Laura Marin: Health and Fitness Twitter Q&A

Last week we were delighted to host a live Twitter Q&A session with health and fitness coach, Laura Marin, who took to the feed to answer all health, fitness and nutrition questions.

During the Q&A, Laura was inundated with questions, from our Twitter followers, Facebook fans and blog readers – thank you to everyone who sent in a question!
Due to the number of questions Laura received, we had to extend the session for an extra 30 minutes, to ensure that no question was left unanswered.

About Laura:
Laura is a London-based personal trainer and nutritionist, with over 15 years worth of experience; she is committed to helping her clients reach their goal for body excellence.
A former professional dancer and athlete, she is certified in Pilates, Gyrotonic, Crossfit, Olympic Weightlifting, Kettlebell Training and The Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears. Laura also works with the best physiotherapists, osteopaths, and doctors in London to ensure her clients receive full expert care for their health and fitness.
Laura has worked hard to achieve and maintain a strong, lean, fit body and using her training and diet expertise she pushes her clients to achieve their fitness goals.
For those of you who may have missed the chat, a full transcript of the Q&A session is available below.
 
Introductory Tweets:
Hello, today we are joined by #health and #fitness expert Laura Marin #TPCfitness
Laura will be participating in an hour long Q&A session, answering all questions relating to #health and #fitness #TPCfitness
—
Hello, I’m Laura, I’m looking forward to receiving your questions. Let’s begin! #TPCfitness
Questions:
Q. @PatrickStrud: Lots of people will be starting at the gym in Jan, what’s your advice for beginners? #TPCfitness
A. @PatrickStrud: Hi Patrick. Take it easy, don’t rush into it. Take one task at a time #TPCfitness
A. @PatrickStrud: Enjoy what you are doing and then you will create a routine. Why not get a friend to train with you? #TPCfitness
—
Q. @jennysolomons: I am always worrying about eating the right carbs and the right amount. Could Laura advise? #TPCfitness
A. @jennysolomons: Dark green leaves are the best option. Broccoli is one of my favourites! #TPCfitness
A. @jennysolomons: In terms of quantity, I normally fill my own plate with 3 quarters vegetables #TPCfitness
—
Q. @LeahFHardy: What are best foods/ #supplements to fight #inflammation – either chronic or from an injury? #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: Fish oils. Eat plenty of #fish such as mackerel, salmon, trout #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: In terms of #supplements, I recommend herbs such as #turmeric (which you can cook with) and shark cartilage #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: Stay away from sugar as it promotes internal inflammation! #TPCfitness
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Q. @LeahFHardy: Is there some kind of cardio I can do with spine problems – running seems to trigger disc herniation. #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: Walking is fantastic. Try walking fast in an upright position #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: The cross trainer is brilliant too as there is no impact on the joints. Combine this with core exercises to strengthen all the muscles around the disc #TPCfitness
A. @LeahFHardy: Discs require constant training. That area needs to became super strong to prevent a relapse #TPCfitness
—
Q. @GiaMarieBarbera: Best type of fat burning foods for building muscle for a film? #TPCfitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: To build #muscle avoid sugar & eat very little starch. Have lots of green veg: spinach, leeks, celery #TPCfitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: Include a protein chaser and a dash of good fat in every meal. Protein, carbs and fat in every meal is a must #TPCfitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: Increase the amount of fish you eat and combine this diet with weight training #TPCfitness
—
Q. @GiaMarieBarbera: Do fat burning pills work? #TPCFitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: They might work as a short-term solution, but I don’t recommend them. I believe that you get fat burning qualities from food: #TPCFitness
—
Q. @GiaMarieBarbera: What’s the best exercise to keep the #weight off during the cold dark night? #TPCfitness
A @GiaMarieBarbera: Be disciplined. Go for a run in the park instead of going to the gym. Mix it up – vary your cardio. #TPCfitness
A: @GiaMarieBarbera: One day why not go for a run, the next day cycle and the next day do weight training. Variety is key! #TPCfitness
—
Q. @GiaMarieBarbera: Do expensive pieces of equipment like power plates work or is that just a lazy fad? #TPCfitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: With any equipment it is all about the intensity in which you train #TPCfitness
A. @GiaMarieBarbera: If you use a high speed on the treadmill – it will work, if you use a lower intensity, it won’t work as well #TPCfitness
