Primary:
Protein is the greek word for “primary” or “ holding first place”. This shows the importance of protein in our daily food plans. Every cell and enzyme in the body needs protein. The immune system is reliant on adequate protein to stay strong. The bare minimum requirement is 25-30 grams a day, and the RDA doubles the bare minimum (50 grams for a 150 lb person). Studies have shown endurance athletes, like marathoners require even more, over half their lean body weight in grams of protein (i.e. 150 lb runner needs between .55 and .8 grams of protein per lb of body weight ; 83-120 grams). Body builders have consistently made claims that in order to maintain muscle mass and tissue repair a pro bodybuilder needs at least their body weight in protein grams, and most likely more. The amount of protein required is a huge controversy with questions of stress to the kidneys and liver, and loss of bone density if over consumed.
Pure:
A pure protein contains 8 essential amino acids responsible for building and repairing red blood cells, enzymes, and other tissues in the body. Pure protein is easily found in eggs, beef, fish, and poultry. Vegetarians will find it a bit trickier to get all 8 amino acids but can succeed by combining grains and legumes (e.g. natural peanut butter and whole grain bread or brown rice and black beans). The only grain containing all 8 aminos is quinoa.
Preparation:
Broil, bake, stir fry, or boil your proteins without added extra fats or sugars to help in fat loss goals. Rotate protein choices daily to create variety and provide a full spectrum of nutrition to the body. Stick to portion sizes (size and thickness of palm), eating small quantities more often if possible.
Best choices: organic free run omega 3 eggs and egg whites, organic beef, and wild pacific salmon.
Stay tuned for: Facts about Fats…….
Written by Rachel Nir, Mayfair Parkway’s Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Novak is No Djoke!!
Let’s play a little True and False!
1. Novak Djokovic has not lost a match in 2011 and is 18-0 in ATP events. (True or False)
2. Novak Djokovic is now ranked #2 in the world overtaking 16-time Grand Slam Champion Roger Federer. (True or False)
3. Novak Djokovic became the third player to beat Rafa and Fed in the same tournament twice. (True or False)
4. Novak Djokovic has beaten Roger Federer 3 straight times in 2011 and dropped only 1 set in those matches. (True or False)
5. Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open in January without dropping a set. Winning 7 straight matches in convincing fashion. (True or False)
6. The Serbian last suffered a defeat last November when he was beaten by Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals. (True or False)
7. It was the Serb’s second triumph in the elite ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, having first won the title here as a 20-year-old in 2008. (True or False)
8. Djokovic had never beaten Nadal in a tour-level final (0-5 mark), including a loss in the 2010 US Open final and in 2007 at Indian Wells, before Sunday’s win. (True or False)
9. Including Davis Cup matches in 2011 – Djokovic is actually 20-0 in his won-loss record. (True or False)
10. Djokovic became the sixth active player to win 21 tour-level titles (21-13 finals record) and joined four-time former champion Federer as the only players to have won three successive titles in Dubai. (True or False)
10 questions – and 10 true statements! Remarkable considering a few months ago we were talking about Rafa winning the Rafa Slam! This guy is oozing with confidence and the players, who we once thought of as unbeatable, are feeling the heat – BIG TIME!
It’s one thing when the media members and tennis commentators are predicting greatness, but when the current number 1 is tooting your horn you know good things are on the horizon.
Following his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the BNP Paribas Open final on Sunday, Rafael Nadal declared that the Serbian is “in the best position” to finish as the year-end World No. 1 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings.
Djokovic, who displaced Federer at No. 2 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings on Monday, has opened the season with an 18-0 match record, taking in titles at the Australian Open (d. Murray), Dubai (d. Federer) and Indian Wells.
In an interview with Reuters, Serbia’s Davis Cup captain Bogdan Obradovic said that this is only the beginning for Djokovic.
