shannan 
"Each of us has within ourselves, a spirit, an energy, a superhero that is screaming to be revealed. The art of physique perfection, our sport, our journey, our discipline... bodybuilding... is a means of expressing that inner being."
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Archive for the 'Training' Category
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Not everything we eat gets absorbed and used by our body. Our cooking and digestive process destroys and degrades nutrients before our body can use it. The amount of nutrients that is actually absorbed in our system is called bioavailability. Understanding how different foods react with one another can help you get more nutrients from your meal. Here are 5 ways to get more from the food we eat.
Add lemon to your tea
Adding a squirt of lemon to green tea can increase the amount of catechins your body will absorb. Catechins are one of the many health-promoting qualities in green tea, but is unstable in environments like our intestines. Less than 20 percent remain after digestion. Adding lemon juice caused 80 percent of the catechins to remain.
Have OJ with your meal
Iron found in red meat (haem iron) is readily absorbed in the body. However, the iron found in other sources, like spinach, contains non-haem iron which is not as readily absorbed. Having something like orange juice (or anything with vitamin C) with your meal changes the non-haem iron to heam iron. It’s important to know too that the phenols found in tea and coffee, and calcium in dairy products inhibit iron absorption, and shouldn’t be consumed in conjunction with iron rich foods (this includes eggs).
Cook your tomatoes and carrots
Tomatoes have lycopene, a great antioxidant that is much better absorbed when cooked. Fresh tomatoes have a total antioxidant potential of about 80. But boil them, and the antioxidant potential goes up five or six-fold. This happens because the lycopene in the raw tomato has been transformed to trans-lycopene in the cooked version, and trans-lycopene is much more readily absorbed. The downside is that vitamin C is degraded when cooked. Additionally, cooking carrots makes the beta-carotene, another form of antioxidant, more available as well.
Put some fat in your salad
Fat-soluble nutrients like lycopene, beta carotene, and lutein needs a little help getting absorbed into your system, specifically from fat. This applies the most to salads because the vegetables aren’t prepared with anything except the dressing, and a study shows that the best dressing to use is actually not the fat-free kind. This doesn’t mean drenching your salad in fatty dressing, but making sure to use natural and healthy fats so it doesn’t become a counterproductive strategy. Adding healthy fats like avocado and olive oil into your salad will raise the nutrient levels effectively without raising your weight or cholesterol levels at the same time.
Black pepper isn’t just for seasoning
Sprinkling a dash of black pepper does more than please your taste buds. The piperine in it increases the bioavailability of many substances through a bunch of cool processes, which results in more nutrients reaching your cells. Not only that, but did you know piperine can act as an anti-depressant, pain reliever, and antacid, boost brain functioning, and help you sleep?! Can someone please pass the pepper STAT!
Posted in Training
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Stuffed Bell Peppers
4 green or red bell peppers
Salt
5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb meat of choice (99% lean turkey or chicken breast)
1 1/2 cup of cooked rice
1 cup Chopped Zucchini
1 cup Chopped celery
1 cup cubed Egg Plant
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp of dried oregano
Fresh ground pepper
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add a pinche of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged until their flesh isslightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.
2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, egg plant, celery, zucchini, and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add meat, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Mix well.
3 Drizzle remaining 1 tbsp. Oil inside peppers, arrange cut side up in a baking dish, then stuff peppers with filling. Add Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 cup of water in a small bowl, then spoon over filling. Add 1/4 cup of water to the baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature of the stuffed pepper is 150-160°F.
Serves 4.
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Jalapeno-Lime Chicken
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
Nonfat cooking spray
Directions:
1. Prepare grill.
2. In a large plastic bag, combine oil, lime peel, lime juice, jalapeño pepper, cumin, garlic, and pepper. Place chicken in bag. Squeeze out excess air then seal tightly. Rotate bag to ensure chicken is coated on all sides then chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
3. Remove chicken and discard bag with marinade. Place chicken on grill for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through and internal temperature in thickest part of chicken is at least 165ºF then serve!
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Oatmeal Lemon Pancakes
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup non fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup oats, finely ground
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 tbsp smart balance butter
1 cup splenda
Zest of Lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla
**sugar free syrup (optional)
-In a large bowl, beat egg whites. Add remainng ingredients and mix until smooth.
-Heat a large skillet or griddle and coat lightly with cooking spray. When hot, scoop about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden grown on both sides. Enjoy
-add sugar free syrup on top if desire.
