Tennis Girl

Everyone has seen the flashy ads of the elite athlete chugging a sport drink after he or she has completed his workout. While many of these are too intense for the average exerciser or the weekend warrior, there are other choices that can be made. Choosing a good protein drink can be fairly simple: make sure that you are choosing your protein sports drink by the right ingredients and your individual protein needs.

If you are drinking sports drinks to enhance performance, increase endurance and to aid in muscle recovery after your workout is done, you need to make sure that you are choosing the right one, because the wrong drink can actually cause more problems.

A Protein/Carbohydrate Drink for Athletes

Science and research changes what is recommended as new information is discovered. Recent research that has been done by John Berardi of Precision Nutrition, in conjunction with researchers at Gettysburg College and the University of Western Ontario, and published in BioMed Central in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, has shown a distinct advantage when athletes are given a sports drink that has both protein and carbohydrates. The benefits can be huge and includes faster recovery after exercise, a 22-34% increase in glycogen recovery, a decrease in muscle fatigue and soreness and increased vigor and increased sports performance. (Source: Landas, 2010)

These sports drinks may not be good for the light exerciser and may have too many calories or too much protein. However, for the elite athlete, especially those that are involved in endurance sports (the research was conducted with distance cyclists), the results are encouraging for the use of protein in sports drinks.

Other Options

For those who are not elite athletes but would still like to have a good protein drink to use after their own exercise program, there are a number of other options. In addition to buying pre-made protein drinks, you can use protein supplement powder and mix your own, a good option if you need to control the calories and additional ingredients in your drinks. There are four options for protein powder: whey, soy, rice and egg. Each of these have their own advantages and disadvantages, so you have to decide based on how common they are, the expense, your own dietary needs and potential allergy problems.

Whey protein powder is derived from milk and may not be appropriate for those who are lactose intolerant, especially in its most common form, the whey protein concentrate. The whey protein isolate is more specialized and has less lactose, but could still prove to be problematic to those with severe milk allergies. Of the four powders, whey protein is the most common and is the ingredient used by most brands on the market. Whey and whey protein powders have a number of benefits, including boosting the immune system, being an optimal source of amino acids, including the essential amino acids, and having the ability to enhance muscle recovery after workouts. Whey protein may also prevent muscle breakdown.

Soy protein powder is derived from soy flour and can be either a concentrate or an isolate. Like whey protein, soy protein is more effective as an isolate. Soy is one of the four protein powders that is suitable for vegans.

Egg protein powder is created from egg whites, the perfect protein source. It is fat free but is high in a number of additional amino acids, including alanine, argine, glycine and methane.

Rice protein powder is created from the isolated protein of brown rice. It is hypoallergenic and, along with soy protein powder, is suitable for vegans. (Source Segounis, 2010)

Before you make a choice for any of these protein powders, consider how you will be using them. In most cases, you should use an electric blender to make sure that the powder is completely dissolved and blended for the best taste. While there are small, portable mixers for this exact purpose, it is generally easier to mix the protein drink and put into a container to bring along with you. Make sure that you are reading the ingredients carefully, since not all protein powders are single ingredient. Commercial protein may also have more calories than you would like to have per serving, a consideration that you need to have in mind.

Finally, you might be shocked that many sports nutritionists and dietary experts have one more protein drink suggestion for those who are engaged in moderate exercise: milk, especially chocolate milk, as a post exercise drink. An eight ounce glass of milk has 9 grams of protein and supplies over thirty percent of the daily need for calcium. Chocolate milk may be even better by providing both protein and carbohydrates as well. Milk contains whey and is an excellent source of the amino acid, lecuine, a muscle builder. It may also act as an anti-oxidant as well as an anti-inflammatory. Milk also may help in the process of weight loss by acting to suppress a hormone called calcitrol. Calcitrol constricts the blood vessels in the body and also causes the body to hold onto fat cells instead of allowing them to be burned for energy. (Source: Marano 2007)

Other Protein Supplement Drink Options

Most protein drinks are fairly large and may be too much to drink for some people. They can also be a little difficult to carry along. The larger that a protein drink is, the higher the calorie count is likely to be as well. Again, make sure that you are reading ingredients so that you can ensure that you are not choosing a brand that is loaded with sugars, fats or other unnecessary ingredients. If you cannot find the ingredients listed or most of them are artificial in any way, choose another brand.