He thinks that Djokovic could become the best tennis player in the world, the world number one, by the end of the year. And here is why:
“He has become mentally and physically stronger; he is even more accurate with his passing shots than in 2008 and can win points quickly when he needs to. With all that in mind, it will be very difficult to stop him from becoming the world number one this year, if he keeps playing at this level throughout the season.”
We know how important it is for players to get stronger mentally and physically – especially when you see what happened to Spain’s Rafael Nadal in this tournament. But is this to be believed?
Djokovic ahead of Nadal? This can’t be right??
I mean it is a Serb talking about a Serb right? How objective could a countryman be?
But he is the Davis Cup coach – he has a great handle on the top players in the world and their game styles. Maybe we should take his statements at full value. You would think – if he wasn’t purely speaking from emotion – that he would have the best perspective to evaluate the long-term success of his student.
Wasn’t it just days ago that we were talking about a “Rafa Slam” and anointing Nadal as perhaps the best player of all time? Some prognosticators had already figured out how the Spaniard would get to 20 slams.
And now a Serb is saying a Serb is going to be the world’s number one tennis player by year’s end?
Based on what I’ve witnessed in this short season – I think Obradovic is bang on!
Sport is amazing that way. Things can change in an instant. Anything is possible. And that’s why we watch. Watching on Sunday – it was unbelievable how confident this guy is. His ground-strokes are so solid – so penetrating. The angles he can create are brilliant. His new and improved serve makes him unbreakable.
If he stays healthy it will be hard to imagine how he won’t win multiple slams in 2011. You’d have to make him the favourite in New York. He is no question about it, the best hard courter in the world right now. Grass and clay may be a different story – but only time will give us those answers.
One day you’ve got a picture in your head of a Spaniard drinking eternally from the sweet cup of victory, the next day you’re watching a Serb quench his thirst, while the people around him talk about ruling the world. Are we all too eager to jump off the Rafa bandwagon?
Right now, there is no question that Djokovic is the best player in the world. He is making mince meat out of Federer and he now has proven he can beat Nadal in a big match. This game is about confidence. And without a doubt, the most confident player on the planet at this particular juncture of the season is a young Serb who looks unbeatable.
Written by Michael Emmett
If you are reading this blog I’m guessing you’ve seen tennis on television. The best part of televised tennis today, without a doubt, is the drama involved when a player questions a call and the Hawkeye system is put into action. The anticipation while the imaginary ball travels to its ultimate destination is electric. Fans in the stadium and viewers on television are glued to the screen to find out if the ball was “in or if the ball was “out” – there is no doubt, there is no more debate, it is black and white because everybody trusts the system.
With the advent of technology, its integration into sports has come at an astonishing pace. We have seen technology used to aid in sports training (heart rate monitors, wattmeters, training programs etc), improve the field of play (artificial playing surfaces, covered/indoor stadiums, etc), enhance sporting equipment (tennis racquets, synthetic material for basketballs, hockey sticks, etc) and expand media coverage (newspaper, radio, television, internet etc).
One other area where technology has played a large role is that of officiating. Different sports have embraced technology at various levels. This difference can be seen between sports like baseball or soccer, where there is minimal technology used to aid in officiating, to sports like football and hockey, where video replay can be used to aid officials.
Earlier in this decade, tennis officials faced pressure from the public to adopt technological aid to assist in line calling. This pressure had been growing as a result of the increasing speed in the game, along with the increasing number of controversial line calls by officials. It was getting ridiculous for the players; the number of bad calls was escalating as rapidly as the speed of play was increasing. There was a definite correlation between the two.
Perhaps the breaking point in this came in the form of the 2004 women’s U.S. Open quarterfinals match between Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati. In the third set of that match, there was an incorrect chair reversal of a call made by the linesperson which eventually cost Williams the match against Capriati. The mistake was acknowledged when the tournament’s head of officiating removed that official from further matches and personally called Serena Williams to apologize for the bad call.