Posted in Training
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
People, all these recipes are things you can eat year round… most of them even precontest. (depending on your fat, carb and protein requirements)…. No need to eat egg whites and broccoli all day long… make some good stuff to last through the week-
Garlic Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
10-15 Brussels sprouts, halved
4 baby red potatoes, cut to same size as halved sprouts (if you can have potato)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tbsp minced garlic
pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Lay a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Place veggie-potato mixture in the center of the foil, and spread it out a bit.
Place baking sheet in the oven and cook until veggies are tender.
Once veggies are cooked, put oven on broil and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until crispy and light brown!
Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!
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Fresh Left over Tilapia Fish Tacos
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped sweet onion
1 tsp. lime juice
cayenne pepper
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
1/8 tsp. onion powder, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. garlic powder, or more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
8 oz. tilapia, cut evenly into 4 strips
2 Ezekiel Tortillas or low carb tortillas
chopped cilantro, lime wedges, salsa
Directions:
Combine sour cream, onion, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well and then refrigerate until ready.
Warm low carb tortillas in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Set 1/2 the tilapia in the middle of each tortilla. Top each piece of fish with cabbage, sauce, cilantro and salsa. Serve lime wedges
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BBQ Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
4 oz. BBQ’d boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
1 tbsp. BBQ sauce
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 plum tomato, chopped
1/2 cup peeled and chopped jicama
3 tbsp. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp. chopped scallions
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. chopped basil
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (optional)
10 flax chips, broken into bite-sized pieces –FOUND AT TRADER JOES–
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsbp olive oil
Directions:
Place chicken and BBQ sauce in a small bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Top with tomato, jicama, black beans, scallions, cilantro, and basil.
Add the chicken and top with cheese, if you are using and flax chips.
TOSS WITH OIL AND VINEGAR!
ENJOY!
Posted in Training
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
noodleless lasagna
Ingredients:
4 1/4-inch-thick eggplant slices (cut lengthwise), patted dry
2 egg white
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
4 tsp. chopped garlic
Dash ground nutmeg
2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp. Italian seasoning
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
4 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray both sides of each eggplant slice with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through, until browned and softened.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg whites, ricotta cheese, basil, garlic, and nutmeg. Stir well and set aside.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and stir occasionally, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir mushrooms into ricotta mixture and set aside.
Add Italian seasoning to crushed tomatoes, and season to taste with black pepper. Set aside.
Spray a large loaf pan (about 9″ X 5″) with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 cup tomatoes evenly into the bottom of the pan. Layer egg plant and Spread half of the ricotta-mushroom mixture on top, followed by another 1/4 cup tomatoes. Top with another eggplant slice.
Repeat layering with 1/4 cup tomatoes, 1 lasagna sheet, remaining ricotta-mushroom mixture, remaining 1/4 cup tomatoes, and remaining eggplant slice.
Evenly top with mozzarella and grated topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Serve and enjoy!
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Chicken Avocado Burittos!
Ingredients:
2 La Tortilla Factory low carb tortillas or, Ezekiel Tortillas
Two 1/2-inch-thick peeled eggplant slices
1 large portabello mushroom
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeds removed
1 small zucchini, ends removed, cut lengthwise into 4 slices
4 oz chicken tenders (cooked)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
2 dashes black pepper
1/2 avocado Directions:
Spray grill well with nonstick spray, and bring to medium-high heat.
Grill all the veggies for 5 minutes with the grill cover down. Flip and grill for 5 more minutes. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine avocado, basil, and garlic, and mix well. Set aside.
Once veggies are cool enough to handle, cut mushroom cap and pepper halves into slices. Then warm tortillas slightly in the microwave or on the grill.
Spread half of the avocado mixture onto each tortilla. Place a slice of eggplant, zucchini, mushroom, pepper and chicken on each tortilla and sprinkle with black pepper. Roll each tortilla up like a burrito.
enjoy!
Posted in Training
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Italian Turkey Burgers :
Basil Mix
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Burgers
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 cloves roasted garlic
2 pounds 99% lean ground turkey
or 1.5 lbs 99% lean and .5 lbs 93% lean turkey
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted ( if you are using them)
OR
10-15 Lettuce or cabbage leaves
6 large slices fresh tomato
Grilled eggplant
6 large slices eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large yellow onion, cut into rings
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
FIRST Prepare Basil mix by combing ingredients in a small bowl. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. Place ground turkey in a large bowl. Add oregano, basil, mustard and garlic. Season pepper. Using hands, mix ingredients to form into about 6 patties.
