Disease Prevention Through Exercise and a Healthy Diet

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A balance between exercise and food intake is essential, as this helps maintain muscle strength and healthy body weight. At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as walking, is recommended daily to raise your metabolism 3-4 times its resting state. See Know your METs for prevention of disease.

A healthy diet should include a wide variety of nutritious foods for sufficient intake of all nutrients, including vitamin and minerals.  Foods to include are vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, fish – a diet low in fat and high in fibre.  A healthy diet can help you maintain a healthy weight and decrease your risk of many diet-related chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Tips to incorporate into your diet:

  • Plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans.
  • Low salt foods.
  • Small amounts of food that contain added sugar.
  • Reduced-fat milk and other dairy products.
  • Eat a minimum of animal foods (less than 10% of daily caloric intake).
  • Adequate daily amount of water (Men 3L Women 2L).
To get started on a walking programme today click link below:

15 weeks training schedule (Beginner level)

You may consider analysing your diet to know if your nutrition is balanced. Whether you want to lose weight, tone up or optimise your performance, your daily nutrition needs to provide you with the right amount, type and timing of food.

For more information, contact Marie at marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com

Strength Training Classes

No matter what your fitness goals are-whether you want to lose weight, tone up, build muscle or to give yourself a new fitness regime this programme is suitable for you.

You will be motivated and guided by Marie an Exercise & Nutrition Specialist and 1988 Irish Olympian (Marathon).

Marie’s classes are safe for people with chronic diseases for example: cancer, osteoporosis, or diabetes.

Also available are health monitoring tests, nutritional status analysis, walking and running programmes.

View: Benefits in doing Resistance Training

To reserve your place on the course please complete registration form and health questionnaire below and email to marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com or you can drop-in for a class to try it out.

See you soon!

LOCATION/TIME

BERA Hall (Bulfin Estate Residents Association)

Connolly Ave, Inchicore

Dublin 8 Eircode D08 E529

Tuesdays 7:00pm – 8:00pm 

 

REGISTRATION FEE: 

€45 (4 weeks)

 

DROP-IN FEE: 

€15 

 

HEALTH MONITORING TESTS €35 (registered members €20.)

  • Standard Measurements
  • Physiological Testing
    • Blood Pressure
    • Heart Rate
    • Lung Function
  • Body Composition
    • Body Mass Index (BMI)
    • Abdominal Girth
    • Bioelectric Impedance Analyser
  • Fitness Testing

    • Muscular strength

    • Aerobic capacity

NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT €50 (registered members €30.)

    • Nutritional Status Analysis
    • Macronutrient breakdown
    • BMR, AMR, RDA
    • Diet plan

The Murphy METs Programme is now available for Exercise Professionals to become qualified in delivering the programme to cancer survivors or those with long term health conditions. Please see Trainers Short Course for further information.

Tips in Starting an Exercise Programme

  • Marie MurphyGet clearance from your Doctor if you’ve been sedentary for a long time or you have serious health issues.
  • Walk a minimum of 3 days a week for 30 minutes advancing to 5 days.
  • Incorporate resistance training 2 days a week working all major muscle groups.
  • Set a goal of 15 weeks training to maintain consistency and see improvements in your fitness.
  • Aim to achieve 15-20 MET hrs per week.
    Example:
     5-10 MET hrs/wk 1-4 months
    10-15 MET hrs/wk 5-8 months
    15-20 MET hrs/wk 9-12 months (click here to read  ‘Know your METs’).
  • Eat a healthy diet that is high in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, low in fat and high in fibre.
  • Eat a minimum of animal and animal products (less than 10% of daily caloric intake).
  • Drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day (water is the most important nutrient).
  • Keep a record of your training to see improvements and help motivate you.

To get started on a personalised training programme or join one of Marie’s classes click here for more information. Vimeo link: Murphy METs Programme 

Maintaining Balance in Your Life

Homeostasis is an essential part for our health.  But, in order to promote a body in balance our mind needs to contribute. Choices we make in regards to stress reduction, healthy nutrition and regular exercise helps keep an imbalance at bay.picture of woman's feet walking

Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control. Managing stress is about taking charge of our thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way we deal with problems. This isn’t as easy as it sounds.  Identifying our true sources of stress, we have to look closely at our habits, attitude, and excuses.