Non-drink Protein Supplement Options

In addition to protein supplement drinks, there are other options, including a pudding shot and protein bars. Again, make sure that you are reading the ingredients for these as well. Bars that have too much added sugar will be as high in calories as the typical, regular candy bar.

Regardless of the supplement type that you choose, make sure that you are picking one that has quality ingredients and a good amount of protein. Do not go over the right level of protein for you. Remember, most diets get sufficient protein without a supplement.

References

Marc Landas. Carbohydrate-Protein Drink Advantage Scientist Live

Hara Estroff Marano. The Human Kindness of Milk Psychology Today December 2007

Sofia Segounis, Nutritionist. Protein Powders Truestarhealth.com

What’s Crackin?

Organic fruits and vegetables have been standing the test of time and coming out of the woodwork on grocery store shelves. In the past year I’ve finally seen local grocery stores giving some miniscule respect to Organic fruits and vegetables and it’s about time. But they are still ages away from embracing it. Non-Organic grocery stores are in the Stone Age.

The reason I’m writing this is because I find myself constantly having to tell the employees of the big chain grocery stores the significance of Organic vs. regular fruits and vegetables. Here’s a simple taste and sight test to try out Organic.

Taste test #1: Stop buying regular bananas and purchase for one month Organic bananas. At the end of one month go back and buy one regularly grown banana that is not Organic and taste. After one bite you will know the difference and never touch a regular banana again. It will disgust you. The flip side of it is you will be buying 10 times more bananas than normal based on the pure taste. It’s like Neo from the Matrix Trilogy saying, “Why do my eyes hurt so much?” Morphious answers: “Because you’re using them for the first time.” Trust me on this one and you’ll thank me.

Sight test # 2: Buy some broccoli that is non-organic and buy Organic Broccoli. Don’t do a thing with it except leave it in your refrigerator for one week. At the end of the week pull them both out of the fridge and do the visual test. The non-organic broccoli is orange, yellow, seriously fading in green color. The Organic is as fresh as can be and looks like you just picked it up from the store. I’ve noticed that the Organic Broccoli sits in the fridge 10 x’s longer and fresher.

Now the price is a bit more for Organic but as the commercial says: “Hey, I’m worth it.” In closing: don’t take my word for it; try it for yourself.

The glycemic foods index is a way of ranking carbohydrates by how they affect blood sugar levels. The glycemic index is also called GI. Foods are rated from 0 to 100 based on how they affect blood sugar levels after eating. A high number means the carbohydrate is digested very quickly, causing spikes in blood sugar. A low GI number are slowly digested and absorbed, leading to gradual changes in blood sugar and insulin levels.

A low GI diet helps improve lipid and insulin levels in people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They also help control weight by making you feel fuller longer. Since they are slowly digested they stave off hunger and control appetite.

Medical studies have shown that industrialized nations that base their diets on low GI foods are healthier. Low glycemic index foods help prevent obesity, coronary heart disease and diabetes.

Low GI foods do not need to be eaten at every single meal. The more you eat, the better it is for you, but their blood sugar regulation properties carry over to the next meal. This carry over reduces the glycemic impact of the next meal. It is still important to try to eat at least one low GI food at every meal.

It is important to note that some high GI foods can be a good part of a low fat diet. If you’d like to see the health impact of the low GI foods, only about half of the carbohydrates in your diet need to be exchanged.

If baking your own breads and other baked goods in your home is something you like to do, there are ways the lower the GI of home baked goods. Substituting some of the flour with oats, oat bran, or rice bran can lower the glycemic index. Adding bulk to baked goods with dried fruits, muesli, or nuts lowers the amount of carbs per serving.

Eating foods that score low on the glycemic foods index can make you much healthier. Once you learn about the GI it is not hard to make smarter choices.

Carbohydrates, what is the good and the bad>

Various diets and weight loss programs have had significant exposure over the years and some very much became “fad” diets and disappeared quicker than they arrived, however one area that has been a topic of conversation in the nutritional world is diet programs that focus around carbohydrates or to be more precise the elimination carbohydrates from our diet.

