools to be healthy and follow their passions.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?​​​

MH:​​I see myself writing in magazines, articles about Wellbeing. I want to reach out to families and children on the value of quality food and movement- it needs to be fun, joyful with laughter & passion.  I’m going to explore some Fitness Modeling.  Of course more Competitions & more education.  I’m fascinated by Tom Myers Anatomy Trains Program.

TG: Thanks for your time Monica, and we wish you all the best for the future!

Thank you, it’s been my pleasure!

Love & Kindness,

To fond out more about Monica, or her Pilates Studio please have a look at her sites!

TG: Hi Wendy, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

WC: Thanks for inviting me, it is a pleasure to be able to discuss our ever evolving business I am  a late arrival to the actual wellness industry. I have always had an interest in the human body and all of the spectacular things that it can achieve, on many levels. When I was in high school I was very active in sports (1500 m in track and gymnastics) but my first love was  the human mind, and how it communicates with the body. I followed the psychology trail in my advanced education. Although I never completed my formal education, movement and the mind had always facinated me. Perhaps that explains how I wound up at Function First. Realizing the huge impact that motor control has over our every day functions, and how that influences wellness, and of course, pain.

TG: You have worked helping clients overcome injuries, what do you find are the most common problems that people come to you with?

WC: I have in my brief career had the opportunity to work with a variety of challenges. Being that I did study and sit for the ACE Clinical Exercise Test and certification, it opened a whole world of different diseases and dysfunctions within my scope of practice. It has been a real journey of discovery. I have had the ability to help individuals with back pain, knee problems, as well as many shoulder issues. The largest volume of challenged clients seemed to have back issues. As we well know, statistically  a staggering 85% of people will experience low back pain at some point or another.

TG: Low back pain is a commonly occurring problem, what steps to you take to help people overcome back pain?

WC: When it comes to low back pain issues, or ant issues for that matter, I am in full agreement with what we would refer to as Hypothesis Testing. This is where an individual would come in for an appointment and we would discuss various postures that seem to either help, or hinder their situation. We would discuss their activities of daily living, and I would observe the client in a variety of different situations. ( an example would be their seated posture, or maybe even walking.) Am impression is formed form this interview. A health history from is also part of the pool of information that goes toward the consideration of the program to follow. This can also lead to a recommendation to see a more qualified professional. Next, based upon this information. other assessments are used to produce a program specifically for this individual and their very specific needs.

TG: What do you feel are the most common causes of Low Back pain?

WC: The statistics indicate that 85% of back problems are of an “unknown etiology” (McGill) I am of the impression that back pain is more of a “cascade effect”, there is no one thing that  creates tissue breakdown, unless it is a traumatic injury such as in a fall, or something of that nature. Some of the contributing factors that contribute to this “cascade” would be anything ranging from repetitive stresses, to cigarette smoke, to improper diet/hydration, to additional undue stress of any nature, to those extra few pounds around the middle, to overexercising, exercising one side of the body more than the other creating asymmetry, to motor control problem to a completely sedentary lifestyle. These are only a few elements that can contribute to painful conditions of the back. Some of these things are under our conscious control and others are not- none the less the tissue eventually yields and compression is created. I think there is a much bigger picture than a single episode that create pain in the body, it is the result of a much bigger picture.

TG: You have worked with clients with a range of disabilities, how important do you feel it is that we as fitness professionals provide services for special populations?

WC:When I became certified I had sort of an ah-ha moment when I stopped to read the actual certificate. It stated that I was certified to work with “apparently healthy” individuals. Upon completion of the health history form(s) that I have my clients fill out, I promptly discovered I was not really qualified to work with very many people.

We seem to live in a world of relatively unhealthy people. Hypertension, diabetes, back pain, cancers, the list is really endless. Very sad. I felt a huge need   to increase my knowledge, and scope of practice,to serve my clients better. What I don’t know in many aspects could very much hurt someone. My goal is to help people, not hurt them. I don’t think you can know too much when it comes to the human body and function. As a service industry, we need to stay on top of the educational ball, especially with so many challenged clients and potential clients out there.

TG: What would you say are the three most important exercises people should do to improve their ability to live in the modern world?