—
Q. @brooky27: For fitness is it better to do short intense runs or long 15k jogs? #TPCfitness
A. @brooky27: It depends on the goal – are you training for a marathon or a short race? Again, variety is key! #TPCfitness
A. @brooky27: Each training session with different activities will engage different muscles. It will engage different types of muscle fibre and metabolic systems #TPCfitness
—
Q. @PRinLondon: What’s a #healthy alternative to a #Christmas cake? #TPCfitness
A. @PRinLondon: There isn’t an alternative to a #Christmas cake, that I’m aware of #TPCfitness
A. @PRinLondon: I would recommend that you make it at home so that you can measure the amount of ingredients that you are using #TPCfitness
—
Q. @campbell_katy: With there being so many #calories consumed on Xmas day, what kind of #healthy alternatives can be served?#TPCfitness
A. @Campbell_Katy: Everything in moderation. Avoid stuffing but eat turkey with a small amount of gravy #TPCfitness
A. @Campbell_katy: Serve lots of vegetables with your meal, but avoid root vegetables that contain starch #TPCfitness
A. @Campbell_katy: If you are going to eat more on Christmas day, it is important to be good during the days that follow #TPCfitness
—
Q. @CameronRossHall: Like most I’m looking to start 2013 with a #health kick. How do I stay motivated & keep it going? #TPCfitness
A. @CameronRossHall: Copy your role models. If you have friends who look terrific, ask them what they eat/do to workout #TPCfitness
A. @CameronRossHall: Why not work out with them! #TPCfitness
—
Q. @HayleyColebyPR: In terms of weight loss, is it more beneficial to go for a long slow run or a small quicker run? #TPCfitness
A. @HayleyColebyPR: it depends on the individual and how much weight we are talking about #TPCfitness
A. @HayleyColebyPR: I would recommend combining the two for maximum results. If you’re #unfit, start with slow runs first #TPCfitness
—
We’re coming up to the end of our #Health Q&A. However due to the number of Qs, we will be extending the session for 10 mins! #TPCfitness
—
Q. Katy by email: What’s the best way to keep the pounds off at Xmas?#TPCfitness
A. Katy: Planning is key. Plan food, parties, shopping – assess the whole situation and plan your meals/exercise accordingly #TPCfitness
A. Katy: If you are going to eat a lot that day – workout and be good the days after! #TPCfitness
—
Q. Katy by email: I’ve put some weight on around my waist – what’s the quickest way to burn it off? #TPCfitness
A. Katy: Weight around your waist is caused by the food you eat, you can reverse this by cutting out sugar and eating #healthily #TPCfitness
—
Q. @EmmaHealy: Hi Laura, I don’t want to deprive myself so what is the ‘healthiest’ dessert to eat after Xmas dins? #TPCfitness
A. @Emmahealy: Hi Emma, eat just one serving of whichever dessert you fancy this Xmas #TPCfitness
A. @Emmahealy: Balance this out by eating less during your starter and main course #TPCfitness
—
Q. @paulwrblanchard: Hello! I’m 37 male and do a lot of running. What should my resting pulse be? I’m worried that it’s too low. #TPCFitness
A. @paulwrblanchard: It depends how much you train, how low, is low? #TPCfitness
A. @paulwrblanchard: The more you run, the lower your resting pulse will be. If you’re worried check this with a doctor #TPCfitness
—
Q. @hannahgregory30: what would you recommend as a healthy snack to stop me eating crisps and biscuits between meals #TPCfitness
A. @hannahgregory30: Crudités such as carrots, broccoli, celery and dip it in a bit of olive oil or hummus. Yum! #TPCfitness
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Q. @Fighting_Fifty If you could give one tip to women over 50 to keep #fit and well as they get older what would it be? #TPCfitness
A. @Fighting_Fifty: Try to be strict with what you consume. It is so much harder to keep weight off as you get older #TPCfitness
A. @Fighting_Fifty: As soon as you hit 40 your metabolism is much slower. Maintain your weight through #diet and #exercise #TPCfitness
—
Q. @daveblatherwick: What is your opinion on morning cardio before eating? #TPCFitness
A. @daveblatherwick: When #exercising in the morning you will burn fat because that is the only fuel your body has available #TPCfitness
A. @daveblatherwick: Make the exercise very low intensity – try a 45 min walk. Eat your breakfast after your walk but within the hour #TPCfitness
Closing the Session:
We have now reached the end of the #Health and #Fitness Q&A – thanks so much everyone for your questions! #TPCfitness
A transcript of the session will be available soon on the @PrivateClinic blog, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled! #TPCfitness
 
You can find out more information about Laura Marin on her blog here.
For those of you looking for tips and advice about how to have a fit and healthy Christmas, while avoiding the Christmas ‘buldge’, you might be interested to read our latest blog post ‘10 ways to avoid the Christmas bulge’ here: http://bit.ly/UKU5tE.