But before we take on a diet it is crucial to have an idea of what you want to achieve and a method or plan to do so in a safe manner, if you have chosen a low carb diet we must first learn what carbs are their benefits to us and any potential side effects should we reduce or eliminate them from our diet.

In essence carbohydrates as with anything are good for the body in moderation.

We must consume and digest enough carbohydrates in our daily diet; this is where our body will primarily obtain its fuel to function throughout the day.

Breads, Grains and some fruit and vegetables are the normal and most common sources of carbohydrates.

When dieting or even in general health we must always differentiate from good and bad sources.

A carbohydrate compound is basically made up of sugar.

You may have heard the term complex carbohydrates this is the good source for our bodies.

If you imagine carbs as strings of sugar which on its own could be quiet difficult for our bodies to break down, and digest thoroughly to give us quality and sustained energy, however if other nutrients become entwined in these strings then we have a nutritious string that breaks down slowly over time which in turn is released into our system thus producing the required energies for the chosen activity (good carbs).

The other side would be obvious in that a poor quality carbohydrates which are nothing more than sugar.

As carbohydrates don’t have a complex structure it is very simple to break down, you would also find very little additional value other than the sugars from which they are constructed.

Therefore our body will quickly break down and use carbs, but the downside is whatever is not used is converted to fat and stored by the body.

Most diets experts suggest we stay away from simple carbs (sugar) since the nutritional value is of very little benefit.

So in our changes to our diet for maximum results we need to have a basic understanding what carbs are, thier function and good sources.

First and fore mostly introduce fruit and veg into your daily routine. This is a good source for carbs along with a number of other required nutrients that can benefit us greatly.

Another simple idea is swap white bread for a grain or whole meal type. If you are unsure look at labels when shopping, but don’t over complicate things.

As rule of thumb foods rich in fibre generally contain good carbs.

Education is paramount in any dietary change.

Regulate what you eat and monitor the results making changes as necessary; most things are good in moderation! Eating a healthy and balanced diet means including quality products from all food sources.

Like sunspots and clothing fashion, diet fads go in cycles. And when the sunspots are ready and the hemlines have shortened enough, the cyclical nutritional messages are handed to us by experts as if we’re stupid grunting cavemen and cave women who can only handle two-word sentences:

One year, it’s “Fat bad.” The next year, it’s “Carbs good.” Then, it’s “Fat bad. Carbs bad. Protein good.” Uggggh. Okay, grunting Grog and Grogette, let’s get the skinny on carbs and fat and expand beyond two-word bits of wisdom: “Carbs Grog’s friend. Carbs Grogette’s friend.” Got it?

We all need carbohydrates. Naturally, casting the entire realm of carbohydrates in a nutritionally discriminatory act is unwise and socially unjust to the carbohydrates themselves. But we shall overcome one day, this day in fact, through this article: Carbohydrates, naturally, should not be seen as the menace to one’s well being or anything like that. In fact, carbs should be seen as your friend, a helpful and quick energy source for your explosive energy needs! Don’t blame it on your friendly carbs. Blame it on that dirty rotten scoundrel: Insulin!

The real culprit is the insulin found in our body. Its job is to take care of our sugar intake. Unfortunately, it often does too good a job and overcompensates, leaving us with a sugar deficit. Naturally, all we want to do is take care of that deficit by eating the same sugars of which the insulin just disposed.

Okay, so who is this dirty rotten scoundrel called insulin? What’s insulin? Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by your pancreas. (The pancreas is an organ which produces both hormones to regulate your body and a juice to digest your food.) How does insulin work? When your blood sugar is low, certain cells in your pancreas called “beta” cells secrete insulin. The insulin then informs all of its target cells as well as the liver to “uptake” sugar (or store the sugar by absorbing it into your cells and liver).

Why “uptake” or store sugar? Three reasons:

First: you decrease sugar in your blood.

Second: you give your cells more energy (sugar is what powers your cells).

