Personal Training

I want to help everyone out there feel fit, sexy and be confident enough to get into their bikini for summer or for all the men out there, be confident and be proud to strut around with your shirt off ;)

My mission is to help increase the quality of everyone's life. If you want to get in shape and start leading a healthier lifestyle please get in contact with me and I will help you get on the right track!!

A little bit of background info on me :)

I am a qualified personal trainer  at Bondi Beach Fitness and Health specialising in weight loss, strength training, nutrition, woman's health, pre and post natal, and body sculpting.

I am also a fitness and glamour model.

I’ve done countless international magazine spreads, featured on national magazine covers, appeared in FITNESS DVD’s, appeared in fitness magazines and have also been a TV host on the sport channel FUEL TV. 

http://dominiqueletoullec.blogspot.com/2011/10/slinkiicom-get-active-get-healthy-get.html

From working in these industries, I have gained a lot of knowledge on how to stay fit and healthy. And Ive been taught some amazing secerts along the way that I love sharing with my clients.

All you need is to be DETERMINED, put in some HARD WORK and receive the RIGHT ADVICE and you're well on your way to making some positive changes in your life.

I am offering a FREE session to all first time clients to see if they would like to come on board and make all their health and fitness goals a reality.

I am here to help you achieve your goals through great training, the right nutritional advice and constant motivation.

Contact me TODAY to book in for your FREE session.

Dominiquebookings@gmail.com

Slinkii.com Get active, get healthy, get slinkii

Follow the link for my interview with Pia at
http://slinkii.com/2011/10/24/talking-with-dominique-letoullec/

New YOU Magazine - Miami

Recently I was lucky enough to be asked to write for a magazine in Miami called New YOU Magazine.

Here is my piece from their November issue.

Thank you to my America manager Roc Anderson of Ikon Entertainment, Sports and Talent and Peter Mansfield managing editor for New You Magazine in Miami for the opportunity to write for the magazine.

The text is a little small so if you have trouble reading the article below you can get the full piece at the below link

http://www.newyoumag.com/features/pumping-you-up/

Healthy Pancakes

Treat yourself with this healthy recipie for amazing pancakes :)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of quick cook oats
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• Splash of vanilla essence
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/2 – 1 grated apple (your choice, it just depends on how much fruit you want in your pancake)

 What to do

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
• Preheat pan at medium heat, oil pan with olive oil or coconut oil
• Pour 1/4 cup into the pan
• Cook for 2-3 each side (take a peek after a few minutes underneath the pancake – if it’s golden then you are ready to flip)
• Once it’s done serve with a little bit of nut butter, berries and a splash of maple syrup or agave
• Enjoy!

Reading food labels

Reading nutrition labels
Knowing about what you eat is an important part of looking after your health and wellbeing. Food labels carry information about the food such as the nutrition panel, ingredient list, country of origin and advisory statements. Most manufactured foods need a label.

Understanding the Nutrition Information Panel
Nutrition information panels are displayed on the packaging of most food and drink. Some exceptions include foods in small packages, tea, coffee, alcohol, herbs and spices. Nutrition information is listed per serve as well as per 100g or 100mL.

Here is a great breakdown of what everything on your label means

Don’t be misled by labelling tricks and traps. The terms used are often misleading.

Below are some examples:

The term ‘light’ or ‘lite’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is low in fat or energy. The term ‘light’ may refer to the texture, colour or taste of the product. The characteristic that makes the food ‘light’ must be stated on the label.

The claims ‘no cholesterol’, ‘low cholesterol’ or ‘cholesterol free’ on foods derived from plants, like margarine and oil, are meaningless because all plant foods contain virtually no cholesterol. However, some can be high in fat and can contribute to weight gain if used too generously.

‘Baked not fried’ sounds healthier, but it may still have just as much fat – check the nutrition information panel to be sure.