I would argue that there is more drama in the Tennis Challenge System than we see in other Professional sports because the challenges happen frequently and the results of the challenges are determined more quickly. Deciding if a goal is scored in hockey, or a receiver has both feet in bounds for an NFL touchdown or a shot was released before the buzzer goes off in basketball can take up to 3 minutes.
For those that are not familiar with the relatively new invention – here is a quick synopsis: Hawk-Eye uses six or more computer-linked television cameras situated around the court. The computer reads in the video in real time, and tracks the path of the tennis ball on each camera. These six separate views are then combined together to produce an accurate 3D representation of the path of the ball.
Anyone who has watched a match on TV where they have used this system may have noticed that the ball seems to be elongated when projected on the court surface. This may be explained by imagining the ball hitting the ground with a lot of topspin, that it actually spun forward on the ground and deformed so much as to flatten on the ground. The mark doesn’t have to have the exact surface area of the cross-section of the ball to accurately represent the impact point of the ball.
The time it takes for this process is about 10-15 seconds. The overall flow of the match remains intact and the players, fans and television audience are rewarded with a decisive decision which seems to end any arguing by the players.
The Hawkeye system was invented by a young British computer expert Paul Hawkins, and was launched in 2001. It was first used in television coverage of sporting events such as Test cricket, and has now reached the stage of being used by officials in tennis to assist in adjudicating close line calls.
The Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami was the first tour event to officially use the technology. The 2006 US Open was the first Grand Slam event to feature the system, followed by the 2007 Australian Open. At the Australian Open, only centre court matches utilize the technology.
Unfortunately, for tennis fans everywhere, this great technology is not at all ATP or WTA events world-wide. For tennis to get back to “appointment TV” – I believe Hawkeye must be present at all Tier 1 events on both tours – and on multiple courts.
Although prior to the use of Hawkeye, players have maintained that they instinctively knew when a ball is in or out, the evidence so far has not been conclusive. Of the player challenges that have been made, subsequent rulings by Hawkeye have shown that they are only correct about 46% of the time. This data is only available through to the end of 2009.
Officials of the French Open have so far refused to take up the technology, saying that the unique characteristics of the clay court do not warrant it. As the ball makes a mark on the clay surface, it is possible for the chair umpire to get out and have a look at the mark to determine if the ball was in or out, thus avoiding the need for Hawkeye.
Players are not allowed to challenge call whenever they want – like other sports, the players have been granted a certain amount of challenges and can use them when they deem it necessary.
The current rules under which Hawk-Eye is used:
- Each player receives three challenges per set to review line calls.
- If the player is correct with a challenge, then the player retains the same number of challenges. Effectively they have an unlimited number of correct challenges to make.
- If the player is incorrect with a challenge, then one of the challenges is lost.
- During a tie-break, each player will receive an additional challenge.
- Challenges may not be carried over from one set to another.
The beauty of this system is that is does not allow a player to simply challenge a call as a momentum breaker. The system makes the players strategize about not only their opponent but the correct time to question a call.
Players are so good today that the balls are being hit faster and closer to the lines than ever before. Linesman and umpires make mistakes and this system gives everybody a conclusive result. And so far, the players seem to be enjoying the results.
As much as we all loved John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, the time spent arguing with umpires today is almost nil.
A few weeks ago, when Canadian superstar Milos Raonic lost to Andy Roddick in Memphis, we all saw how desperately tennis needs this system in place for all ATP tournaments – and not just on the stadium courts.
The Hawk-Eye Officiating System is the first and only ball-tracking system to have passed stringent ITF testing measures. It is accurate, reliable and practical. It is the best invention ever according to the Tennis Channel’s Vice President David Egdes.
“That looked ‘out’ to me.” Television audiences now expect Hawkeye’s verdict on a close line calling decision. Ardent tennis fans are fascinated by Hawkeye’s graphical representation of statistics, which have brought a whole new dimension to television coverage.
And with the recent news that Hawkeye was taken over by SONY we can expect things to just get better and better. This week’s event in Indian Wells will have Hawkeye on all 8 courts – the most ever for an ATP event.