WC: Everyone is different and has different needs when it comes to programming.  I follow the “for who” and “for what” train of thought when it comes to exercise- inspired by my mentor, Anthony Carey. I rarely ever suggest  an exercise without any form of assessment. However, there are some “basics” that we could improve upon to improve our quality of life. Simple things, like learning proper breathing techniques, that can impact our lives in big ways.

My last suggestion continues with this  more holistic approach. We cannot separate ourselves from our diet. Even though we “workout,” we need to be more aware of the foods we eat, and the quality of the food we use to fuel our bodies, minds and spirits. We need to take the time to pay attention to our needs versus the many “tasty” temptations that are out there. We need to think about the results of the coffee’s , the deserts, the processed foods, the stop for “happy hour” drinks. These ALL impact our quality of being. They too are accumulative. I have worked with diabetics that have lost limbs, and still would not step away from their diet issues. We all have choices,but we have to remember there is always cause, and effect. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts/healthy fats and other whole foods are part of the key to good health, longevity, healing and long life. Genetics also have a huge part of this, of course. But, naturally, it is up to each and every one of us come to a place where we can own our own path to health.

TG: How do you suggest people who are mainly desk based in their working environment train to counter act the impact this has on their overall posture?

WC: I see that a majority of our modern world is desk based. The ideas presented above would be a great base for feeling better. Naturally, a personalized workout/fun program with a qualified personal trainer is the missing key from the above mentioned. I would advise anyone that has isn’t moving and loving it- to find a qualified professional to get them on the road to living a fuller, healthier, more invigorating life. It is important to realize that life is more than just work and home and sitting. We have to get up and participate in our lives,and in our health. We can’t sit on the side lines and wonder why we don’t feel good. We need to seek those who are qualified that want to help bring us to the life we visualize.

TG: What do you feel are the most important traits of a good personal trainer?

WC: To me, one the most important traits of a personal trainer are the ability to focus- really focus. We need to be able to set ourselves aside when we enter into a session. Only the now, and that client exist. We need to focus on that person, and that person alone. We need to use all of our senses to help the person learn things correctly for the right adaptation. We need to focus on hearing what the client has to say and how they “feel” things. To often we walk into a session with a preconceived  notion about we WE expect from the session. We need to hear and see our clients and realize their needs and abilities in order to serve them better, and reach their goals.  We need to turn off our cel phones, cut the chatter and stay in the moment!

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you?

WC: I feel extremely blessed to be here in San Diego, at Function First with Anthony Carey. I  plan to be here for the next couple of years learning more about human function and corrective exercise. An amazing opportunity. As I mentioned earlier Anthony has been a huge influence in my career to date. I was fortunate enough to have attended his workshops and seminars early in my career.

TG: Thanks for your time Wendy, and we wish you all the best for the future!

TG: Hi Ben, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

BP: Thanks Tom, I appreciate the opportunity to discuss things over. I have been in the health, fitness and wellbeing industry since 1995. I started out all those years ago working as a leisure attendant in an exclusive private health club near Tower Bridge, London. I have had many roles since then including gym instructor, personal trainer, duty manager, gym manager and fitness and nutrition lecturer. I am currently working as Premier Training International’s Research and Development Manager and as such author leading fitness and nutrition courses that get taught in many venues around the country. I founded my own business as well over a year ago called Natural Food Finder.

TG: How important a role do you think nutrition has to play in overall levels of wellbeing?

BP: I believe that nutrition is one of the greatest providers of optimal health. Out of necessity we eat regularly every day to nourish our bodies and fuel ourselves for the activities of life. Unfortunately in today’s world of fast paced living the food we eat often has little if any thought put into it. The convenience foods and take away meals that are becoming ever more a dominant part of our diet are literally diminishing our health with every bite. Many people struggle with ill health and search endlessly for an answer from doctors, specialists and pharmaceuticals, but continue to eat food that damages them slowly from the inside without considering the impact. Food can truly be medicine for those who need to rebuild their health. It is extremely important.

TG: What are the first 5 steps a person should make to improve their diet?

BP: There are so many things that could be offered as an answer to this question. The most appropriate answer is that the top 5 things will depend very much upon the person whose diet needs to be improved because as Lucretious said ‘One man’s food is another man’s poison.’ There are some general steps that would be important for all people.