What to look for on your labels
Use-by date	This is found on perishable items, such as dairy products, which will go off after the printed date.
Best before	Not to be confused with "use by", "best before" is on all goods. A product will not go off after the best before date but its quality may be impaired.
Country of origin	Buy Australian. From an environmental viewpoint an Australian product is a better choice. It supports our economy and uses less fossil fuel in transportation.
Ingredient list	This is often the most revealing — listing ingredients in their order of dominance, you can see at a glance whether it's something to be avoided. If the product contains lots of things with names and numbers you don't understand it may not be bad, but if you don't have time to analyse it properly, put it back. If the product does contain numbers you don't understand, check the additive box below to see which ones should be avoided.
Nutritional panel
Per serve	If you know which brand you want, look at the "per serve" information, but first check whether the serving size is realistic — in many cases what the manufacturer says is a serve is unrealistically small.
Per 100g	Use this to compare products — try to buy the products with the least fat, sugar or salt.
Energy	Consider when you're going to eat the food and use the energy per serve guide as a benchmark to see how much of your meal intake will be made up of the food product. Energy guide: Main meals: 1200-2400kJ Snacks: 300-500kJ
Fat	If the saturated fat is over one third of the total fat content then you should use it sparingly or find a healthier alternative. Total fat guide per 100g: 20g — high 10g — okay 2g — good Consider how much you will realistically eat. For example, a low-fat cheese has a fat content of 22g per 100g but the average serve size is 30g. Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and is a worthwhile inclusion to a healthy diet.
Sugar	As with the fat guide, first check the 100g information and then consider how much you will eat. Sugar guide per 100g: 15g — high 10g — okay 3g — good
Fibre	Processed food is typically low in fibre, therefore there is some benefit to buying products listed as "high fibre" only when the product is not overly high in saturated fat, sugar and salt. The adequate intake of daily fibre is 25g. Fibre guide per serve: Over 3g — good 0.5g — low
Sodium	This is one area that's very much worth checking out as salt (or sodium) is in so many things not immediately apparent in the ingredient list. Check the sodium content per 100g before considering what your typical serve would be. Sodium guide per 100g: High sodium — 600mg Low sodium — 20mg

 

Getting ready for summer!

Wow this year really has gone fast and it’s about that time where we will be wearing less and spending a lot of our time half naked sunning ourselves at the beach. If you’re like me and freaking out about that little extra weight you've put on throughout the colder months, it's time to think ahead and get ready for the hot summer days ahead of us.

I've put together a breakdown of how I start and end my days and some other helpful tips that will hopefully get you on the right track to achieving your summer health and fitness goals.

Start your day with a glass of hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of apple cider vinegar. This helps to detoxify your liver and kick-start the body’s digestive process.

Throughout the day

• Drink lots of water – aim to drink 2Ltrs a day, when training ensure to up your intake by 500ml-1liter

• Eat lots of fiber, try to add one of the following to each meal (vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and whole grains)

• Eat low GI (Glycemic Index) foods to keep blood sugar levels stable and reduce cravings

• Choose organic foods where possible and eat foods as close to their natural state as possible

• Eat a variety of whole grains including spelt, rye, barley, oats, buckwheat, rice and quinoa. I have a 5 grain porridge I love having for breakfast (have a look in coles or woolsworth)

• Eat anti-oxidant rich foods and high quality protein, I love salmon, it is a great sourse of essential fatty acids

• Minimise salt in cooking

• Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil as your main oils (coconut oil, it is a fat that actually promotes weight loss!)

Keep in mind throughout the day

• Avoid overeating

• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly

• Go for a short walk after eating if you can as this helps to promote digestion

Avoid!!

• Processed foods

• Packaged foods – look at the ingredients label and if the product has a long list of ingredients it’s probably best to avoid it.

• Junk and fast foods

• Refined sugar and products containing white sugar

• Products made from refined white flour such as white bread, pasta, most cereals and most cakes, pies and pastries

• Refined white rice – choose brown or basmati rice instead

• Processed fruit juices, try to stick to eating your fruit and juicing your vegatables

• Canned vegetables as they tend to be high in sodium (salt), which is a big contributor to bloating and fluid retention. If you do choose to eat canned food ensure to rinse in water before consuming.

• Caffeine and other stimulants

• Alcohol

• Refined oils

• Artificial sweeteners

• Food additives, colours and flavours

• Table salt – sea salt is good in moderation

Final tips to keep in mind

• Always eat breakfast – breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it fuels the body after the night’s famine.