The BNP Paribas Open continually tries to raise the bar in the tennis world, and adding Hawk-Eye to all eight of its match courts might put it out of reach with every other tournament this year. No other tournament in 2011 has plans for such expansive coverage.
“It’s only a positive thing,” said Ivan Ljubicic, the defending men’s singles champion at Indian Wells and ranked No. 16 in the world. “Less you depend on the umpires, the better. You want to be the one who decides who is better and who is not.”
Written by Michael Emmett
Not all carbs are created equal.
Most complex carbohydrates, whether they are unrefined (good, like whole grain brown rice, steel cut oats) or refined/processed (bad, like white bread, white rice) still contain 4 cals/gram. Alcohol (ugly !!!) contains a whopping 7 cals/gram!
The refining or processing of the complex carbohydrate is really what causes the problem in terms of weight gain. The refining process often removes fibre and nutrients from the carbohydrate, adding other refined simple sugars and preservatives to improve taste, sales, and shelf life.
A slice of white bread has the same 100% glycemic index value as that of a piece of red licorice. When a person eats a piece of white bread, the blood sugar level rises rapidly, causing an immediate release of insulin into the blood stream to remove the high level of sugar and store it in the fat cells. There is an immediate drop in blood sugar, causing the body to desire more carbs to raise blood sugar levels again. Eating refined complex carbohydrates can begin a vicious cycle/craving for more of the same.
Moreover, the brain does not register satiety upon ingestion of refined carbs. In other words, it’s very easy to down an entire bag of potato chips in one sitting, and not feel full. This does not occur with broccoli or steel cut oats.
Alcohol presents a triple threat to fat loss. Not only does alcohol carry more refined cals/gram, the effects of alcohol lower inhibitions and resolve to make healthy, moderate food choices. In women, it increases the secretion of the hormone oestrogen, increasing cravings for carbohydrate or sugar.
Bottom line, the good carbs are the best choice for long term health and fat loss. Stick to proper serving sizes per meal (about the size and thickness of your hand). If your lifestyle allows, eat every few hours, to keep your blood sugar levels stable, lowering cravings for sugar, keeping energy and mood swings at bay, improving nutrient levels and elimination processes .
Best good carbs? Steel cut oats, whole grain brown rice, quinoa, spinach, broccoli, and berries.
Coming soon: The Three P’s In Picking Protein……..
Written by Rachel Nir, Mayfair Parkway’s Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Ok, so it’s 2011 and every diet that could ever be created has come and gone. At this point just about everyone knows that diets don’t work right? And we all know how to make healthy food choices right? Everyone knows what it takes to lose weight and look and feel great right?
Well……………..
Over the last decade or so, there has been an explosion of new and varied dietary information, but a significant percentage of the general population is still unaware of what food choices to make to keep fit and stay healthy. Many are still confused about the three basic building blocks (aka macronutrients: carbs, proteins, and fats) that make up the food we eat. Many still do not even consider the nutritional aspect of their lifestyle, or place enough importance on its’ role in the way they look and feel. For the minority that does care and value proper nutrition the information can be overwhelming and confusing.
Should I be eating, high carb, low carb, low fat, or no-fat?
Is it better to cut out all red meat and become a vegetarian?
Nuts are healthy but fattening, should I eat any, which ones, how much?
Which are the good carbs, and which are the bad carbs?
Should I drink skim milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, lactose free milk, or no milk at all?
To be organic or not to be organic? Now that is a huge question.
Antioxidants anyone? Red wine, dark chocolate, olive oil, green tea , and berries!! Acai berry,golgi berry, blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, huckleberry—-oops, that was a boy not a berry- sorry………
AAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHH!
Ironically, there seems to be a direct correlation between the expansion of dietary information and that of the collective waistband of North America. Approximately 60% of the population is overweight, and in the US the level of obesity is creeping up towards 50%.