1. First and foremost a clear and solid decision needs to be made that now is the time for change. All too often people’s lives are scattered with occasional efforts to try and eat healthily with little effect because they do not get to the root of the problem. It’s not always so much about how much you need to change, but how much you want to change.
2. Quality! There is no substitute for quality food. Learn what really good food is and what is not. I will give you a clue it is a great deal more than just eating fruit and vegetables. Investigate, educate yourself, read labels and ensure you buy the best food your circumstances will allow
3. Avoid foods that contain damaging ingredients such as hydrogenated fats, trans fatty acids, artificial sweeteners, flavour enhancers and are sprayed with agricultural pesticides and herbicides.
4. Get over your fat phobia. Modern advice and guidelines has created a huge amount of unfounded fear regarding dietary fat and cardiovascular disease. Fat from high quality sources is a vital nutrient for optimal health and should be actively included and used with wisdom in cooking and food preparation.
5. Take time for your meals and food preparation. Adjust your priorities so that food fills a more significant part of your life. Food preparation is an essential part of life and can become very enjoyable and fulfilling. It also makes you become significantly more aware of what goes into your mouth and how it can affect you.

TG: You have been a member of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) for a while can you tell us a little bit about this organisation?

BP: Yes I have been a member of the WAPF since 2006. The WAPF is a charity that has been set up to share the unique and valuable work of the great dentist and researcher Dr Weston Price. He is one of the few inspirational people who decided to research the lives and diets of healthy, untouched cultures to see what it was that made them so healthy. This is a fundamentally different view to how we study health today. The medical world predominantly studies illness to learn how to treat it and by so doing makes educated suggestions about how to be healthy. The WAPF seek to teach how natural, traditional foods can return us to optimal health and vitality. They always seek out research and modern science that supports the wisdom known for generations in populations throughout the world. If you wish to learn any more about them go to www.westonaprice.org

TG: I recently came across your site www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk , what an awesome site!  What was the idea behind this site?

BP: Thank you for your complimentary comments about the site. Over the 5 years I worked as a fitness and nutrition lecturer many students would enquire about where to buy the foods that we were teaching them about in their home towns. This led to the idea of creating a website that campaigns for suppliers of the highest quality foods and helps the consumer know what these foods are, why we should be eating them and how to find and purchase the best that nature has to offer. It has been so rewarding to see the response of many of our website users to Natural Food Finder. We know that it is just the beginning and that there are many excellent farmers and food producers who we can still assist in bringing them into contact with consumers who need their high quality food.

TG: What do you find is the biggest barrier people come across when it comes to dietary change, and how do you overcome it?

BP: That is quite a difficult question to answer because, to be honest, it varies considerably from one person to the next. There are many common barriers such as financial restrictions, family likes or dislikes and understanding which foods to buy and which to avoid. But perhaps one of the most difficult barriers to overcome is your own dietary history! It is tough to overcome the habits that people have developed over years – when they eat, how often they eat, quick fix snacks, favourite take away meals and foods they buy when they go shopping. If these habits are less than helpful in the search for health and wellbeing it is essential that some habitual retraining is needed. This goes deeper than just setting a few goals and being accountable, but moves towards needing to influence the dominant regular thoughts and the emotions that they generate. When these fall more in line with the direction of change required then maintaining change will be much easier.

TG: What are your top 3 tips to achieve weight loss?

BP: My top three tips…that is valuable information you know!

1. Weight loss is not all about calories in and calories out. That is one of the longest running myths regarding weight loss. I am not saying that energy intake and output has no part in weight loss, but that there are other factors that have significant effect.
2. We can’t store body fat without carbohydrates in our diet. This is because carbohydrates stimulate the release of insulin in our blood, which is the most potent fat storing hormone in the body. If insulin levels are elevated we are effectively in a fat storing state. Therefore to lose weight, we must lower blood insulin, which will require and reduction in carbohydrate rich foods.
3. There is no substitute for good quality food! Eat as natural and nutrient dense as you can and your body will detoxify, feel more satisfied and healthier.

TG: What state do you feel the UK food industry is currently in?