• Be wary of large portions –For example a portion of pasta is 1 cup, not 2-3 cups. A portion of meat is approximately the size and thickness of the a person’s palm

• Dinner should be the smallest meal of the day and should be eaten 2-3 hours before bed to allow the body to digest the food and not interfere with sleeping. This isn't always practical, especially given that a lot of socialising revolves around eating out. If you know you're going out for a big dinner, then try to eat a lighter lunch to balance it out.

For more healthy tips, 1 on 1 personal training or group training contact me at dominiquebookings@gmail.com

Social networking pages

Hey guys,

I hope you are staying focused and working towards the goals you have set for yourself whether it be in your health & fitness, relationships or work.

If your not already connected with me through my public pages please 'follow' or 'like' my below pages.

Here you will find daily updates from me on all things health and fitness.

I hope I encourage you to pursue your goals, and to do so in a healthy way.

http://twitter.com/#!/DomLeToullec

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dominique-Le-Toullec/113426887209

Brasilfit

I was lucky enough to be the face of Brasilfit’s latest campaign and I am happy to announce they are having a HUGE sale this weekend.

Brasilfit is stylish and sexy with glamorous designs that are perfect for the person who is fit and wants to stand out in a crowd. All their garments are made from the best fabrics which are so comfortable, it even adds the extra bonus of lifting and holding you in all the right places so you look amazing even before exercising.

For more info on the sale this weekend click here

If you’re not from Sydney, you can still benefit from this sale and shop online at http://www.brasilfit.com/

The healthy way to detox

When we change our diet, eating behaviors and patterns, often our body and mind have something to say about it.

I am extremely passionate about educating people on healthy clean eating. I’ve been on a mission to find a detox that allowed me to consume food whilst naturally detoxing my body. I am not a huge fan of juice detoxes, it’s not that I don’t think they work (I think one juice detox a year can be beneficial) but personally I just love my food way too much and cannot imagine cutting it out even for one day.

After a lot of research, I came across a detox that suited me perfectly. One where amazing fresh food was allowed to be consumed five times a day. Eating five times a day is critical to avoiding energy slumps, tiredness, food cravings and eating ‘unhealthy’ food.

The company that is behind this amazing detox is Eatfitfood.

Being on their detox’s is more like having a personalized chef deliver healthy, delicious, organic meals and snacks for you every day.

My food was delivered to my doorstep early in the morning on my first day of the program. Every second day I receive two eski bags full with my three meals for the day and two snacks.

My welcome pack informs me that I have a week of amazing food coming my way with a variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables, locally-sourced fish and organic chicken. Red meat, dairy, wheat, gluten and preservatives are not included in the menu.

Here is a sample menu of one of my days

Pre Breakfast – REJUVENATE with apple, carrot, celery, beetroot and ginger juice and/or a warm water with a squeeze of lemon.

Note: A pre-breakfast cup of warm WATER with a dash of apple-cider vinegar or lemon juice helps to hydrate after an overnight drought. It also helps to ignite the digestive system & aid the fiber in our breakfast to works its digestive magic.

Breakfast – Detox muesli with rice milk and poached berries.

Note: There is enough evidence out there now to prove that WITHOUT breakfast, our BRAIN & ENERGY levels go to mush.

Breakfast assists in providing fuel for our day, it helps to set-up the energy balance sheet for the day & heavily influences our mood/ emotions.

Breakfast helps to optimise our metabolism, the speed at which we utilize the energy we consume.

A healthy metabolism = easy & healthy body weight maintenance.

Snack 1 – Eat fit food cleanse bar, which I eat before or shortly after breakfast and I ensure to drink 2 liters of water a day for proper absorption.

Note: Eating healthy mid-morning, mid-afternoon & perhaps even supper snacks help to maintain energy levels & prevent over eating.

Lunch – Roast pumpkin and caramelized onion frittata with side salad

Note: A portion-perfect balanced LUNCH with adequate nutrition & calories nourishes productivity & effectiveness with little threat of failing energy levels or post-meal sluggishness.

Snack 2 – Fruit

Dinner – Chilli, ginger and lemongrass barramundi with broccoli, green beans, brown rice, squash and lemon

Note: EATFITFOOD dinners are filled with sufficient lower GI carbohydrate to ride the overnight fast, lean nutritious protein & plenty of nutrition-rich vegetables.