NEXT Preheat grill to medium-high heat. To prepare eggplant, combine vinegar and oil in a small bowl. Season eggplant with pepper and brush both sides with vinegar mixture. Spray grill with non stick spray and grill burgers for about 6 minutes per side, flipping only once. About 1 minute before burgers are done. Grill eggplant and onions for about 2 minutes until tender.
LAST Spread basil mix on each bun or on top of burgers (if you aren’t using bun) with grilled eggplant and onion. Add fresh tomato and serve.
FYI–
How to roast garlic: Wrap loose garlic cloves (with skin on) in tin foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until garlic are tender. Once cloves have cooled, peel skin and smash garlic into a paste.
Posted in Training
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Off-season Sabotage
The off season…a topic frequently talked about by many, especially at this time of year. But it seems that many of us can use a strong reminder that what we do in the off season sets us up for how we will fair in season! What seems like an innocent, innocuous relaxation of previously disciplined habits can lead to disaster. We are then left to dig ourselves out of a deep hole the next time we get the urge to step on stage!
It’s true, the off season is a time to relax…a time to enjoy a bit more freedom with your schedule and a few more food choices on your diet. But too often, novice and veteran competitors alike will abandon all habits that made them successful and healthy in season and slowly slide into an off season physique that barely resembles the fit body they showed off while competing.
It is natural to feel some dismay as you see yourself put on that 7-12 pounds that is necessary for balance and health when you are not competing. We would all love to stay lean and fit year round, but it is not a natural state for our bodies, and you certainly cannot make changes or progress in your physical development if you do not change your calorie consumption and training routines. But that is no reason to take an "all or nothing" stance. Do not be one of those people who see the lines and etching on their abs start to blur and throws up their hands figuring, "Why bother?" A consistent, moderate off season is important for your physical and mental well being! Here we will examine a few of the ways we sabotage ourselves, possibly without even knowing it!
"Picking": Cheating in Small Amounts
This is a main point of contention as of late. What he terms "picking" is taking a little bite of this and a little nibble of that. Surely just a bite cannot hurt right? WRONG! When you are on a specific diet plan, your nutrition plan is designed with your calorie intake and overall expenditure carefully considered. Extra calories of any form are not taken into account!!! And those extra calories can really add up: just one latte at Starbucks is anywhere up to 180 calories and more or, an extra handful of almonds or, even an extra chicken breast may tip the scales of your caloric burn. Just by picking at foods throughout the day, you can add as much as 1200 calories to your daily intake. That is as much as some people consume all day while on a contest diet…so in essence you are eating 2 meal plans at the same time!
You may also want to consider what you are actually eating. Are you a sugar fiend? One bite of a cookie or a muffin may trigger that craving again, making it more difficult for you to stay the course in the future. And how much are you eating? Are you able to just "pick" and stop at one bite? Many cannot, and one bite leads to overindulgence or an outright binge…something you will be paying for long into the future!
Cheat Meals: Not a Cheat Day!
We have belabored this point in a previous article, but it bears mentioning again that a cheat meal is meant to be consumed in a 20-30 minute period. It is not a free form window of opportunity to gorge yourself on everything in sight! It is meant to be a nutritionally valuable meal consumed in one sitting. Not only does this limit the amount of food you will take in, but it allows the food to settle in your stomach, creating a feeling of satiety and fullness!
Cheat meals are a typical component of most off season programs but make sure you understand the idea of a cheat meal, and keep the purpose and your overall goal in mind.
Skimping on Water Consumption
Let’s face it, for most of us, getting 2 gallons in per day is difficult. It takes effort to chug that water and it is inconvenient to plan your day around your bathroom availability! But water consumption is so important to keep the body functioning, no matter what season it is! But it is especially important off season: it keeps our joints lubricated for all that heavy off season training and it helps our digestive systems flush out any toxins that can accompany a more varied off season diet. Plus, it keeps us full and can hold cravings at bay! Most people appreciate that extra appetite suppressant, especially around the holidays!