BP: Well that really depends on your perspective. In comparison to some Western countries our food industry is doing fairly well. We have a great history of high quality farming and still produce some of the best food in Europe. As part of the EU we are subject to high organic standards, including the prevention of GM farming. Britain prevents pig farming in prison-like sow stalls, a practise that still happens in Europe. We have more recently pushed for higher chicken welfare and free range chicken is in huge demand. Since the BSE crisis in 2000 more cattle roam free on pasture leading to higher quality beef and dairy. However, we are losing out with fruit and vegetable production as imports are undercutting the demand for UK grown produce. We also spend vast amounts on junk food and take away food, nearly as much as the rest of Europe combined. The supermarkets have huge control over the food chain with over 80% of the consumer market buying their food from these large corporations. If we continue to purchase our food in these large supermarkets it is only a matter of time before they have control of the whole food chain. Then we would be in a terrible position where they can buy and sell to us on any terms they see fit. We must continue to support local, quality farmers and farm shops. Spending money in your local community is rewarding and helps you keep control if where your food comes from and how it is produced.

TG: What key changes do you wish the government would make to improve the food we eat?

BP: I grow tired of the attempts to punish people who eat poor quality food, by focusing on labelling these foods as high in fat, sugar or salt and by so doing branding people who eat these foods as unhealthy and burdensome on society. There has been talk on and off of taxing these foods, which will of course put the price up. Research has shown that the poorest areas of society tend to eat the highest amount of lower quality foods because they tend to be the cheapest. So taxing these foods will create considerable strain on the poorer classes of society and do nothing to make healthy foods more available. I wish the government would offer subsidies to farmers who uphold high standards. Also offer solutions to making high quality, nutrient dense foods more affordable so that a larger proportion of society could benefit their health.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you and your business?

BP: Well top of the list at present is the imminent release of my book, Nutrition’s Playground. I recently finished writing it and am in the middle of publishing. This is a unique read that reveals how and why we need to make a shift in our eating habits towards truly nourishing foods, opens up the science of weight loss and empowers the reader into guiding their own efforts to achieve optimal health. Look out for its release towards the early autumn.

On September 24^th we are holding a one day nutrition conference with some outstanding presenters. It will be a fantastic event that I am already looking forward to. Full information can be found on my website www.naturalfoodfinder.co.uk

It’s been great sharing with you today, Tom. Thanks.

TG: Thanks for your time Ben, and we wish you all the best for the future!

TG: Hi Patrick, thanks for taking the time to talk to us.  Could you briefly tell us a bit about your background in the health and fitness industry?

PD: I’ve been involved in sports, health and fitness since I went for my first training run in preparation for my junior school sports day (circa 1976) and haven’t really stopped since! I studied P.E at Bath and on completion of was soon working as a gym instructor, personal trainer and aerobics teacher. I had a brief break from H & F when I joined the Royal Marines for 5 years but came back to the industry initially in facility management and then lecturing. Sports-wise, I’ve competed at a reasonable level at a wide variety of activities including athletics, triathlon, rugby, fencing, martial arts, trampolining, weight lifting, bodybuilding and indoor rowing.

TG: Tell us a bit about Solar Fitness came about.

PD: My business partner Jim Conaghan and I were working for a large UK fitness qualifications company based in Cyprus who made us redundant. We believed that there was still potential for a sunny location for people to take gain their certification and so Solar Fitness Qualifications was born. We’ve been running courses under our own name for 3 years now and things are looking good. We’re affiliated with Active IQ and REPS and provide UK accredited qualifications in gym instruction, personal training and now sports massage.

TG: What does an average day look like for you?

PD: Up early for breakfast – eggs & fruit normally, before heading into the classroom or gym to deliver the days lessons. The subjects covered differ daily from nutrition to first aid to programme design. Once the day is done it’s time to train – I average 5 workouts a week – and then it’s home to prepare for the next day’s lectures, catch up with any marking that needs doing, answer some emails and work on any articles that I have on the go. In addition to my work for SFQ, I also do freelance writing for Ultra-fit magazine and manage their website www.ultra-fitmagazine.co.uk I also have PT clients although only a few nowadays as I’m busy with other projects.