On such a global scale, this health dilemma may seem insurmountable. Taking a tiny cross section of the North American population, aka the Mayfair Parkway, a solution, or rather, solutions may be easier to come by.
First off, looking around the club, one can see a wide range of individuals engaged in a wide variety of fitness activities (and kudos to them all for their commitment to fitness!). The personalities are as varied as the body types in which they are contained.
Taking these variables into account, it seems logical to suggest that the right food plan or “diet” is a specifically individual challenge. Just as the personal trainer designs, educates, and “clicks” for and with each client on an individual basis, the same must go for any nutritional program.
Over the next month, Mayfair is excited to be introducing a new client-centred nutritional program; aimed to bring awareness, education, and aid, in a one-on-one manner, to the individual truly wishing to succeed in their fitness, health, and wellness goals.
Stay tuned for the next blog on nutrition coming next week….Carbohydrates: the good, the bad, and the ugly”……
Written by Rachel Nir, Mayfair Parkway’s Personal Trainer & Nutritionist
Playing in any sort of tournament is different to playing in your in house league or box ladder just because of the level of intensity you are going to experience.
What I mean by this is emotionally the match probably matters more to you and almost certainly to your opponent, you therefore need to raise your own emotional level of intensity and get used to maintaining it for the duration of the match.
Because of this level of emotional concentration most players will also push themselves physically much harder than if it were a friendly or even a Box Ladder match.
So how to prepare and how to avoid the pit falls.
- Make sure you rest well for at least 3 days before the start of the event. So many players will try to practice and improve right up to the last evening before the event. Tournaments are taxing and when you start you need to feel fresh. By all means practice but keep it short, directional and physically light for the last 3 days before the event. Learn to find the balance between practicing to feel good and know your timing when hitting the ball is sweet and resting. The old adage of getting up from a meal still wanting to eat a bit is very true in sport. Arrive at the tournament eager for competition not burnt out from too much practice.
- Recreate every little thing that might throw you off, even what you would consider to be bad calls from the referee I am assuming that the event will take place over a weekend or even for a number of days during the week. At least a month before the competition starts, if you are not used to playing 4 days in a row and you know this is likely, your first strategy is to simulate the event. Play 4 days in a row and see how your body and mind react. It can not be a shock to the system, this is when injuries occur, tempers get frayed and definitely playing simple rational and calculating squash goes out the window. If you never have a referee get used to it by asking your buddy to call the game. Get used to people watching you, create an audience either physically by asking people to sit and watch or imagine one.
- Practice replenishing your body. You have a 15 minute window after a match to take in nutrients for the maximum uptake, should you leave it any longer than that your body will likely only replenish 80% of your body’s energy stores. This will over a number of days mean that your body will not be able to perform at peak potential. All it takes is a small carton of chocolate milk or a glass of orange juice with some protein powder added. The ideal combination is 85% complex carbohydrate and 15% protein and either of these two suggestions are work. Simply pack some protein powder and buy an orange juice at the club, you have the perfect recovery drink. This is also useful after long spin rides or any other prolonged and repeated exertion.
- Get help early enough. Nothing sticks instantly, it requires grooving and practice, so be fair to yourself and set yourself up for success not failure by getting advice with enough time to implement and solidify all that you have been told.
- Lastly have fun. Fortunately most of us this is our recreation not our full time and not how we feed our family! Yes we want to show ourselves off in a good light, but believe it or not, most people watching remember how you played the game not who won. Why not leave everyone with a great impression. Play fair, have fun and make friendships that last a lifetime. Remember we only have one time to make a first impression.
The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.
Written by Barbara Cooper, Mayfair Lakeshore’s Head Squash Professional
Through the years we have witnessed enduring beauties like Liz Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren as well as present day icons like Cindy Crawford, Salma Hayek and Heidi Klum; all of these women recognize the value of giving “good face” throughout the ages, regardless of their own age. Beauty transcends time.
Modern life demands much from us, from the over-achieving student to multi-tasking power women to the do it all super dad…it’s no wonder that more and more people are finding a real need for “spa”ing.