Missing Cardio
As stated above, cardio schedules typically relax and ease up in the off season. But skipping cardio altogether for weeks on end not only alters your calorie expenditure equation, but it can leave you seriously out of shape. Cardiovascular conditioning can decline after just 3-4 days of inactivity! Not I am not talking about rest periods or breaks during the weeks… but doing 2 days of cardio followed by days of inactivity will harm your endurance and conditioning. Following your cardio program will not only keep your heart and lungs healthy, it will enable you to train hard and lift heavy in the gym. Plus, when competition season rolls around, you will have less of a hill to climb when hit with that contest level cardio!
Easing Up on the Weights
You’ve probably heard people say this before…"You make changes in the off season." This is a time when, with a few additional calories and a bit more rest, our bodies are primed for progress and improvement. Take advantage of this energy surplus and train hard in the gym! Bring up those lagging body parts and complete that physique! Hard work in the gym over the off season helps keep weight gain in check and the next time you prepare for a contest, when the body fat starts to drop, you will uncover an improved physique.
Remember, the off season is really "pre-season". It is a time to find balance and to enjoy a bit of freedom, but it is NOT a time to lose sight of your overall health and competitive goals. Remember the regimen that helped you succeed in the first place. Keep those good habits in play and make good use of this off season. Don’t cheat yourself…reward yourself for a great 2009 season and set yourself up for an even better 2010!
Posted in Training
Sunday, October 4th, 2009
Don’t wait one more day to get the body you’ve always wanted. Stop procrastinating and start now! Not Monday, not tomorrow, not after your friend’s wedding - today! The truth is that every day we make hundreds of little choices that determines the direction of our life. This is true for every area of our lives - especially our health. Make smart little choices everyday and the end result will be worth it. Here are some ideas to get you focused:
- Peer pressure? Whatever…instead of joining the crowd and eating that fat-laden dish just because you go out to eat, be a leader among your peers to choose a hearty vegetable salad with grilled chicken or fish with steamed vegetables. Then enjoy that glass of wine instead of feeling horrible for downing 1000+ calories in one sitting. And don’t announce you’re on a diet - just stand strong in your decision to nourish your body versus bombard it!
- Friends always wanting to meet up for coffee or happy hour? Recommend going for a walk instead! Meet up at the park and go for a good-paced walk while you chat. Time flies and you’ve burned calories while shooting the breeze! and if that just isn’t gonna happen and going to a coffee shop is where it’s at, then learn to order the right thing for your diet or meal plan that won’t hurt you in the long run….
- Tough to hit the gym? Schedule it in and do it. If your days get away from you, hit the gym before work. Not a morning person, take your gym bag with you and leave it in the driver’s seat of your car as a reminder to yourself to go to the gym before calling it a day.
- Have to eat out a lot for work or social events? Repeat after me: ‘I’ll have the [fish/chicken/filet] grilled with light oil, double veggies with no butter, instead of potatoes, and no thanks on the bread basket!’.
- Too tired to cook when you get home? Instead of zapping a high-sodium microwave dinner, or even worse, hitting the drive-thru, go grocery shopping on Sundays and prep food for the week. Chop veggies, hard boil some eggs, boil brown rice, grill some chicken and brown some extra-lean ground turkey. It will all stay good easily through Thursday and chances are you will either eat out on Friday or have time to cook a nice home-cooked meal!
- Save money and calories and pack that brown bag each night with a healthy lunch and snacks. Then it’s ready to grab on your way out the door! Pack it right after dinner while you’re already in the kitchen so you only have to clean up one mess - and if you have leftovers from dinner - bonus…lunch is done!
So what’s the #1 secret to success you might ask? Consistency. You’re bound to slip up here and there - you’re human. But the key is to get back up and keep going. Frustration is just part of working toward and maintaining a healthy body. It’s not something with a clear start and stop - so make smaller goals to keep you motivated and surround yourself with supportive people to lift you up on tough days. Trust me - there are days even I don’t want to work out – yes it’s true! But the choice to forge ahead or to give up will define the outcome. So get off your hiney (after you’re done reading this, that is), shut down the laptop and go outside and enjoy the fresh outdoors. Spring is here - and that bathing suit is calling your name. Don’t wait to get in the best shape of your life - do it now!
All my best…
Posted in Training
Sunday, October 4th, 2009
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EATING
Well, I am not going to be able to cover the entire psychology of eating… However, I am going to address the issue and will be expanding upon it in months to come.