I was so happy and satisfied after my week detoxing with Eatfitfood, the meals were in generous portions and I didn’t feel deprived. I definitely would not call this a hard detox. It also felt quite indulgent to be eating organic, local produce every day.

I think starting an eat fit food program is a great way of teaching you how to eat healthy, helps you control your portion sizes and generally sets you up for healthy eating.

* Eat fit food caters to vegetarians. You can also request gluten free (although the program is mostly gluten-free). They also do other type of meal programs like healthy eating and weight loss to name some. Click on this link to find more info on those programs. Eatfitfood.

Below are some sample pictures of the meals provided by eatfitfood

 

 



LISTEN: and trust your body; if you only need ½ the meal portion to satisfy your appetite, then so be it.

EAT CONSCIOUSLY: take the time to sit, chew and enjoy every mouthful of your EFF meal. Conscious eating helps you to know when you are getting full.

HYDRATE: Stay hydrated, aim to drink 2L of water each day. Hydration is critical to elimination/ detoxification.

MOVE: Learn to enjoy some form of physical activity most days of the week e.g. jogging, yoga or walking etc. Exercise is important for eliminating wastes from the body and the mind.

SLEEP: Try to get a solid 6-8hours of sleep every night of the week.

AVOID: Caffeine containing drinks; coffee, soft drinks, cigarettes and alcohol.

How to be healthier without much effort

Sometimes it can be hard keeping up with all the ‘right’ things we're meant to be doing to stay fit and healthy. I’ve put together a list of some easy ways to be healthier without even trying.

Tip 1 # At the start of your day, drink warm water with a squeeze of lemon. Have this before you have your breakfast, it is an amazing way to kick start your metabolism. For the hard core healthy nuts out there try also adding apple cider vinegar with the lemon.

Tip 2 # Have a substantial breakfast. This really is the most important meal of the day. I usually have a big bowl of porridge to start me off which gives me heaps of energy, and also keeps me fuller for longer. If you don’t eat breakfast you're more likely to eat something unhealthy to for fill your hunger.

Tip 3 # Make sure you chew your food well and eat slowly. This is definitely my downfall, when I have a yummy plate of food in front of me, it is usually gone within minutes. My trick is to put my knife and fork down between mouthfuls.

Tip 4 # Control your portion sizes.

Tip 5 # Do not eat when you are not hungry. Most people will eat out of boredom and when they aren’t actually hungry. Try swapping the food for a glass of water or a herbal tea.

Tip 6 # Eat everything in moderation. I think this is extremely important. I do not, and will not ever diet. I believe in eating healthy food, but I do not deny myself completely if there is something I am craving. If you start denying yourself you are just setting yourself up for a binge fest.

Tip 7 # Stop drinking soft drinks. Try having a healthy juice everyday. This will help you consume your recommended daily intake of veggies and fruits. Other alternatives to soft drinks are herbal teas, coconut water, and of course water.

Spring is just around the corner so try and incorporate these simple little changes which will help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

          xx

What are the benefits of weight lifting for woman?

I come across so many woman who do not truly understand the positive impact weight lifting can have when introduced into your training.

By adding weight lifting into your exercise routine, you’ll be able to feel and see the benefits quickly, by losing weight, gaining muscle, and toning and sculpting until you get the body you’ve always wanted.

Most people  shy away from weight lifting because they are afraid they will bulk up and appear too masculine. This is simply not the case, although I do understand some females out there do build muscle very quickly and are afraid of weight training for that reason, it all comes down to what type of weight lifting you are doing. *If you are one of those people that builds muscle quickly ask your trainer directly how you can transform that amazing muscle into lean and toned muscle.

Adding weight lifting into your exercise routine can help dramatically increase your metabolism, tone and sculpt your body and strengthen your bones. It can also help you lose weight faster, this is because the more muscle you build the more calories you lose throughout the day even when you are resting.  To put it bluntly woman who lift weights burn more calories than woman who don’t. What more motivation do you need!

I’ve put together a list of all the benefits to encourage you to get started!

1. You will lose body fat – Weight lifting helps with weight loss because the more lean muscle a woman has, the more calories she burns.  Strength training increases your metabolic rate by increasing the calories you burn on a daily basis. The more calories you burn, the more chance you have to drop body fat.