TG: What is the most important attribute for a personal trainer to hold?

PD: A constant thirst for knowledge! Gaining a qualification in PT is only a small part of the equation. A fitness qualification is vital but the industry moves so fast and clients are getting more industry-savvy that any PT who sits on his/her laurels and doesn’t keep up to speed with the industry will soon find themselves out of touch and out of a job! I’m not saying that PTs should jump on any trend that comes along but develop the ability to absorb the good stuff and ignore the nonsense and keep adding to their pool of information and skills.

TG: What do you feel has been the most important development in the personal training industry over the past few years?

PD: The internet! Suddenly there is a wealth of fitness related information available instantly. Need a new idea for a programme? Want to check out some information about a medical condition? It’s all on the net. This of course is a double edged sword though because as well as having a wealth of excellent information, the net is also home to a load of rubbish too so it’s vital that any PT has the anatomy and physiology knowledge and experience to weed through the incorrect information and find the good stuff. Just because it’s on the Net doesn’t mean it’s true although that doesn’t hold true for my own work obviously.

TG: What do you feel about the current standard of training given to fitness professionals?

PD: I think there seems to be a lowering of standards compared to 10 years ago. Qualifications are becoming easier to pass as elements are taken out of level 3 courses to make up a level 4. For example, much of the special population info is being taken from level 3 courses and put into the new level 4. Asthma and orthopaedic conditions are no longer in level 3 courses which is a shame as these 2 diseases are more prevalent in the population than ever before. Course durations are being reduced and theory and practical elements are being removed from the common syllabuses. Foundation exercises such as squats, dead lifts and bent over rows are no longer compulsory. The awarding bodies seem to be lowering the bar instead of raising it. In short, many courses no longer prepare potential PTs for the fitness industry as well as they used to. At SFQ, our courses are 2 weeks longer than many other providers because we are adding material rather than taking it away. Obviously the awarding bodies need to make money too but, in my opinion; it’s at the expense of the student. The industry as a whole is in a state of transition from body building training to functional training and back again. The truth is that the middle ground is probably where the industry will end up.

TG: What do you think is lacking in terms of qualifications for personal trainers?

PD: I’d like to see far more emphasis on programme design and practical application of exercise as well as minimal levels of physical performance introduced. It’s all well and good being able to talk about exercise but we have to be able to demonstrate it too. What good is a PT who can’t demonstrate 100% perfectly squats, dead lifts, cleans, snatches etc? And as for programme design – I find it very upsetting that a great number of PTs can’t write good, interesting programmes at a moment’s notice. Programme design is a key skill all PTs require but there is relatively little time spent on this key element. A lot of the content of the average PT qualification course has questionable relevance to what a PT does on a daily basis.

TG: What is the biggest mistake you see personal trainers making with their clients?

PD: In my opinion, too many trainers rely on split routines and LSD cardio for weight management. Split routines are great for bodybuilders but the majority of our clients are seeking fat loss or weight management and hypertrophy orientated split routines are not what they need. Full body workouts consisting of compound exercises are the way ahead for most of our clients. PHA, CWT, upper/lower body super sets, complexes and so on are far more energy expensive than tricep kick backs in a chest and triceps split routine!

TG: What would be your top 3 tips for weight loss?

PD: 1) Whole body workouts alternated with high-intensity interval training is the best way to get lean and stay lean. Forget aerobics classes, fad diets, long bouts of cardio and split routines. Anything you can do for hours on end isn’t exercise – get the EPOC going on and remember a workout involves working!

2) Don’t ditch carbs completely but be carb conscious and consume them around periods of activity…pre and post exercise carbs are essential but during periods of low energy expenditure e.g. sitting at your desk or prior to sleep, carbs become less useful and protein/healthy fats are better for keeping blood glucose under control and promoting a fat burning environment. Eliminate high GI carbs/calorie dense foods like white bread, white rice, white pasta, refined cereals etc and replace them with fresh fruit and veg and you’ll feel full up longer and stabilise blood glucose levels.

3) Move more – eat less! Too many people are looking for the miracle weight loss plan or exercise routine and unfortunately there is no easy answer to the question of weight loss. It took many months, even years to accumulate excess body fat so why do people think that a 1 week detox programme or a 4 week diet will be the answer to their problem? Weight management is a lifelong pursuit and no quick fix will give the results our clients seek.