It seems for the bulk of us that don’t have an “eating disorder” that if we have an unhealthy relationship with food, then we think there is something wrong with us. If we have an uncontrollable binge or feel less than empowered, if we have an extra few pounds to get rid of, we blame food. It is all foods fault. It is a wonder we are even able to eat at all isn’t it?
So, what is eating like for you? Who are you as an eater? What is your relationship with food like? What do you want it to be like? Here are 5 questions for you to ponder this month in regard to food and your relationship with it.
1. What is my relationship with food like?
2. How is the way that I eat, related to the way that I live?
3. What part of my relationship with food troubles me?
4. What would I like it to be instead?
5. What one step can I take this month to pursue a healthier relationship with food?
I really encourage you to journal about this topic and ponder it over the course of the next month. You will find some valuable insights and you become more “aware” of what you eat and why you eat what you eat.
Let me know what comes up for you, I love getting emails from you! Have fun with it, and go easy on yourself!
Posted in Training
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
-Amino Power-
Take your amino acids! A supplement – amino acids – that has been around for ages is getting a fresh look from science and the news for athletes and exercisers has never been better. Case in point: Investigators at the Col-lege of New Jersey studied the effect of a pre-exercise energy sport drink on the acute hormonal response to re-sistance exercise in eight experienced resistance-trained men. The subjects were randomly provided either a pla-cebo (a carb drink) or the supplement (a combination that included branched chain amino acids and creatine) and they drank it 10 minutes prior to exercising.
The men then performed 6 sets of no more than 10 repetitions of the squat at 75 percent of their 1 repeti-tion maximum (1RM) with 2 minutes of rest between sets.The men who supplemented with the amino acid formula could do more repetitions and lift heavier weights than those on the carb-placebo drink. Equally impressive, the enhanced exercise performance resulted in a significantly greater increase in both growth hormone and insulin concen-trations, indicating an augmented anabolic hormone response from sup-plementing with the amino-acid for-mula. (1) There is more: amino acid supplementation works as a treatment for “cachexia,” the life-threatening muscle loss that occurs with cancer and other diseases that cause muscle- wasting. Nutritional supplementationwith amino acids has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity in poorly controlled elderly subjects with type 2 diabetes. And, amino acids are being studied in cardio-vascular diseases, which show it might improve well-being, en-hance physical function, and im-prove recovery from exercise.
(2)For years, Parrillo Performance has recommended that active peo-ple, from bodybuilders to endur-ance athletes to exercisers, sup-plement with amino acids. Here is an overview of what a solid amino acid supplement program should entail – and why: Incorporate BCAA’s Parrillo Performance provides an important mixture of amino acids – the branched chain aminos - in its Muscle Amino Formula™. The time to use this product is imme-diately before and after training as well as with meals. Hard dieting is a great time to supplement with branch chain amino acids. Dur-ing times of energy insufficiency (dieting), your body will actually break down its own muscle to use as fuel if no other is available. Catabolism is a dreadful meta-bolic state that occurs when gly-cogen stores have been depleted and fat oxidation has maximized. Metabolically, your body requires a certain level of glucose (blood sugar) to be maintained in order for the brain to function. While body fat provides a long-lasting energy supply, fat cannot be con-verted into carbohydrate by the human body. But protein (amino acids) can. Under adverse condi-tions, carbohydrates are exhausted and your body breaks down pro-tein stores (muscle tissue) to con-vert into carbohydrate to supply energy.
Branched chain amino acids are effective because they form a substrate for growth and are metabolized as fuel directly within muscle cells. A handful of Muscle Amino Formula™ cap-sules will help prevent the onset of catabolism and has both anabolic and anti-catabolic properties. Hi- Protein™ and Optimized Whey™ are fortified with extra BCAAs for just this reason. We suggest two or more with every meal. Rememberthat BCAAs require insulin for ab-sorption into muscle cells so take them with food or a protein and/orcarb drink rather than on an empty stomach!Don’t Forget Growth Hormone Releasing AminosCertain combinations of specific amino acids, such as those found in Enhanced GH Formula™, are shown to enhance GH release (8). Probably the best way to use these is on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, right before a workout, and before bed. (MCTs, like CapTri®, can be a potent stimulus for GH release.)
