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      Health Benefits of Acai Berry Supplements

      June 10, 2011 /

      Acai (pronounced AH-sigh-EE) is a palm tree that can be found in South American and Central America. Countries such as Brazil and Belize are rich in acai. Other names for acai include acai extract, assai, assai palm, acai fruit, acai palm, cabbage palm, Euterpe oleracea, Amazon acai, Amazon acai berry, and of course, acai berry.

      According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acai contains chemicals that are antioxidants. Antioxidants are thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of chemical reactions with oxygen (oxidation). According to some research, acai has more antioxidant content than cranberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry. Because the berries of the tree have such a high level of antioxidants, they are used to make medicine, supplements, powders, and drinks. The berries can be used in foods and they are also eaten whole.

      Many people use acai berry supplements to improve arthritis, lower cholesterol, and improve general health. They are also used to promote weight-loss and they are used in anti-aging creams, shampoos, and conditioners. There are few studies to support the benefits of acai berry, but studies do demonstrate the protective properties of antioxidants.

      So far, there are no studies to suggest that acai berry is dangerous. At the same time, there are no studies to support how it might interact with other supplements, herbs, or prescription medications. It is also unknown if acai berry supplements are safe for pregnant women. The issue is not acai berry, it’s the way it may be processed, the amount contained per capsule, if the supplements are made from pure acai, or if the supplements contain other substances or chemicals. Because of this, doctors recommend getting the antioxidants you need from food.

      If you prefer acai, it’s best to eat the berries raw or make your own homemade juice as most store bought juices contain loads of sugar or additives. The problem is, finding raw acai outside of South or Central America can be tricky. Use your favorite search engine to seek out importers. It might be expensive, but if you want to enjoy the benefits of raw acai berries, this is your best bet.

      Other Foods that Contain Antioxidants

      Antioxidant substances include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E. Antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, poultry, and fish. Some of the most antioxidant rich foods include:

      -Red Beans
      -Kidney Beans
      -Russet Potatoes
      -Black Beans
      -Artichoke Hearts
      -Pecans
      -Black Plums
      -Dried Prunes
      -Pinto Beans
      -Sweet Cherries
      -Cereal (oats, barley)
      -Cabbage
      -Hazelnuts
      -Spices (cinnamon, cloves, oregano, cayenne pepper)
      -Apples

      Antioxidants can also be found in some meats, such as beef. For more information about acai and other antioxidants, visit Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

      Anti-Aging, Cholesterol, Nutrition, Vitamins/Minerals, Weight Loss

      Tips for clean fruits and veges

      June 9, 2011 /

      Nearly 48 million people are sickened by contaminated food each year in the United States. Many people don’t realize that even produce can sometimes be the culprit in outbreaks of food-borne illness.

      During the growing phase, fruits and veggies may be contaminated by animals, harmful substances in the soil or water, and poor hygiene among workers. After produce is harvested, it passes through many hands, increasing the contamination risk.

      The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the following tips for protecting yourself:

      1. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce
      2. Cut away any damaged or bruised areas
      3. Gently rub produce while holding it under plain running water
      4. Wash produce before you peel it
      5. Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub firm produce
      6. Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel
      7. Throw away the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage

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

      Weight Loss Transformation of Fabulous Fit Mother

      June 8, 2011 /

      Laura London burst onto the fitness scene a little more than a year ago and has been on fire ever since. This spicy and super sexy 5’ 2” 45 year old wife of 20 years and mother of three shows us that age has no barrier on fitness. What Laura has accomplished in the past year is just short of amazing. Check out her story below and check out her Facebook page with her amazing photos!

      Laura went from an out of shape, stay at home mom to a national level figure competitor, internationally published fitness model, has been cast in infomercials, movie trailers and exercise DVD’s. She has started her own fitness web site and was also voted “2010 Over 40 Transformation of the Year” by BodyBuilding.com and that is just the beginning for this highly driven fitness role model, wife and mother.

      We managed to book her for a rare and exclusive interview to find out all her secrets and tips on getting ripped, staying young forever and having amazing six pack abs in the fitness industry. Not only has Laura transformed her life, but now she is helping millions of other moms do the same.

      Laura wasn’t always in shape, and actually working out and even being physically fit was extremely shunned. Growing up Laura was not even allowed to play sports, because of the rare condition her brother suffered from. He is a hemophiliac so sports were something that was not done in her family. She had to learn from scratch what is was like living a physically active and fit lifestyle after becoming a mom of three in her late thirties. It was not until her mid thirties and three kids later that she decided to take charge of her life and the direction of her health.

