Category: Xternal Furci (Page 38 of 42)

It’s not enough just to have a spotter…

…make sure you have a competent one, too. Here’s a video clip to help encourage your ass to have a partner or spotter who knows what the hell they’re doing. (Thanks to one of our readers, Build Muscle Fast, for sharing the clip).

The kid who breaks the fish tank and yells out, “Mom! Mom!” is hilarious.

Hair Triggers

In the Feburary issue of Men’s Health, the mag offers advice to fix four hidden causes of shedding:

1. Sudden Hair Loss
The trigger is emotional or physical trauma. The shock can cause telogen effluvium, a condition that makes hair stop growing and fall out. “Imagine going bald overnight,” says Jessie Cheung, M.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at New York University school of medicine. As your mind and body recover, so too will your hairline.

2. Steady Hair Loss
Hair follicles demand a steady infusion of nutrients to sustain rapid growth. If you’re shedding more than usual for 2 or 3 months straight, look at your diet: Too little iron, biotin, or zinc can send hair into starvation mode. To restore those nutrients, eat more broccoli, spinach, and eggs. Also, pop a daily multivitamin, such as Centrum.

3. A Round, Smooth Patch
A silver-dollar-size bare spot signals alopecia areata. The cataglst is still unknown, but stress and genetics are likely culprits, says Kevin McElwee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of British Columbia. See a dermatologist for corticosteroid injections to ease the inflammation causing your hair to hibernate.

4. A Round, Scaly Patch
You probably have tinea capitis, a fungal infection. (Think athlete’s foot of the head.) Your body battles back with a wave of white blood cells that harm hair follicles. Try an over-the-counter antifungal shampoo, such as Nizoral. If that doesn’t work, as for a prescription antifungal medication, such as Lamisil.

Breakfast Pita

Here’s an interesting recipe from Men’s Health for a breakfast pita:

4 white mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp chopped onion
1 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
?? Pinch of ground black pepper
1 egg
1 egg whites
? small tomato, seeded and chopped
3 Tbsp water or 1% milk
1 whole-wheat pita, halved and toasted
? avocado, sliced

Coat a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and black pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, tomato, and water or milk. Whisk together until frothy. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the eggs are firm. Fill each pita with half the eggs and top with the avocado slices. Makes 1 serving.

Getting to the bottom of high protein intake

In the October issue of Men’s Health, the mag debunks five nutrition myths concerning (among other things) protein intake, potatoes and salt. Among the five, the most interesting was Myth #1: “High protein intake is harmful to your kidneys.”

The mag reads:

The origin: back in 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your “glomerular filtration rate,” or GFR. Think of GFR as the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. From this finding many scientists made the leap that a higher FGR places your kidneys under greater stress.

What science really shows: Nearly 2 decades ago, Dutch researchers found that while a protein-rich meal did boost GFR, it didn’t have an adverse effect on overall kidney function. In fact, there’s zero published research showing that downing hefty amounts of protein – specifically, up to 1.27 grams per pound of body weight a day – damages healthy kidneys.

The bottom line: As a rule of thumb, shoot to eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you’re a chubby 200 pounds and want to be a lean 180, then have 180 grams of protein a day. Likewise if you’re a skinny 150 pounds but want o be a muscular 180.

Anyone who has gotten sound nutrition advice has heard the, “One to 1.5 gram(s) of protein to pound is optimal” speech. I think the bottom line section in the Men’s Health article hits the nail on the head. If you’re a hard gainer looking to be 180, then shoot for 180 grams of protein a day. If you want to drop a few pounds and be a lean 180, then shoot for the same grams-per-day average.

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