Our supplement contains arginine pyroglutamate and lysine mono-hydrochloride, two potent amino acids, when isolated and grouped together and taken on a regular ba-sis have been shown to promote the secretion of growth hormone in the body. Growth hormone is the might-iest of all hormonal secretions as it increases mass and decreases body-fat simultaneously, and aids in joint repair!Arginine has a number of other im-portant functions in the body, includ-ing the fortification of the immune system. In studies with animals and humans, arginine has been found to improve wound healing and bolster immune responses, plus reduce the incidence of infection following sur-gery. Arginine has other duties, as well. It is required to manufacture creatine, an important chemical in the muscles that provides the energy for contractions. In addition, Argi-nine apparently helps prevent the body from breaking down protein in muscles and organs to repair itself when injured. Meat, poultry, and fish are good sources of arginine, as are numerous supplements, including our Enhanced GH Formula™ and our Ultimate Amino Formula™.
Glutamine & Ultimate Amino Formula™Glutamine is another important ami-no acid. It is the favored fuel of your immune system. This means you need it when you’re ill, stressed, or recovering from surgery. Researchers have discovered that many athletes are deficient in glutamine – a short-age that makes them vulnerable to infections. Glutamine is technically described as a “glucogenic,” mean-ing that it assists your body in manu-facturing glycogen, the chief muscle fuel. Also, supplemental glutamine has been shown to elevate growth hormone levels – and may even curb the desire for sugary foods.Each capsule in our Ultimate AminoFormula™ contains 103 milligrams of glutamine. We recommend that you take two or more capsules of this supplement with each meal. That should supply a gram or more daily – which is appropriate for athletes and active individuals. So – there are plenty of wonderful benefits to supplementing with amino acids, especially if you want to maximize performance, muscle development, and overall well-being.
References
1. Hoffman, J.R., et al. 2008. Effect of a pre-exercise energy supplement on the acute hormonal response to resistance exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 22:874-882.
2. Strasser, F. 2007. Appraisal of current and experimental approaches to the treatment of cachexia. Current Opinions in Supportive and Pallia-tive Care 1:312-316.
3. Isidori A, Lo Monaco A, Cappa M. 1981. A study of growth hormone release in man after oral administra-tion of amino acids. Current Medical Research and Opinion. 7: 475-481.
4. Valls E, Herrera F, Diaz M, Bar-reiro P, and Valls A. 1978. Modifica-tion in plasmatic insulin and growth hormone induced by medium chain triglycerides. Span. Ana. Ped. 11: 675-682.
Posted in Training
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat
Tim Ferriss of The Four Hour Work Week has posted an exclusive excerpt from Drs. Michael and Mary Eades’ newest book, The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle.The two doctors note that no matter how the story spins from the denizens of the anti-fat camp, one piece of their advice remains staunchly constant: “You should sharply limit your intake of saturated fats.” But will saturated fats really increase your risk of heart disease and raise your cholesterol? In a word, no. In fact, humans need them, and here are just a few reasons why:
1) Improved cardiovascular risk factors
Saturated fat plays a key role in cardiovascular health. The addition of saturated fat to the diet reduces the levels of a substance called lipoprotein (a) that correlates strongly with risk for heart disease. Research has shown that when women diet, those eating the greatest percentage of the total fat in their diets as saturated fat, lose the most weight.
2) Stronger bones
Saturated fat is required for calcium to be effectively incorporated into bone. According to one of the foremost research experts in dietary fats and human health, Dr. Mary Enig, Ph.D., there’s a case to be made for having as much as 50 percent of the fats in your diet as saturated fats for this reason.
3) Improved liver health
Saturated fat has been shown to protect the liver from alcohol and medications, including acetaminophen and other drugs commonly used for pain and arthritis.
4) Healthy lungs
For proper function, the airspaces of the lungs have to be coated with a thin layer of lung surfactant. The fat content of lung surfactant is 100 percent saturated fatty acids. Replacement of these critical fats by other types of fat makes faulty surfactant and potentially causes breathing difficulties.
5) Healthy brain
Your brain is mainly made of fat and cholesterol. The lion’s share of the fatty acids in the brain are actually saturated. A diet that skimps on healthy saturated fats robs your brain of the raw materials it needs to function optimally.
6) Proper nerve signaling
Certain saturated fats, particularly those found in butter, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil, function directly as signaling messengers that influence metabolism, including such critical jobs as the appropriate release of insulin.
7) Strong immune system
Saturated fats found in butter and coconut oil (myristic acid and lauric acid) play key roles in immune health. Loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
Posted in Training
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