      Laura lost over 20 lbs all by making simple yet powerful lifestyle changes, such as making the time to exercise, setting goals and staying motivated. Her new found fitness fire propelled Laura to become a nationally certified personal trainer with the NSCA, the only personal training certification to be accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. She is also one of the first Master Certified JNL Fusion trainers in the world. But that was not the end, she went on to become an award winning national level figure competitor and fitness icon. Laura is a fitness role model for women in there 40’s, showing that with passion and determination there are no excuses. You can “Exercise Your Right to be Sexy” at any age.

      Read the full article.

      Exercise, General fitness, Motivation, Nutrition, Product review, Weight Loss

      Whole grains don’t equal health

      June 5, 2011 /

      Celiac disease, also more commonly referred to as wheat- or gluten intolerance, occurs when your body cannot digest gluten, a protein most commonly found in wheat, rye and barley. However, it’s very important to realize that these are not the only culprits that can cause severe problems. Other grains such as oats and spelt also contain gluten, and gluten can be found in countless processed foods without being labeled as such.

      The rising prevalence of celiac disease is clear evidence that we’re simply not designed to consume such vast amounts of carbohydrates so many now indulge in. The vast majority of Americans consume far too much bread, cereal, pasta, corn (a grain, not a vegetable), rice, potatoes and junk food, with dire health consequences.

      This even includes organic stone ground whole grains for those of you who eat only whole, natural foods. Obviously these are healthier for you, but ultimately they cause the same problems through two mechanisms: Reaction to the protein gliadin in the wheat, and an adverse increase in insulin secretion.

      When you consume carbohydrates, even whole grain, the result is a sharp spike in insulin, which has a whole host of problems in and of itself. The undigested gluten then triggers your immune system to attack the lining of your small intestine, which can cause symptoms like diarrhea or constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain. In more recent years it’s been shown that the condition can also cause a much wider array of symptoms that are not gastrointestinal in nature, further complicating proper diagnosis.Over time, your small intestine becomes increasingly damaged and less able to absorb nutrients such as iron and calcium. This in turn can lead to anemia, osteoporosis and other health problems.

      The rapid increase in celiac disease and milder forms of gluten intolerance is no surprise considering the modern Western diet, which consists in large part of grain carbohydrates. Additionally, modern wheat is very different from the wheat your ancestors ate. The proportion of gluten protein in wheat has increased enormously as a result of hybridization.

      Until the 19th century, wheat was also usually mixed with other grains, beans and nuts; pure wheat flour has been milled into refined white flour only during the last 200 years. The resulting high-gluten, refined grain diet most of you have eaten since infancy was simply not part of the diet of previous generations.

      (Mercola.com)

      Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      The optimum time to train

      June 4, 2011 /

      there are many biological factors that are important for muscular hypertrophy like hormone levels, age, sex, muscle fiber type, diet, among others. These factors have been recognized as extremely important for the hypertrophic adaption to strength training. Many of these factors, however, are known to vary throughout the day. Can the daily differences in the above factors like hormone levels, affect the adaptive response to strength training? What time of day is the best time to train?

      A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research set out to examine the effects of time-of-day-specific strength training on muscle hypertrophy maximal strength in men. The training group underwent a 10 week preparatory training regimen. Afterwards, the subjects were randomized to either a morning training group or an afternoon training group. The groups trained for another 10 weeks with training times between 07:00 and 09:00 hours and 17:00 and 19:00 hours in the morning group and the afternoon group respectively. Cross-sectional areas and volume of the quadriceps femoris were obtained by magnetic resonance imaging at weeks 0, 10, and 20. Maximum voluntary isometric strength during unilateral knee extensions and the half squat one repetition maximum were tested at weeks 0, 10, and 20.

      The entire 20-week training period resulted in significant increases in maximum voluntary contraction and 1RM in both training groups. In this study, the magnitude of muscular hypertrophy and strength did not statistically differ between the morning or afternoon group. However, this study was of short duration and like most research concerning physical improvement through exercise, there needs to be more subjects over longer periods of time.
      (J Strength Cond Res 23(9):2451-2457)

      Bodybuilding, Exercise, General fitness, General training, Power lifting, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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