TG: What would be your top 3 tips for overall health and wellbeing?

PD: 1) water – drink at least 2 litres a day…every day. Your body is about 70% water and H20 is the cornerstone that our bodies are built on.

2) Fibre – the average fibre consumption is about 12 grams per person which is around 33% of what is recommended. Processed foods are low in fibre and as a result more people are suffering from digestive health issues than ever before. Get 30 grams+ of fibre a day and your body will thank you!

3) Don’t be fat phobic! Fat IS calorie dense but that’s about the worst thing we can say about most fats. The real bad-boy in the fat world is trans fat. All those vegetable oils we use in cooking turn into trans fats when we heat them. Oddly, people eat more vegetable oil now than ever before but there is an increased incidence of CHD. What gives? Trans fats are far FAR worse than saturated fats.

TG: What does the future hold for you and Solar Fitness?

PD: SFQ is looking forward to another year of busy courses, introducing both distance learning courses and part time courses. We’re also keen to develop CPD courses and also explore the possibility of hosting residential weight loss/fitness/sports training courses. We would also like to develop our own courses instead of delivering them on behalf of an external awarding body but that’s a way off. On a personal note I’m looking forward to continuing working with my main PT client who is a nationally ranked female javelin thrower and continuing my writing work with Ultra-fit. Both Jim and I have talked about book deals so we hope that will come to fruition this year too.

TG: Patrick thanks for taking the time to talk to use, we wish you and Solar all the very best for the future.

PD: My pleasure!

To find out more about Patrick and Solar Fitness have a look at their website, www.solar-fitness.com or his blog  www.nofrills-fitness.blogspot.com.

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Leigh Brandon one of the leading Chek practitioners in the UK.  Leigh has been involved in wellbeing for a number of years and has held a wide variety of positions within the industry.  He has a great outlook on how to improve wellbeing and has his own consultancy BodyChek which is well worth a look.

TG: Hi Leigh, thanks for being interviewed.  Could you start off by telling us a little about your background in the wellbeing industry?

LB: Sure! I started back in 1996 having completed a Certification in Health/Fitness Instruction and Personal Training with the ACSM. Soon after qualifying, I helped a friend of mine with her training and she went on to win the Danish Ms Fitness title in 1997. In 1997 I went to off to Australia and worked as a personal trainer in Sydney and then in Perth. In 1998, I returned to England and worked in a leisure centre in Hertfordshire with a team of freelance trainers. After two years I felt I needed to work in an environment that was more conducive to developing my skills and so I joined Holmes Place Health Clubs in 1999. It was there I first worked with a CHEK trained professional which dramatically changed the way I worked. From 1999 to 2004 my position at Holmes Place went from personal trainer to personal training manager to regional personal training manager to fitness manager to academy trainer. The last two years was spent training the personal trainers and managing the personal training business for 18 clubs across the UK. I continued to see a small number of clients during this time. In 2001, I took the CHEK Level I Certification and it turned my view of exercise upside down.  From that point I began working with back pain patients and was very successful straight away helping people to eradicate their pain. In 2004, I started my own company BodyCHEK.  Today, I incorporate a number of different skills into my work. These skills include holistic lifestyle coaching, metabolic typing®, functional diagnostic nutrition™, golf biomechanics, strength and conditioning, BodyTalk™ and sports massage. Most of my current clients come to me to help them with low energy, digestive disorders or chronic injuries.

TG: You are a Chek trained professional, can you tell us a little about this and how you approach things differently to the average personal trainer?