2. You will be physically stronger – Being stronger can benefit in many ways, day to day activities will become easier. Lifting your kids, doing the groceries or lifting heavy objects will become easier and you will be far less likely to injure yourself. Through weight training you can expect substantial increase in your strength. Quality of life is better because you can perform activities with more ease and less pain.

3. Your mood will be improved, and it can fight depression – Weight training can make you feel more confident and capable. It can also significantly improve a person’s mood.

4. Injury prevention – Strength training strengthens our muscles and tendons. The stronger we are the less chance we have of an injury. This is especially important as we grow older.  Strengthening the muscles around our joints is one of the best ways to prevent and recover from injury. For example: The best way to recover from a knee injury is to strengthen the quads and calves. I have also seen lots of study proving that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and weight training can also increase spinal bone mineral density. This coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium can be a woman’s best defense against osteoporosis.

5. You will reduce your risk of diabetes – Weight training can improve the way the body processes sugar which reduces the risk of diabetes.

I hope I have encouraged some of you ladies out there to push past your insecurities of weight training and decide to try it out and reap the benefits J

Please remember that before you start your weight lifting routine make sure you are taught on proper lifting techniques. Ask a professional at the gym to show you the proper technique so you’re lifting the right way. If your using free weights, make sure you’re using weights that are appropriate for you.

                                                                 

xx

Clean eating



Do you find yourself eating healthy all week and then something happens (you’re stressed, you’re bored, you’re having that time of the month, you’re out with your friends) and all your healthy clean eating flies out the window! You end up eating your week’s worth of calories in one night, and instantly feel regret.

How can we prevent things like this happening? We need to focus our attention on controlling exactly what goes into our mouths. Creating healthier alternatives for ourselves by substituting bad ingredients with good ingredients.

One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to nutrition is training your taste buds to clean eating. Many people hesitate to start cleaning up their diets because they think it’s going to be boring and bland.  But in reality, it doesn’t have to be like that at all. You just need to be more creative and put some thought into your food intake process. You can cook the same recipes that you love and make it “clean” by substituting the bad stuff with good.

This is a list of healthy substitutes to start you off –

Don’t sacrifice the taste, substitute the ingredient!

Instead of milk chocolate try carob or dark chocolate

Instead of white bread switch to whole wheat, multi, rye bread, sourdough

Instead of salad dressing try vinegar, lemon or olive oil

Instead of soda drink sparkling water or H2coco coconut water

Instead of chips have air popped pop corn

Instead of refined pasta try whole wheat or quinoa pasta

Instead of calorie filled cookies TRY my healthy cookie recipe below

Try and grill and bake instead of fry

To eat clean we really just need to start paying attention to our food. Start reading your labels. Eat organic as much as possible. It may take some time to change your habits and train your taste buds, but soon enough it will become your second nature.

If you are one of those people that stocks your pantry full of chips and chocolate, you will need to find healthier alternatives. Try setting aside one day in the week where you hit your kitchen and cook up some healthy alternatives. Bake a batch of my cookies below, air pop some pop corn. Put these in your pantry and replace the bad stuff. When you next have your ‘moment’ of needing something bad, you will have something that is still tasty but will not be filled with unnecessary calories that will leave you feeling guilty.

Also look in your healthy aisle at your local supermarket and I’m sure you can find a ‘healthier’ alternatives to buy than what you’re currently eating.

My guilt free chocolate chip cookie receipe

I’ve substituted some ingredients and created this recipe for a healthy alternative to eating those calorie filled cookies. Now you can enjoy your cookie without feeling the guilt after.

What you need

1/3 cup cooked oats

3 tbsp. agave nectar or honey

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (no high fructose! no hydrogenated oils!)

What to do

1. Mix everything (except the chocolate chips)

2. Slowly mix in chocolate chips (the warm oats will melt your chips if you mix too much)

3. Place spoonful on baking paper lined

4. Bake at 180 for 15-20mins (depends how soft you like your cookies)

Remember, these cookies are healthy so the texture will be a little different with the oatmeal as the base. This receipie is for a small batch so feel free to increase measurements. Enjoy :)