Stress and beauty treatments have been around since Ancient times such as the beauty therapies of Cleopatra’s milk baths. Some believe the word SPA originates from the Belgian town of Spa, known since Roman times for its healing baths. Others believe it is an acronym of the Latin term “Sanitas Per Aquas” (“health through waters”).
None can deny the healthy glow that comes from proper diet, regular exercise, rest, and proper skin care is unmistakable and timeless.
Rejuvenate, Breathe, Be Mindful, Live in Consciousness, Be Present with yourself and your surroundings and Drink Plenty of Water.
Written by Vanessa Tierny, Mayfair’s Spa & Wellness Coordinator
Filed under: Squash
When playing doubles, may it squash or tennis the name implies 2 or team therefore the first priority of any doubles player is to protect and empower their partner. The old adage “Charity begins at home!” is never truer than on the doubles court.
Good teams help their partners; they stick to the game plan. They are consistent and predictable and provide emotional support and understanding, and stand by their partner through bad times as well as good. Having this attitude will mean you have a chance to sort out what is going on in the match, communicate with your partner and possibly prevail in the end.
Even when you have been playing with the same partner for years neither of you are mind readers, letting your partner know how you are feeling is not only OK but useful. When you are feeling strong take responsibility to hit the big shots at crucial points, if you are feeling more defensive then play safe until you confidence returns. You MUST however take responsibility for yourself, and honestly assess your effectiveness on the court each moment of the match. A warped perspective is not necessarily useful to your team.
On that note I remember years ago in England when I was playing for and captaining our Sussex County women’s team at a competition called “County Week” which is where 6 Counties get together at a particular venue with at least 9 tennis courts and play 5 matches in 5 days. Each day consists of 2 county teams of 3 pairs each playing 3 matches against the other team for a total of 9 matches a day.
This is a grueling schedule that means even when you have lost to the #1 team that day you have to then go out and play the #2 team and then again regardless of the result you must concentrate again for that third match of the day against the #3 team. Now here is where I learnt about perspective and it being in the “Eye of the beholder”
I dropped one of the players on my team. In the discussion that ensued as to why, she said “But I didn’t miss one of my returns of serve all day!” Unfortunately her partner’s perspective was that neither did her opponent standing at the net volleying the ball at her feet for a winner!
Had she truly been playing with her partner she would have noticed and modified this, or at the very least come off the court apologizing for “Leaving her partner vulnerable after every one of her returns of serve!”
The same is true of doubles squash; it means being aware of the shots you hit and how they affect your partner. For example if your partner is slowing down, a hard cross-court might seem like a good idea, but if it fails to get past your opponent, your partner may find themselves badly out of position, with no way of covering the next shot.
Play to enhance you partner’s strengths and cover their weaknesses and obviously the reverse is true for your opponents, play to expose their weakness and negate their strengths. If they like to run, keep them in the back, if they love hitting the ball hard, then float the ball hi over their heads and to the back. Move an immobile or slow player around the court dragging them forward and back.
Give you partner clear messages, either verbal or non verbal by moving forward or into position without hesitation. This will make your partners job of covering so much easier and consequently the relaxation and confidence between you both will build, as where to stand and what to cover will be obvious.
Let you partner do their job and have faith and trust in them. You cannot try to hit their balls and expect them to play with confidence and decisiveness.
You have chosen to play with this person so support them.
Giving them dirty looks or muttering to yourself when they miss a shot is definitely not going to bolster your partners waning confidence and will only succeed in ensuring you look ungracious in everyone’s eyes except your own.
Treat your partner how you would wish to be treated.
Support them through the rough patches and celebrate their victories, this way you will have a friend for life and enjoy all your matches win or lose.
I wish you fun on the court.
Written by Barbara Cooper, Mayfair Lakeshore’s Head Squash Professional
A Fitness, Tennis, Squash & Sports Blog by Mayfair Clubs 