LB: The main difference in how I work compared to a personal trainer would be the assessment and programme design procedure. Before I see a client they are required to complete a whole series of questionnaires which take 10 days to complete. When I receive the questionnaires, I analyse their answers, beginning to build a picture of what might be the cause of their health challenge. I then print a graph showing me which systems are our of balance and require attention. I then prepare potential strategies that the client will need to follow to be successful. During the initial consultation, I spend 90 minutes goal setting, understanding the clients’ core values, understanding what has caused their problems and agreeing a plan to help them be successful. A two to four hour physical assessment is carried out, which includes postural assessment, length-tension relationships, movement assessment, and assessment of breathing, vision, vestibular function, upper cervical spine, viscera and mental/emotional issues. The length and complexity of the assessment process is vital as the body is a system of inter-related systems which can all affect each other. This is followed by the programme design which takes me about 2 hours. My clients are then coached to follow an exercise, nutrition and lifestyle plan and given any specific referrals that I feel are necessary to achieve success. I refer about 90% of my clients to allied health professionals. My clients are given a 15 page manual and a DVD with all their stretches and exercises on so they do not need to have weekly exercise sessions as most clients tend to with a personal trainer. My clients are re-assessed every 4-8 weeks and I tend to see them every two weeks for a 30 minute coaching session (in person or via the internet) to ensure they are able to incorporate all the necessary lifestyle changes into their busy lifestyle and to help them overcome any challenges.

TG: You are also a Function Diagnostic Nutritionist; can you tell us a little about how you use this to help your clients?

LB: Yes, sure. Many people have ongoing problems for many years and often times their Doctor is unable to find out what is wrong with them. Using Functional Diagnostic Nutrition™ (FDN) I become a detective for the body. My job is to find out the ‘cause’ of their health challenge. I use saliva, urine and stool tests to establish my clients’ hormonal levels, oxidative stress levels (free radical damage), liver stress, and whether they have ‘leaky gut’ or any fungal or bacteria overgrowths or parasite infections. I then help my clients normalise their hormones, support the cells and liver, repair any leaky gut and eradicate any infections using a combination of specific nutritional, lifestyle, supplemental and detox protocols.  It’s all about addressing the cause of the problem and not treating the symptoms.

TG: How do Metabolic Typing® and FDN™ help clients who are looking for weight loss?

LB: That would be a good title for a book, but I’ll try to keep it brief! Weight loss is such a complex subject. It’s not just a matter of consuming fewer calories than you expend. The body is controlled by a number of fundamental homeostatic control  systems (FHCs). When these control systems are working effectively or are ‘in balance’, you have health. When any of these systems are out of balance, then compensations occur and the body is pushed out of balance. One of the symptoms that can occur is excess body fat. Metabolic Typing® recognises 10 FHCs. Two of the three primary control systems are the oxidative system and the autonomic nervous system. In each of us the oxidative system or the autonomic nervous system is dominant. In a minority their ‘dominance factor’ switches between the two systems. What this basically means is that based on your metabolic type®, you can eat a specific diet that will help to balance your FHCs by supporting the weaker side of either your oxidative system or the autonomic nervous system. Balance your FHCs and your body weight normalises. However, there are other FHCs. Another is Steroid Hormone Balancing (SHB). Of particular importance is the balance between Cortisol (stress hormones) and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the precursor to your sex hormones. It is well established that there is a link between a person’s Cortisol/DHEA ratio and the function of a number of crucial systems in the body. If the Cortisol/DHEA ratio is out of its optimal range it will affect fat and protein metabolism, endocrine function, detoxification, immune regulation and carbohydrate metabolism which all effect body fat levels. The Cortisol/DHEA ratio is affected when there is excessive long term stress on the body. FDN allows me to establish where the stress is coming from. It could be hidden internal stress like parasites or external stress like the chemicals in someone’s cosmetic products or a combination of many internal and external stressors. So I follow a process to help people reduce body fat. I get them to eat the right foods and eliminate the wrong foods for their metabolic type. Get them eating organic food. Fine tune their ratios of fat, protein and carbohydrates at each meal, introduce high quality appropriate supplementation, identify blocking factors (stressors) and optimise enhancing factors like getting to bed on time, meditating and getting time in the sun. I teach my clients that you get healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to get healthy.

TG: What are the first three things you tell an individual to do who is looking for weight loss and why?