And third: you give your liver sugar (in the form of glucose, which is the sugar that results from photosynthesis in green plants) to store as a special form of energy called “glycogen.” Think of glucose as sugar Lego blocks and glycogen as something you snap together out of a bunch of glucose blocks. You can remember the two this way: “Glucose” is often called blood sugar or corn sugar or plant sugar, while “glycogen” is often called animal starch.

Your sugar is absorbed by cells and your liver which bunches sugar together. What happens next? When this internal balance called homeostasis happens, you sense less sugar in your blood and send signals to make up for this deficit by eating more carbohydrates. You start wolfing down yet another sugar-glazed, jelly donut! “Sorry: Your storage account has reached its limit. Store more as FAT: Click here now:”

Your liver and all the cells that took up your sugar have already maximized their intake. Your cells can’t eat another bite and your liver is bored out of its skull of playing with glucose Lego blocks to build glycogen. But inspirational hope springs eternal and there is always a way, although you may not agree with the solution your body has for you: Store the carbohydrates as fantastically flabby, unfirm FAT!

What does this mean for your goals for weight loss, weight management, and dieting?

It means you’re not going to win the game of eating sugar, storing it in cells and your liver, then eating more sugar because you get the signal that your blood sugar is low, only to have your second round at the all-you-can-eat dessert buffet immediately transform itself into fat.

So don’t play the game. WARNING! Don’t even think of pushing that START button, Buster! Serious, dudes and dudettes, think about it:

This is a vicious cycle where you are unlikely to come out a winner. Let’s say you eat a scoop of everybody’s favorite complete food: Ice cream. (Of course, you do know that I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.) As you digest and get rid of the sugars you ingested, the insulin will reduce your blood sugar level so much so that you not only want ice cream again, but you want TWO ice cream scoops because of the overcompensating of the insulin. (You I, and we all scream for more ice cream!)

If you stick to your cravings (which is really just following your instincts), and don’t do any exercise to work off the sugars other than lick your ice cream cone really hard, then you will slowly save up the carbs as fats. Oh joy, you’ve finally overcome that poor savings habit!

In that case, your savings may not be as friendly an energy source but they sure will be a lot more visible source — not only to you but everyone else! Don’t push that START button!

Nutrition plays a crucial role in maintaining a perfectly fit and healthy body. Unfortunately, so many people neglect it, even elite athletes.

You have to remember that nutrition is a big factor if you want to get lean. Of course, it does not mean that you will neglect regular exercises. You still need regular exercises to keep a healthy body. But when it comes to getting leaner and fitter, the number one determining factor is proper diet.

There are times when you will not be as active as you should be. In such cases, you can still maintain a lean and muscular body by eating a low carb diet, especially low carbohydrates paleo nutrition.

Treating Lifestyle Diseases and Illnesses

It is very common nowadays to treat lifestyle diseases with pharmaceutical solutions. Unfortunately, this approach has been largely ineffective and is not a long term option for improving one’s health and reducing the incidences of diseases.

In most cases, drugs that are used for lifestyle diseases serve only as palliatives or band aid solutions. They can eliminate symptoms but do not address the root causes of the problems. Worse, some drugs have nasty side effects that can affect quality of life.

But do take note that not all drugs are evil. The advances in modern medicine helped millions of people in defeating serious illnesses. For example, because of antibiotics, bacterial infection can be treated easily thus saving millions of lives around the world. Insulin is also a good example that contributed a lot in terms of helping people with diabetes.

The point is that pharmaceuticals can help you, but there are other ways to prevent diseases and improve quality of life. This is proper nutrition and a solid healthy lifestyle.

4 Keys to a Healthy Body

There are four essential ingredients to keep your body healthy. These are: eating right, regular exercise, getting a good sleep, and proper handling of stress. There are no quick fixes and no magic solutions.

It may seem a bit difficult at first but you can make it a lot more fun. First of all, choose a nutrition program that is suitable for your body. You can make this fun and easier by trying paleo nutrition. There is a cookbook today that will enable you to prepare delicious and enticing paleo meals every day.

Then, keep the right company. Look for support groups or even online community that has similar goals as you. It would be easier to change your lifestyle if there are other people who may help you or who can serve as your models or inspiration.