Category: Nutrition (Page 7 of 45)

      The lowdown on training with nutritional supplements

      October 31, 2011 /

      Whatever you’re into, whether it’s weightlifting, bodybuilding, athletics of whatever sort or just plain keeping fit, there’s a huge, huge and often pretty bewildering range of sports supplements out there that will complement your training routine. But which ones do you really need? From instant whey proteins to amino acids, nitric oxide (Jack3d being a good example of a popular one) there’s loads of stuff out there. If you want to get a good overview about the essentials, then read on…

      Find yourself a nutritionist
      Because it can be a bit daunting, many people who want to get serious about their fitness regime – it’s not essential that you do, but can be a bit of a minefield for a newbie.

      Protein Powders
      Found in food like meat, fish, dairy, and soy, pulse and vegetable products, protein is essential for building muscle. The three principal types used in supplements are:

      • Whey
      • Casein
      • Soy

      Found in milk, whey protein is arguably the best and most popular of this trio of proteins, because it’s fast-absorbing has the highest value of providing branched-chain amino acids. In this way, instant whey helps build and maintain muscle mass. And not only this, but whey is also an antioxidant, helping to jack the body’s immune system, helping in the fight against regime-ruining illnesses.

      There are three principle types of shake you can get:

      • Low carb, low-calorie, low fat: perfect for weight loss while maintaining muscle mass
      • High protein, high calorie, low fat: perfect for muscle gain
      • Medium carbs, medium calories: perfect for a quick and easy meal replacement

      Amino Acid Supplements
      The essential building blocks of protein (the stuff your muscles are made of), amino acid supplements provide the combination of essential amino acids the body requires to grow and repair itself – and ones that the body simply doesn’t produce itself, and must therefore get from food sources – or supplements. Found in protein-rich sources such as meat, fish, dairy, soy, vegetable, pulse and grain products, athletes also commonly complement their intake with supplements.

      Nitric Oxide
      Necessary for intercellular communication, nitric oxide is made by the body and is required for all physiological processes that take place inside the human body, enhancing blood flow to the furthest corners of the body. This is therefore a really important supplement for those who want to build muscle.

      N.B.
      It’s entirely possible to overdose with NO2 and common side effects can include (but are by no means limited to) weakness, diarrhoea and nausea. You find out your optimum level by “tolerance mapping”, whereby you take a small dosage for one week, recording the associated benefits and side effects, and continue raising the dosage over a number of weeks until the optimum level is reached – which, if course, will have you seeing the most benefits with the least amount of side effects.

      Nutrition

      Fall is a good time to get fit

      October 6, 2011 /

      Many of us fall into the same patterns. With summer on the horizon, we start working out in May with the hope we will look good in our swimsuits. Late in the year, the holidays come around, you eat too much at all the parties, and then you wake up on January 2nd looking and feeling bad again.

      It’s time to break that cycle. This year, try to be proactive by committing to working out and eating right during the fall and into the holidays. The gyms will be less crowded, and it’s a great time to develop good habits that will stay with you through the year.

      Think about starting some new exercises. If you haven’t been doing weight training, then maybe this is a good time to start.

      Also, if you’re going to try something like more weight training, then take a look at protein powder and creatine. These are important supplements if you’re serious about building muscle, but keep in mind that overall nutrition and eating habits are equally important. These items should supplement your diet. Do your research and consult your doctor or a nutritionist, but things like whey protein are very popular with people looking to get in shape and look fit.

      It’s also a great time to focus on cardio. Many people lose sight of this as the weather gets bad. They stay inside and get less exercise. Now is the time to be consistent and get your cardio in the gym. Find out what works best for you – the bike, treadmill or other machines.

      Good luck, and you’ll feel better after those holiday dinners!

      General training, Nutrition, Weight training

      Bottled water – Do you know what you’re drinking?

      September 22, 2011 /

      Where is the bottled water you’re drinking come from?

      Has it been tested for contaminants, and has it been purified?

      Has it purified?

      The Environmental Working Group (EWG) decided to find the answers to the above basic questions. According to the EWG, nine out of the top ten best-selling brands of bottled water fail to provide answers to all three. Only one of the 173 bottled water products surveyed, Nestlé’s Pure Life Purified Water, discloses this information right on the label, and provides information for requesting a water quality test report. 18 percent of bottled waters do not tell you where their water comes from, and 32 percent do not disclose anything about the treatment or the purity of the water.

      In all, only three bottled water products received a good rating for transparency from the EWG:
      *Nestlé’s Pure Life Purified Water
      *Gerber Pure Purified Water
      *Penta Ultra-Purified Water

      Why are these companies so secretive about the water their selling? Could it be the ridiculous price they charge for what many brands of bottled water amount to, tap water?

      To see the full report go HERE.

      Drinks, Nutrition, Product review, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      In a previous Q&A I discuss food and hypothyroidism

      September 18, 2011 /

      Hypothyroidism can be caused by a variety of things. In this country, diet is the main culprit. Our food supply is so deficient in nutrients and loaded with anti-nutrients that it’s really no surprise we are experiencing health problems in epidemic proportions. Vegetable oils (polyunsaturated fats) are a huge contributor to hypothyroidism, obesity, cardio vascular disease and other health problems. These are man-made foods that have only been around since the early 1900s, with soy oil becoming the number one cooking oil by the 1950s.

      Soy products, like soy oil and protein, contain extremely high amounts of goitrogens. Goitrogens are naturally occurring substances that interfere with the normal function of the thyroid gland by blocking the synthesis of thyroid hormones and slowing ones metabolism. Before inexpensive polyunsaturated fats became common place, beef tallow, lard, olive oil and tropical oils were in use; heart disease, hypothyroidism, obesity, diabetes and other diseases were but a fraction of the incidence they are today.

      Read the rest HERE.

      Anti-Aging, Diabetes, Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Obesity, Weight Loss, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Food additive makes you fat

      September 10, 2011 /

      Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a widely used food additive that may lead to obesity. It is often present in processed foods although it is frequently not clearly labeled. MSG is frequently seen hiding behind such innocent-sounding names as hydrolyzed protein, vegetable protein, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, whey protein, and natural flavoring, spices, enzymes, autolyzed yeast extract, stock, broth and carrageenan. If MSG was as benign as the food industry says it is, why do they have to disguise the name?

      In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers followed more than 10,000 adults in China for about 5.5 years on average. The researchers measured MSG intake directly by before-and-after weighing of products, such as bottles of soy sauce, to see how much people ate. They also asked people to estimate their intake over three 24-hour periods. Men and women who ate the most MSG (a median of 5 grams a day) were about 30 percent more likely to become overweight by the end of the study than those who ate the least amount of the flavoring (less than a half-gram a day), the researchers found. After excluding people who were overweight at the start of the study, the risk rose to 33 percent.”

      Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Obesity, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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