LB: What I don’t do is tell the same thing to every body. We are all different and the reason one person is overweight will be different from the next. It really depends on the wrong choices that people are making. Someone might be exercising well, but consistently putting on weight. It wouldn’t make sense to tell them to do more exercise. You have to find the ‘blocking factors’ and help the client to overcome the ‘blocking factors’. I’ll tell you what I believe is the most important factor, ‘the mind’. Thoughts become things and if you are always thinking about being fat or losing fat, you are giving energy to being ‘fat’. I could get quite deep here, but suffice to say, it is our unconscious minds that run our behaviours 95-99% of the day. These behaviours are set up in the first seven years of life and remain in place for life. Unfortunately today, many people have an unconscious behaviour pattern that leads to ill health of some sort. There are a number of ways in which someone can re-write these behaviour patterns. I use a number of techniques including BodyTalk™, art therapy, poetry and meditation. Clinical hypnosis is very effective too.

TG: What are the common issues you find with overweight clients?

LB: There are few. These are generalisations, but my observations have shown most of the factors below to be true in most overweight people I have worked with. I find overweight clients don’t know what makes them truly happy. They do not know what their purpose in life is and they often times do not have big goals to achieve in life. As Paul Chek says, “If your dream is big enough, you don’t need a crisis”. I also often find that they were either abused as a child or found they got more attention as a child if they were sick, so they have what’s called ‘an illness currency’. They also tend to go to bed too late and are always stressed and take little time out for themselves. Many are workaholics and dislike being on their own in a quiet environment. They also have a strong dislike for themselves. They often are dehydrated, eat too many carbohydrates, have a number of food sensitivities, have Adrenal fatigue, often have leaky gut and a fungal or bacterial overgrowth and/or a parasite infection

TG: What kind of strategies can you put in place to overcome these?

LB: Most of the answers to the previous questions give you your answer. To put it in another way, I help my clients to put the ‘Foundational Factors of Health’ in place. The six factors are: Positive Thoughts, Breathing, Hydration, Nutrition, Movement and Sleep. These are controllable lifestyle factors that each of us needs to put in place on a daily basis as a foundation. I tell my clients that building a strong, healthy, energetic body is like building a skyscraper. The stronger the foundations the taller and more resistant the skyscraper will be. A skyscraper without strong foundations in doomed to failure.

TG: What do you feel that the NHS should be doing to combat the obesity problem in the UK?

LB: That’s a big question! I’ll try to keep it short. The first thing is that people need to take responsibility for themselves. Before people can do this, they need correct information. The public need to be educated on the truth around subjects such as nutrition, not the ridiculous food guide pyramid which we know makes people fat and unhealthy. Organisations such as the Price Pottinger Nutrition Foundation and the Soil Association should be used to educate people. I believe that ALL chronic degenerative diseases (obesity is one of them) should not be treated by tax payers’ money. I believe the NHS should be called ‘The National Medical Service’ (NMS) and provide emergency, paediatric, obstetric, congenital, accident and emergency and geriatric care paid for by the tax payer. All chronic degenerative diseases should be the responsibility of the individual. If someone chooses to live an unhealthy lifestyle, then they need to take responsibility for that. If they are overweight, they can either hire a health coach or pay for medical care. It may sound harsh, but you can only heal yourself and before you can heal yourself, you need to take responsibility for yourself. I also believe that Doctors should be paid on the improvement of health of their patients. A suggestion might be a basic salary of £30,000 per year with a bonus of £100,000 per year. The bonus would be performance-related based on the level of health improvement of their patients. This would shift the current focus from ‘waiting times’ to ‘actual health’.

TG: What can the individual do to ensure that they are eating good quality foods?

LB: Buy organic! If they live in the UK, buy Soil Association approved organic. The one exception would be fish. I suggest buying ‘wild’ fish, not organic because organic fish are farmed and fed unnatural feed, even though it is organic feed. Also, when buying meats, ensure it is free-range and when buying beef ensure it is grass fed only.

TG: Tell us a bit about what the future holds for you Leigh?

LB: Well, I’m certainly going to continue to live my dream by helping people to achieve healthier, happier and more productive lives. I have a few ideas about writing some more books and I will continue to teach for the CHEK Institute. Playing tennis is my passion outside of work and I’m happy with my game right now. I am currently working with a few young tennis players and I hope to do more of that in the future. I also have a dream to open a natural, holistic health centre to help people to take control of their health following cancer surgery.

TG: Thanks for your time Leigh, and we wish you all the best for the future!

My pleasure!