A regular diet rich in plant foods, fish, and lean protein boosts overall health and clearly helps protect against heart disease and diabetes. However when it comes to exercising inadequate nutrient intake deprives the body of the energy needed to perform, the carbohydrates necessary for glycogen replacement, the protein needed for tissue building and repair, and the micro-nutrients necessary for normal metabolism and maintenance of body homeostasis.food

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore and the benefits are ours for the taking, regardless of our age, sex or physical ability. Our body needs regular exercise, the right food, lifestyle and mental attitude to achieve its true health potential.

Now is a perfect time to get active!

Click here to view video on the ‘Murphy MET’s Programme’

Newer, Healthier Lifestyle in 2022

Considering a healthier lifestyle for 2022? – the Murphy METs Programme is the perfect choice.  If you want to change your mind and body then this is the programme for you. Change your lifestyle, create new habits, learning what exercises work for you and the correct techniques to perform them. You will be motivated and guided by Marie Murphy an Exercise & Nutrition Specialist and Former Irish Olympian into starting a newer, healthier lifestyle in 2022.rt-class

No matter what your fitness goals are-whether you want to lose weight, tone up, build muscle or to give yourself a new fitness regime for 2022-this programme is suitable for you.  .

Marie’s course is also safe for people with chronic diseases for example: cancer, osteoporosis, or diabetes.  This programme was acknowledged by the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) 2012.

Course overview:

  • Initial evaluation – identify goals and aims
  • Health Assessment
  • Personal eating plan
  • On-going mentoring & support

Course Details

Day: Wednesday 7:00pm-8:00pm

Location: Dunard Community Centre

                 20 Dunard Rd, Cabra West,

                 Dublin 7, D07 C8K3

Cost: €40 (4 weeks).

To find out more about the course or if you would like to purchase a perfect gift certificate for a loved one, please contact Marie on 085 196 5468 or email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com

Tips before running a Marathon

Keep focused on your programmeYour physical fitness at this moment is the sum of your training and nutrition practices over the past 5-6 months leading up to this event.  Do your best to stay with these inputs to which your body already adapted.

Concentrate on consuming adequate fluids; Marathon hydration is essential, especially three days before competition (e.g. 2-3 litres a day).

more-marathon-startDo not experiment with new foods; Stay with foods that you are familiar with; if it has not been part of your regular daily nutrition chances are it will do more harm than good.

Achieve high muscle and liver glycogen; By tapering training over the next 3 days and consuming a high intake of carbohydrates, you can achieve a high muscle and liver glycogen content at the time of your marathon.  Fuel your muscles to go the distance.

Extra rest; Extra rest and a high carbohydrate intake over the final 3-4 days will enhance performance.  Taking a couple of days off before the race will benefit you greatly.   A good night’s sleep, two nights before the race is key!

Limit Alcohol; Alcohol intake can have a negative effect on performance and should be reduced or eliminated altogether in the week leading up to your race..

Night before – high carbohydrates; A high carbohydrate diet (e.g. pasta, potatoes, rice, noodles, cereals, juices) in combination with rest the day before your marathon can lead to high muscle glycogen levels and enhance your performance.

marathon-runnersLow glycaemic carbohydrates at breakfast; Overnight fasting reduces liver glycogen.  Carbohydrates with low or moderate ratings on the glycaemic index (GI) are the preferred type of carbohydrate for consumption 3-5 hours before your marathon (e.g. oatmeal, porridge, banana, orange juice, grapes, whole meal bread, and yoghurt).

Do not experiment with carbohydrates during the race; You may want to ingest a carbohydrate rich drink during your event. Keep in mind this should already be part of your training practices.  Race day is not the time to try something new.

Drink right before marathon; Close to your marathon start time (15-20 minutes), you can drink 300-400 ml (2 cups) of fluid.

Just enough fluids during race; Keeping a comfortable volume of fluids in your stomach before, during, and after your marathon is essential to performance and recovery.  Don’t pass up on any early water stations, especially the first 6 miles; you cannot make up for it in the later stages of your race.

Pace your nutrition; Just as your marathon is all about pace to maximise energy output so too is your nutrition – avoid over or under nourishment.  Your body loses energy by trying to compensate for the imbalance.

Preparation is the key to success – have a great marathon!

Physical activity can change biomarkers of cancer risk

Marie MurphyWhenever I give my talks on exercise and nutrition I speak about the five leading biomarkers of cancer risk. More importantly they are the reason I designed the Murphy METs Programme   Research studies have shown that resistance training affects the same biomarkers as when you do aerobic training. Which means when you combine both cardiovascular and resistance training as part of your physical activity you get double the benefits?

A form of aerobic training would be walking, jogging, biking, swimming etc; working the largest muscle groups in a repetitive movement.  Resistance exercise is any form of exercise that forces your skeletal muscles (not the involuntary muscles of your heart, lungs, etc.) to contract. An example of resistance training is using free-weights, machine-weights, resistance bands or doing pilates and yoga.

There are a number of physiological benefits of aerobic and resistance training; 2 examples are improvements in muscular function and strength and improvement in the body’s ability to take in and use oxygen (maximal oxygen consumption or aerobic capacity). As one’s ability to transport and use oxygen improves, regular daily activities can be performed with less fatigue.

Here are the five leading biomarkers for lowering risk;

  1. Cardiovascular function: Exercise promotes weight reduction and can help reduce blood pressure. Exercise also reduces “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood (the low-density lipoprotein [LDL] level), as well as total cholesterol, and can raise the “good” cholesterol (the high-density lipoprotein level [HDL]). By doing low to moderate physical activity and raising your metabolism 3-4 times your resting state helps lower your risk.  Example: walking at a pace of 20 minutes per mile (3 mph) or 13 minutes per kilometre.
  1. Body Fat: Avoiding obesity because extra body fat around the mid-section is one of the greatest risks. Maintaining a healthy weight for your height can greatly reduce your risk of contracting conditions such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. A combined programme (aerobic & straight training) with good nutrition is a positive way in achieving a healthy composition.
  1. Blood glucose level: Exercise reduces insulin levels. Muscles which are working use more glucose than those that are resting which means muscle movement leads to greater sugar uptake by muscle cells and lower blood sugar levels. High sugar levels slowly erode the ability of cells in your pancreas to make insulin. The organ overcompensates and insulin levels stay too high. Over time, the pancreas is permanently damaged. High levels of blood sugar can also cause changes that lead to a hardening of the blood vessels, known as atherosclerosis.
  1. Inflammation: Research studies have shown that moderate exercise each week—about 20 minutes a day—lower inflammation by at least 12%. When we exercise, our adipose and muscle tissue release big bursts of cytokines (proteins) into our blood stream that causes inflammation to drop.  However, over exerting the body by doing too much exercise or lack of proper rest and/or recovery can have a counter effect.  Inflammation is also caused by an unhealthy diet; high intakes of processed foods, animal and animal products.
  1. Immune function: Exercise can boost your immune system and help your body fight off harmful diseases and even something as simple as the common cold.  Exercise boosts your immune system by providing a boost to the cells in your body that are assigned to attack bacteria. These cells appear to work more slowly in people who don’t exercise than in those that do.  Eating a healthy nutrition that is high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, fish, low in fat and high in fibre will help keep your immune system strong.

Murphy METs Programme Designed for Prevention/Recurrence of Disease

For those who would like to get started on my programme the next training course will take place at the elbowroom DUBLIN’S FAVOURITE WELLBEING HUB

I’m delighted to be joining The elbowroom team where I’ll be bringing my 12 week METs programme in September. I’ve heard wonderful things about the centre and I feel my programme is a perfect fit with the ethos of The elbowroom community.

For more information please call 01 677 9859 or email  marie@mariemurphyhealthftness.com

Stronger Than Yesterday

 

Cathy McCarthy and Marie Murphy

Writer Cathy McCarthy and Marie Murphy at the launch of Cathy’s new book.

Last night I was at the book launch of Stronger Than Yesterday – living your life beyond adversity written by my friend Cathy McCarthy. It was a wonderful evening which took place at the Freemasons’ Hall, Dublin with a fantastic turn out.

Cathy herself faced one of the hardest challenges in life – cancer. We first met in 2010 when Cathy was a participant in my breast cancer study.

