Category: Drinks (Page 2 of 3)

Can coffee help with sugar addiction?

May 4, 2011 / Mike Furci

The reason why you get addicted to any food, but particularly sugar, is because your brain has opioid receptors (heroin is an opioid). Interestingly, sugar binds to the same addictive receptors as cocaine and other addictive drugs. These opioid receptors are part of a primitive reward system that helps you detect, select and enjoy eating fresh foods over rancid ones.

Today, however, we live in a world where we are surrounded, not only by food in general, but by processed foods that are typically loaded with sugar. Unfortunately, this has led to a saturation of our opioid receptors, and we’ve become addicted to foods that are extremely harmful.

Now, there are compounds called opioid receptor antagonists. That means once they occupy the receptors, they prohibit you from being addicted to something else. And coffee is an opioid receptor antagonist. Caffeine can bind to your opioid receptors and may diminish the addictive impact of another substance like sugar.

“If you are addicted to sugar, for instance, and you really want to train your body gradually get rid of this addiction, using coffee would be a viable way to help yourself achieve this. Train yourself to drink black coffee. Drink it sugarless on an empty stomach and you will see how, gradually, the cravings will dissipate…”
Ori Hofmekler

So, all in all, it appears coffee may have some valuable redeeming benefits, particularly to boost the benefits of your morning workout, as long as you get high quality organic coffee, ground your own beans to make sure it’s fresh, and avoid adding sugar.

Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, The Anti-Estrogenic Diet, Maximum Muscle Minimum Fat, and the upcoming book Unlocking the Muscle Gene is an expert on how to improve your health with foods.
Mercola.com video transcript

Anti-Aging, Diets, Drinks, Food preparation, Foods products, Medical Issues for Men, Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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XYIENCE and UFC Announce Ultimate Access Sweepstakes

February 5, 2011 / Mike Furci

XYIENCE and the UFC recently launched an exciting promotion, Ultimate Access Sweepstakes where MMA fans have a chance to experience the UFC Fan Expo in Toronto as a VIP –including attending the fight with Jon Jones.

The Ultimate Access Sweepstakes gives mixed martial arts (MMA) fans the chance to receive VIP treatment at the UFC Fan Expo, being held at the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto, April 29 – 30, 2011. One lucky winner and a guest will receive round trip airfare and hotel accommodations and VIP passes for the UFC Fan Expo.
If that isn’t enough, the Ultimate Access Sweepstakes winner will receive VIP access to the UFC weigh-in on Friday, April 29, as well as tickets to attend UFC® 129: ST-PIERRE vs. SHIELDS at Rogers Centre on Saturday, April 30 as a guest of UFC light heavyweight Jon “Bones” Jones. After the fight, Jones and XYIENCE spokesmodels Amber Nichole and Amanda Corey will escort the winner to the official UFC 129 after party hosted by XYIENCE.
Fans can enter at http://www.ufc.com/xyience-ufc129, and the contest runs through Thursday, Mar. 11, 2011. There is no purchase necessary and the Ultimate Access Sweepstakes, which is open to legal residents of the United States (excluding residents of Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Rhode Island) who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. The winner will be selected at random.
“We’re making history at this event –it’s the first UFC Fan Expo in Canada, and there are going to be more UFC fighters at this event than any other, so if you’re a fan, you have to enter. I’m going to make sure that the winner gets the red carpet treatment in Toronto, including hanging out with me and the XYIENCE models at the fight,” Jones, the newest addition to XYIENCE’s team of UFC fighters, said. “It’s the fans that drive fighters to train and fight hard, so when we get to spend time getting to know fans, it’s a lot of fun. Thanks to the UFC and XYIENCE for making this happen.”

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Coconut: Craze or Credible!

July 15, 2010 / Staff

The Chicago Tribune has done some research on the Coconut Craze.

Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California-Davis, thinks coconut water is fine to drink for hydration ? if you like the taste.

Applegate takes issue with some of the health endorsements including weight loss and heart health claims.

It would be nice to see this kind of scrutiny given to all nutritional claims made by big business:

Most of these sites that promote and sell coconut oil originate from coconut-producing countries, including India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Instead of research studies, you’ll find articles written by coconut oil advocates ? including Mary Enig, vice president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a controversial organization that is critical of “traditional diets” and extols the benefits of saturated fat.

Cholesterol levels, Diets, Drinks, Foods products, Nutrition, Sports Health and Fitness

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Xyience offers a chance to win a UFC weekend

May 18, 2010 / Mike Furci

XYIENCE, maker of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), announces that one lucky winner of its new Las Vegas/UFC Weekend Experience Sweepstakes will have a chance to spend the weekend in Las Vegas, attend a UFC fight and to train at XYIENCE team athlete Wanderlei Silva?s state-of-the-art mixed martial arts (MMA) training facility, Wand Fight Team. The sweepstakes, which kicks off on May 1 and runs through August 31, 2010 is being held in conjunction with up to 40,000 of XYIENCE?s independent retailers across the United States (excluding Ark., Fla., Miss, N.C., N.Y., R.I. and S.C.) The grand prize also includes airfare, hotel accommodations and two tickets to a UFC event. Entries can be submitted at www.xyience.com/promo. No purchase necessary to enter, though winners must be legal residents of the United States and at least 18 years old with valid proof of age. Winners will be selected at random and announced in mid September.

XYIENCE will also award 10 second-place prize packages that will include a video game console and a 2010 edition of an MMA video game. Thirty third-place winners receive gift cards redeemable for a future UFC pay-per-view event.

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The Energy Drink Ranking

March 5, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

The MensFitness.com staff breaks down the most popular energy drinks and gives their thoughts on taste and nutritional impact.

LO-CARB MONSTER
20 calories, 6 g carbs
Our thoughts: Seems supersweet at first, but after a few sips, the caramel-ish flavor ends up tasty and thirst quenching.
The expert’s: With just 10% of the calories in regular Monster, you still get the same buzz, thanks to stimulants like caffeine and guarana, but don’t fall for the hype on any herbal or “energy blend” ingredients: Most have iffy research backing them up.
GURU LITE
10 calories, 2 g carbs
Our thoughts: Carbonated cough syrup, the lingering taste of gummy bears, and a chemical afterburn once you finish. Gross.
The expert’s: Guru’s calories come from organic sugarcane juice, plus a few sweet, potent herbs like guarana and gingko, which help with energy, memory, and concentration. But the flavor’s not great. End of story.
RED BULL SUGAR-FREE
10 calories, 3 g carbs
Our thoughts: The gold standard isn’t necessarily solid gold. Even if you drink it a lot, the vodka’s likely disguising the tart medicinal quality that’s similar to aspirin dissolving on your tongue.
The expert’s: Only 10 calories, but keep in mind how small the can is. Plus, the formula is pretty average: taurine., B vitamins, and, of course, caffeine.