Category: Nutrition (Page 41 of 45)

Shake it up, Part II

June 20, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Just over a month ago I gave out a recipe for a healthy smoothie/shake that was packed with protein and good carbs to keep the hunger pangs away. Well, I’ve got another shake recipe – this one a little more out of the box – I drink on a regular basis that’s full of the same good carbs, but even more protein.

Once again, feel free to change the serving size as you wish:

– Blend three ice cubes
– 1 Banana
– 1 Cup of dried oatmeal
– 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter (lowest sugar content you can find)
– A dash of cinnamon
– A scoop of either chocolate or vanilla protein powder
– 1 Cup skim/low fat milk

Calories: 645
Protein: 46
Carbs: 76
Total Fat: 20 (mostly from the peanut butter)

Don’t put too much cinnamon in it or else it will taste a little bitter. You’ll mostly taste the banana and protein powder, which in my opinion at least, is damn good.

Diets, Food preparation, Nutrition, Protein

Don’t skip breakfast

June 5, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

As generations pass, it seems like more and more people are skipping breakfast before work for a few extra minutes of Z’s. To most people, it’s a fair trade off considering they’re probably not hungry in the morning anyways, especially after weeks, months, even years of foregoing the most important meal of the day.

Well, stop it, because you’re costing your body health-wise by skipping breakfast than another 10 minutes of hitting the snooze button on your alarm clock.

Here are just some of reasons breakfast not only jumpstarts are day, but can lend to a healthier lifestyle:

? Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol
? Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
? Control their weight
? Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease

Think of the process as starting your car in the winter. Would you drive you car in the dead of winter after not warming it up? If you do, you’re causing damage to your engine, which of course could lead to future problems. Same thing with your body – would you start an entire day without breakfast (your “warm up”)? Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism, which helps you – as one of the above bullet points mentioned – control weight.

Instead of trying to cram five extra minutes of sleep into mornings, get to bed five minutes early so you can wake up with plenty of time to get ready and have yourself a decent breakfast.

Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Shake it up

May 15, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Whether its work, school or children, outside factors can get in the way of healthy eating. You hear that six meals a day is the optimal for a healthy body, but as the hours in a day tick by, sometimes you might feel it’s impossible to even sit down and eat three times a day. With that said, a blender can be just as valuable in your kitchen as the burners on your stove.

Don’t underestimate the power shakes and smoothies can have on your diet. For one, they’re obviously quicker to make than cooking an entire meal. Saving time is usually what most people strive for and blending up a smoothie can take less than three minutes. Another benefit of shakes and smoothies is the amount of power-packed food you can put in them. Healthy diary products such as milk and yogurt, protein powders, peanut butter, and healthy carbs like fruit and oatmeal are all items you can whip up into not only a tasty meal, but a healthy and quick one too. Finally, shakes and smoothies fill up your stomach so you feel full longer and have the energy to stave off hunger until your next meal.

Here’s a recipe for a healthy smoothie packed with good carbs and protein. Feel free to change the serving sizes as you wish:

– Blend three ice cubes
– 1 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries
– 1 Cup oatmeal (you don’t have to cook it)
– 1 Container of yogurt (get a yogurt low in sugar)
– 1 Cup milk
– Blend on high until all the ingredients are mixed

Feel free to add a scoop of whey protein to insure you’re getting enough daily protein for those working out.

Diets, Drinks, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Protein

Bacteria as a supplement?

May 13, 2007 / Mike Furci

Exterminating bacteria, are we overdoing it?? Many scientists think so, with antibacterial this and antibacterial that.? Scientists are especially concerned about eliminating bacteria inside of our bodies.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? In fact, tens of millions of people suffer from “dysbiosis”, a pathological change in intestinal flora, and don’t even know it. You may be one of them.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? In the June 2004 Alternative Medicine Review, researchers report that intestinal dybiosis is related to a number of factors associated with modern western living.? These factors include; diet, antibiotics, and stress.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? In his special report ”Probiotics: The Answer to Many Mystery Illnesses,” NewsMax’s Dr. Russell Blaylock writes, “Whether you realize it or not, your body needs bacteria, especially good types. The good types of bacteria are called ‘probiotics’ and they include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, E. coli, and Acidophilus. They perform a vital function — they fight the bad bacteria like pathogenic (harmful) E. coli species and other killer germs.”
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, a former member of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine policy, told Wired magazine, “Probiotics have resulted in complete elimination of eczema in 80 percent of the people we’ve treated.”
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dr. Pizzorno, who has also used probiotics to treat irritable bowel syndrome and even diabetes, said, “It’s unusual for me to see a patient with a chronic disease that doesn’t respond to probiotics.”
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? According to NYU Medical Center microbiologist Dr. Martin Blaser, “The microbes that live in the human body are quite ancient. They’ve been selected (through evolution) because they help us.” Dr. Blaser is among many scientists who believe modern sanitary practices which promote the overuse of everything from mouthwashes to bathroom cleansers have upset the ancient balance.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Exposure early in life to microbes, scientists believe, causes mild inflammation that helps the body calibrate its responses to germs and contaminants later on. Some researchers say that unless people are exposed as infants, they can end up with poorly balanced immune systems.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dr. Pizzorno recommends getting probiotics from doctors and medical specialists. He said that consumer probiotics may or may not contain proper strains of bacteria, and that the bacteria in consumer products are often dead.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dr. Blaylock agrees. He writes, “A wide variety of organisms are sold as probiotics, but studies have shown that not all are effective. Some are very sensitive to stomach acid and are killed before they reach the colon, while others are acid resistant.”
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dr. Blaylock goes on to describe all the benefits of probiotics, and details how and when to take them. To get Dr. Blaylock’s special report, ”Probiotics: The Answer to Many Mystery Illnesses,” Go Here.

Newsmax Health Alert

Foods products, Men's Health and Wellness, Supplements

Decoding food labels

May 8, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

A sad fact in the food industry is how companies are getting away with using complicated terms and numbers on labels. These companies are basically confusing or misleading the public by highlighting words like, “low fat!” or “less sugar!” when the truth of the matter is these food products are still hiding dirty little secrets.

Besides cutting out sugary sweets, sodas and fast food, we must go a step further in our quest for a healthy body and start learning how to read labels. Nearly two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight, meaning we’re choosing to eat unhealthy meals, or are being fooled by what is being called “healthy” food.

Check out Men’s Heath Nutrition Label Decoder. It’s an interactive tool to help you learn how to read a label and how to differ between insoluble and soluble fibers, fructose, glucose and lactose sugars, and why not all fats are bad for you.

Cholesterol, Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci