Micronutrients and why we need them

So I have been hearing a lot of talk lately about macronutrients. I jump on facebook and all i see is people talking about getting their macros in, posting meal plans with their carbs and fats and proteins...but what about the bowl of greens on the side??

We promote health and fitness, but how many of us are truly healthy?

I know I wasn't. I believed that by eating my lean cuts of meats with my broccoli on the side I was actually doing the right thing by my body, not realisng that after weeks of only eating my lean cuts of meat (mainly chicken), and broccoli,  my body had been become immensely malnourished.

Let's face it, many of us manipulate our bodies to decrease bodyfat by eating the same thing, at the same time every day, not realising that we are depriving our bodies of essential nutrients found in a variety of foods.

So why the emphasis on micronutrients?

Micronutrients are the nutritional components needed by the body and are essential to the normal functioning of the body as they help to catalyze biochemical reactions controlling metabolism, growth and maintenance. A deficiency in a single vitamin can have great effects in the athletic performance and even in the health. So think about your digestive health, immune system, cellular health, circulatory health. Micronutrients play a vital role in the way these function

Vitamins must be obtained from unprocessed wholefoods, fish, fruit and vegetables are some of the highest sources of vitamins and mionerals.

Yes that's right... FRUIT and VEGETABLES.

How many of you actually consume the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables? When you think about the acidic affect macronutrients can have on the body, why wouldn't you add more fruits and vegetables to balance the adverse affects some foods can have on your body. I have experienced first hand these affects, and I know many of you have too. It can be something as insignificant as bloating in the stomach. But the scary thing is, so many of us suffer malnutrition without even realising.

Take it from someone who has been there. It took weeks to damage my body, and has taken months to correct the issues. And I tried everything, from alkalising and detoxing diets, to even going vegetarian and giving up every food that has a negative or acidic affect on my body.

In fact, the problems only ceased a few months ago when I was recommended to try something new. It was not a sole source of nutrition, and I have still had to maintain a well balanced diet of whole foods, but unlike vitamins, this product is not synthetic. The actual capsule is vegetarian, specifically catered for our bodies to break down and absorb. What this product provided me was key nutrients my body was lacking due to a deficiency in hydrochloric acid. 

For the first time I have stopped focusing on just my physical looks, and have taken deeper care into what actually goes into my body.

It's a common mistake we make, especially for those in the bodybuilding industry. We neglect the most essential nutrients our bodies require.

https://www.juiceplus.com.au

If your health is important to you it's simple, eat more fruits and vegetables, toss your synthetic vitamins aside and take a natural approach to increase your vitamin intake. Juice Plus+^® helps you bridge the gap between the nutrition you actually get, and the nutrition you need. It's an easy and inexpensive way to add more nutrition from fruits and vegetables to your diet, every day.

Balanced nutrition means ingesting the right amounts of the right nutrients over time. No one food item has them all.

Yours in great health xx

Progress over the years

The last three years have brought many changes to my life. Physically as well as emotionally. From an emotionally struggling high school student, who had never stepped foot in a gym, to a nationally recognised sponsored athlete. My aspirations included visual communications and design, business, literature. Health and fitness played no role in what I had planned for my future. Being Italian with a South African mother I was constantly surrounded by food. Home made pastas, rich and spicy curries. I would come home from school and demolish an entire loaf of bread with plenty of room for dinner and dessert.
We all have a starting point, we all experience an event in our lives, a trauma, which encourages us to make a change, whether it be for the better or the worse. It's these experiences that teach us our true strengths. We will make mistakes, and then make more mistakes, but each time we do, we learn a little more about ourselves. Why I made the change to fitness will be documented in a three part series for Fit Treasures magazine, part one being released this August. In the meantime, I thought I would SHOW you where I started. From my very first year training, to my first nationally publication and photo shoot. As embarrassing as my very first gym shots are....here goes !!

Before I started training, I gained recognition as an Ironman Wet n'Wild calendar model in 2007 

 Years of tennis in my youth had created a naturally toned and athletic look

From here I went on to have my very first two page spread in Australian Ironman magazine and after a year of training noticeable changes had been made to my physique

                                                                      I had no experience posing

And was very new and inexperienced to the fitness industry 

By this stage I knew I was meant to be involved in the fitness industry somehow, and after my first show went back to the drawing board to tweak my training and diet regime to better my physique

Photo compliments to Srdjan Nikolic

Photo compliments to Tony Ryan

Photo compliments to Srdjan Nikolic

Photo compliments to BigShotDan

Photo compliments to Srdjan Nikolic

Photo compliments to BigShotDan

Photo compliments to BigShotDan

Photo compliments to Tony Ryan

With all the negative stigma surrounding female bodybuilders, I wanted to show that we can still be strong, muscular, yet beautiful and feminine. So in 2010 this shoot was done for my feature in Oxygen magazine

 Photo compliments to Srdjan Nikolic

A year on, I followed with this shoot June 2011

Again I still wanted to show a feminine, and softer side to female bodybuilding and tried to accomplish that in that car shoot as well as the outrageously bright shot you see above. I enjoy bringing something different and unique to each of my shoots and have a great team working with me to achieve this. Photo credits for my June 2011 shoot go to Srdjan Nikolic and a very big thank you to Napoleon Perdis for your wonderful team of make up artists. 

This is where I have come from my very first year of training. I have sacrificed a lot in that time, food, going out, but i have never been happier with my progress, especially when I can look back at my photographs taken in my very first year of training at Nitro Gym. Never lose sight of your goals and remain positive. Persistence is key. Believe me, if I can make the changes I had with my life, I believe anyone has the strength to do so xxx

Finally some training shots...

A few pics from my recent shoot at Nitro Gym..

A little more from my recent shoot...

New samples from latest shoot

Here are a few images from the first set of my training shoot which was last Sunday at Nitro Gym in Hallam, and a sneak peak at the final shoot of the day in North Melbourne. Should have the rest of the days shoots by Monday.

Check out the latest issue of Ironman magazine with a write up of me in the Vance Angle

Sample from my latest shoot

After a long and tiring day yesterday for myself, my photographer, and make up artist, we produced what I hope is very unique to the fitness industry.

We commenced with hair and make up at 8am, and then with the first shoot of the day at Nitro Gym (my second home).. What I thought would be an easy one hour shoot ended up taking all morning and into the afternoon.

An unplanned and unexpected Lamborghini shoot took place outside the gym, and then after an extensive make over we were off to North Melbourne at 4pm for our final shoot for the day.

Here is just one sample photograph from yesterdays shoot. I am very excited with the quality and imagery produced and cannot wait to share them with everyone. It has been a very long road, and emotional journey, but after seeing results like this, it is well worth all the sacrifice, and the hard work I have put in.

EENIE MEENIE MINIE MOE...

WHICH DO I GET FIRST!!