Cathy’s book shares many storiesStronger Than Yesterday of the diverse challenges life throws out, but it is the positive things that come from our adversities that shapes us. Cathy’s book is full of inspiration and I’m sure it will bring strength and courage to all who read it.

Cathy’s asked if I would write a piece on the Murphy (METs) Programme for the book.  I had contributed to her first book “Not the Year You had Planned” and I was only too delighted to be included in the second.(p 160-165).

All profit generated from Cathy’s book will be donated to Jack Kavanagh Foundation (paralysed as a result of a surfing accident) and the Waterford High Hopes Choir. The photo below includes Cathy singing with Jack and High Hopes Choir.

Congratulations Cathy on completing yet another amazing book!

IMAG4010

Are You Fit for Your Age?

We are all aware of the health benefits of regular physical activity, physiologic, metabolic and psychological. But did you know that the amount and intensity of physical activity is equally important.picture of woman's feet walking

As I have said in previous articles ‘it’s all about the METs’.  How many METs do you accumulate in a given week?  How high can you raise your metabolism?  Can you meet the required MET target for your age group?

There is a set target of fitness for us to meet as we continue to age.  For example, did you know that a fifteen year old girl should be capable of raising her metabolism 13 times her resting state or that a women 65 years should be capable of raising hers to 6.  Prevention is all about fitness.  I’m not talking about competitiveness I’m talking about getting involved in regular physical activity.  Setting a goal to achieve your MET target that will lower your risk of disease and enhance your quality of life.

METs (Metabolic Equivalents)

Man running uphill viewed from behindStandard metabolic equivalent (MET) is a unit used to estimate the amount of oxygen used by the body during physical activity. 1 MET = the energy (oxygen) used by the body at rest, while sitting quietly or laying down. The harder your body works during an activity, the more oxygen is consumed and the higher the MET level you are performing at.

Guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine states that we need to exercise 150 minutes (2.5 hrs) per week at a moderate intensity. Moderate intensity is raising your metabolism 4 times your resting state (4 METs) which means we need a minimum of 10 METs per week (2.5 x 4 = 10) to lower our risk of disease. How many METs did you achieved this week?

The chart below shows MET targets for selected age groups.

           Female              Male
Age MET target Age METs target
20 12.1 20 12.5
25 11.4 25 11.9
30 10.8 30 11.4
35 10.1 35 10.8
40 9.5 40 10.3
45 8.8 45 9.7
50 8.2 50 9.2
55 7.5 55 8.6
60 6.9 60 8.1
65 6.2 65 7.5
70 5.6 70 7
75 4.9 75 6.4
80 4.3 80 5.9

Note* The Murphy (METs) Programme train individuals to achieve >20 METs/weekly.

Programme Progress:

4 months 10 METs

8 months 15 METs

12 months 20 METs)

For more information on MET targets click link Calculating your weekly METs km-hour

Murphy (METs) Programme Launched in Ballinasloe

I am delighted to inform you that East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support are now offering my program the Murphy (METs) Programme a low to moderate intensity physical activity program to their members.  The Murphy (METs) Programme is specifically designed to be safe for people with chronic diseases including cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.

The Murphy (METs) Programme involves conditioning, strengthening, and endurance phases. Patients are encouraged to exercise at a level that has been determined on an individual basis. The focus of the program is to improve flexibility, balance, co-ordination, mobility, strength, musculoskeletal function, bone density and confidence, in addition to having an impact on cardiovascular fitness, weight management and psychosocial well-being. My program was acknowledged by the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) 2012.  East Galway & Midlands Cancer Support holds a license to deliver classes in the Murphy (METs) Programme.

“I have worked towards this moment for many years, to finally teach others to teach my program safely and effectively and it is my goal for the ‘Murphy (METs) Programme’ to expand to other centres across the country so that a greater number of cancer survivors can reap its benefits, Physically, Metabolically and Psychologically”.

Please see Ballinasloe Life magazine (page 21). To hear inter­view on the Keith Finnegan Show clink link and fast for­ward 63 min­utes.

For further information on the Murphy (METs) Programme please click link or contact me at mobile 085 196 5468 or email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com

To become a certified Murphy (METs) Programme Trainer please see Trainers Short Course. For information on course location, date and cost please contact me at mobile 085 1965468 or email marie@mariemurphyhealthfitness.com.