Respected bodybuilder, nutritionist, Emmerson Campbell shares top wellness tips for Christmas Season & 2022

Dec 25, 2021 News

By Kiana Wilburg

Kaieteur News – At Christmas, we all look forward to spending time with our loved ones; being totally infatuated by the spirit and exhilarating joy of the season, and of course, opening new presents –it’s a tradition we seem to never grow weary of. But of all the activities that characterizes the season, none seem to warm the seat of the soul quite like the delightful dishes that define the ultimate Guyanese Christmas.

Emmerson Campbell poses for a picture at the gym, also known as his “home away from home”

The mouth-watering pepperpot, the hot warm bread just out of the oven or freshly made from the Bakewell Bakery, the sumptuous garlic pork, baked chicken, macaroni with extra cheese and who can forget that savoury rum-flavoured slice of black cake with ginger beer or sorrel to wash it all down.
For most Guyanese, this is often just the main event. There is still the after party or parties which involve the rhythmic, Caribbean Christmas carols playing in the background, and belly full of laughs with families and friends over our favourite spirits.
But in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has perhaps, become even more important for us to think more critically about the need to inculcate habits that promote health and wellness even as we splurge on Christmas delicacies.
Since the novel Coronavirus hit Guyana in March 2020, the time has never been more urgent for Guyanese to be more conscious about how they take care of their bodies—after all, it is our first home and most times, we don’t treat it with the respect it deserves. Sadly, we even avoid making better efforts to care for it from a fitness and nutrition perspective until something goes radically wrong.

Campbell’s favourite meals that he usually prepares

One of Guyana’s finest and most reputable bodybuilders and nutritionists, Mr. Emmerson Campbell, has always stressed the need for citizens to take better care of themselves. It is a point he makes to anyone he comes into contact with. Campbell is a firm believer that your body is your temple; hence you should treat yourself as the King or Queen that you are. But Campbell who has trained scores of men and women desirous of taking better care of their temples has never campaigned for his clients to avoid indulging in their cravings for sweets or high carb foods.Even during the Christmas season, Campbell insists that persons who are on a fitness and wellness journey, can still enjoy the delicious meals of the season without undoing all of their weight loss achievements.

A focused Emmerson Campbell during one of his training sessions

During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, the Fitness Trainer, who is adored by his clients for his positive outlook on life, and is also a columnist at Stabroek News, said he even wrote about this topic about three weeks ago.
“I had written that in order to keep weight gain at a minimum, certain strategies should be implemented like snacking wisely, watching portion sizes, going easy on the alcohol, staying active and paying attention to signs of hunger and fullness.
“I would recommend enjoying your food and savouring your family favourites with portions that leave you satisfied but not stuffed. It’s not a contest to see how much you can fit in during one meal. Pace yourself, slow down, chew thoroughly and really taste your delicious meal.”
He further noted that during the Christmas season, many Guyanese binge drink, get drunk and then drive. Campbell said this is an absolute “no-no” for him. “I like to be the designated driver, so I never go overboard on the alcohol. Two glasses of wine and I am ok for the night,” expressed the bodybuilder while cautioning persons to be responsible in their alcohol consumption prior to driving during the holidays.
With respect to mistakes that are often made with nutrition, Campbell said many individuals are of the view that if they stop eating rice, they would lose weight. He stressed however that rice is not the culprit. “It is actually because they are in a caloric surplus which includes a lot of rice. You can actually lose weight eating rice by just being in a caloric deficit.”
As he advised that persons be wary of buying into the foregoing rice myth, Campbell also offered sound advice on what makes workout plans or meal plans ineffective. In this regard, he said persons often make the mistake of not ensuring these are framed within the parameters of sustainability. He said many times, persons make the mistake of doing crash diets that restrict certain food groups to get fast results. The columnist and respected Sports Journalist said, “Statistics show that 95 percent of diets fail, and that is because they are too strict and unsustainable. Also, many are of the opinion that starving themselves or eating as less as possible will enable weight loss. It will in the short term, but this is in fact the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight as the body will go into survival mode and shut down their metabolism.”

Respected bodybuilder and nutritionist, Emmerson Campbell

Campbell added, “The body will hold onto whatever water and nutrients it’s given to save for survival instead of fuel for normal daily activities and then the person will feel lethargic and unmotivated, leading to emotional eating and even further weight gain.”
The bodybuilder said the foregoing tips would not only help men and women make healthier choices that promote the upkeep of their temples but also help them in keeping their fitness and health goals in focus for 2022. In addition to those tips, he urged Guyanese to set realistic goals that are attainable and get someone who is qualified to aid in their weight loss journey. “Oftentimes people would train with someone who is not qualified. No one goes to someone who is not qualified to clean their teeth or anything medical, therefore why trust someone to transform your physique who is not qualified?”
PRACTICING WHAT HE PREACHES
Since his high school years to now, Campbell has always been a stellar embodiment of health and wellness. He was always involved in some form of sport be it track, cricket, football, or basketball.
For almost two decades he has been a fitness fanatic and his obsession with the attainment of perfection in all aspects of his life is what led him to several commendable achievements in the bodybuilding arena.
Since competing in 2015, the fitness coach is Guyana’s four-time Senior Mr. Physique Champion. He shared that one of his best accomplishments is definitely medalling three times at the highest Regional bodybuilding event, being the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships.
“It is always a pleasure to represent Guyana and be on the podium steps,” Campbell shared. He noted however, that his fitness goal in 2022 is to win the elusive gold medal at the CAC Championships. “I’ve earned a bronze medal and two silver medals. I want to win the gold and earn a Pro Card, it will be the first in Men’s Physique at that event for a Guyanese…that will be the highlight of my competitive career,” expressed the fitness coach.
At just 34-year-old Campbell is not only a respected athlete, sports columnist and fitness coach locally and regionally, but he is also a firm advocate for a strong value system and key guiding principles. Speaking to the key values/philosophies that kept him on the path to success, Campbell shared, “I am of the firm belief that if you respect yourself and treat others with respect, you will be respected. Also, in my opinion, when you have discipline and certain morals and principles like trying to be one percent better than you were the day before, a better friend, a better trainer, a better athlete, a better colleague, a better brother, son, etc, you can only achieve success…”
For the holiday season, Campbell said he intends to have a quiet day of just eating and drinking at home among friends and family. When it comes to Christmas, it’s all about family and loved ones having a fun time he posits.
As to the outlook of health and wellness that has carried him through life and will continue to guide his steps into the next year, Campbell said it will remain to take the best care of his temple as he possibly can. “…you only have one body and one life to live; why not take care of your health and wellness as best as you can? There is a saying, health is wealth, so I want to be very wealthy for as long as I am alive.”