Why you should get your oats every morning

PORRIDGE sales are soaring with everyone from Kate Moss and Madonna to David Cameron getting their oats.

The lumpy spoonful may not look appealing but health experts say it provides the perfect breakfast.

It's also going down a treat for Pret A Manger. Yesterday the sandwich makers revealed they sell 50,000 bowls a week and demand is growing.

Shona Wilkinson, head nutritionist at The Nutri Centre in London, said: "I've heard from lots of people that it can help boost libido and it may even prevent premature ejaculation.

"To make it even better for you, add protein. I suggest whey protein powder or some nuts and seeds. Porridge is a great, healthy breakfast and a brilliant alternative to sugary cereals."

Here are 13 reasons to ditch the cornflakes and bacon sarnies for a more healthy, oaty start to the day.

BOOST SEX LIFE: Porridge oats can boost libido by helping to rebalance testosterone and oestrogen in the body. Testosterone drives sexual desire in both sexes and men with low levels may go off sex.

QUIT SMOKING: Compounds in oats can help calm the nervous system and reduce nicotine craving.

FIGHT INFECTION: Porridge has more protein than any other cereal and this is needed for growth and repair in the body and to help boost the immune system.

BEAT HEART DISEASE: Studies have shown that fibre-rich food reduces the risk of heart disease. Scientists in the US found that porridge contains avenanthramides - chemicals that stop blood cells sticking to artery walls, preventing fat deposits that cause heart disease.

CUT DIABETES: Porridge might cut the risk of developing diabetes by absorbing sugar from the gut and cutting the need for large quantities of insulin to be released.

BEAT DEPRESSION: Porridge is high in vitamin B6 which promotes the brain chemical serotonin. High levels of serotonin are associated with feelings of wellbeing.

FIGHT FAT: Researchers at Oxford Brookes University found people eating foods with a low glycaemic index - like porridge - were less likely to binge on sugary snacks. These foods release glucose into the body slowly and evenly, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

LOWER CHOLESTEROL: High levels of soluble fibre in porridge have been shown to lower blood cholesterol. High cholesterol occurs when fat builds up, constricting arteries. Eating oats can improve blood flow and bind cholesterol in the gut, aiding its removal from the body.

RELIEVE CONSTIPATION: High-fibre foods increase the movement of food through the digestive tract.

FIGHT OSTEOPOROSIS: Porridge oats are blended with milk, an excellent source of calcium which is essential for bone health. Lack of calcium can lead to osteoporosis which involves a loss of bone density and can make bones fragile.

CANCER BUSTING: Oats are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E which protects the body from damaging free radicals that can cause cancer.

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE: A daily bowl of oats can improve blood pressure control. American scientists found that porridge could lower blood pressure as effectively as any medication.

LIVE LONGER: The lipids found in oats contain a good balance of essential fatty acids which have been linked by American scientists to longevity and good health.

Right, Shona rates Britain's leading porridge brands.

via thesun.co.uk

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Whey Protein Powder: The Super Protein

Whey protein can do anything if you have to listen to its manufacturer and avid aficionados. Listening to them would make you wonder if the elixir of life has been discovered and it’s been with us all the time. It’s called whey protein powder. OF course, it’s not but you can’t blame it’s users for praising it to high heavens. This protein is harder working than the workout buffs credit themselves.

Whey protein is a top notch protein powder. It won’t cost your month’s night out with your date. Though it may not cheap, it’s not very expensive either. What does this workhorse do? Well for a starter it develops your muscle. If you’re a body builder, it will help develop your muscle faster and you’ll get your ideal figure in no time at all.

Protein powders are also good muscle cutters. They maximize the loss of fats without harming the muscles. Subcutaneous muscles are hard to remove but using protein powder and proper nutrition will enhance the loss of fats. The muscles will appear fuller and are displayed more prominently.

It’s also good for the health because it diminishes the presence of cholesterol from the body and reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. It will also increase the immune system response of the body in dealing with infections and diseases. This is due to the presence of the essential amino acids in the protein. They aid in every metabolic activities of the body at the cellular level.

For athletes, the protein will turn the muscles lean and mean. Bulky muscles are not ideal for athletes. It’ll secrete more chemicals to wear out the muscle much faster. Whey proteins is good in helping how to lose fat weight fast. What protein does is to remove the fats found in the muscle and strengthens it at the same time. With leaner and stronger muscle, the athlete is lighter, faster, and has more stamina to finish and win the race or the contest.

For everyone who led an active life, including the workout devotees and those in the law order professions and the military, whey protein powder is the ideal supplement to drink given its abilities to help the body stay healthy and fit. Getting sick is not an option. You’re insurance can be put to better use.

As we’ve mention already, good food will help give you a sound mind and body. Keep a healthy life style and don’t smoke. Drink spirits in moderation and be happy.

via brainnoodle.com

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MMA Diet: Calories

With each word you read right now, your body is burning. It’s burning the meals you’ve consumed. If you’re fasting, no worries, your body will blaze through stored carbohydrates, muscle and fat. If not fed, it will consume itself. A furnace is inside you, and until the day you die you will spend a significant portion of your life stoking this furnace. 

A calorie is the amount of heat it takes to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius. When you see a nutritional chart for a cheeseburger and it reads, “Contains 900 calories,” it means if that cheeseburger were set on fire and burned completely, it would create enough heat to raise 900 grams of water by 1 degree Celsius. As your eyes dart around on this page, as your fingers click to scroll down, as your mind processes what you read, even as you sleep tonight – your body needs to create heat in order to make it all happen.

Federal guidelines state that men between the ages of 19-31 burn anywhere from 2,400 to 3,000 calories per day. Activity level, metabolism and size can all impact these numbers.

Caloric Breakdown:

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Of all the dieting variables, perhaps the one that can be most easily quantified is calories. It’s tough to know how your genetics will respond to a diet high in fat or how your stomach will respond after a few weeks of whey protein shakes. But caloric intake, regardless of the food or drink source, will be the factor that either makes you gain weight or makes you lose it.

There are sports nutritional products that promise (or promise by lavish insinuation) weight gain – they even cite studies about it. This is a flat-out lie. The truth is this:

The only way healthy human beings can gain weight (whether fat or muscle) is by taking in more calories than the body burns. Think surplus.

Conversely, the only way healthy human beings can lose weight (whether fat or muscle) is by consuming fewer calories than the body burns. Think deficit. Example: An athlete burns 2,500 calories per day, but only consumes 2,000.

It takes about 3,500 calories to create one pound. So, assuming the above example takes place for seven consecutive days, our athlete could expect about one pound of weight loss by week’s end.

I’ve watched athletes get the majority of their calories from fried fast foods and yet still gain muscle weight. For the majority of us however, the source of calories does matter. Generally the healthier and “cleaner” our diet, the better our body will respond in the ways we hope. However, in terms of purely losing or gaining weight, the source does not matter. I’ve been asked: “Will protein shakes help me gain muscle weight” or “Will cutting back on fat help me lose weight?” The straight answer to both questions is “No.” The protein shake will help you gain weight only if by adding it to your diet you are creating a caloric intake surplus. You will definitely lose weight by cutting out some fat only if by cutting out those fats you are reducing your caloric intake and creating a deficit.

Two tips for the MMA Athlete to gain weight:

(1) Eat your meals, then drink calories when you’re finished eating. It’s awfully difficult to be stuffed with food and then to try to force down more food. However, even when you’re full you should still be able to gulp down a shake for an additional 300-500 calories.

(2) Use healthy oils. When making that protein shake, drop two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into the mix. This tiny amount will get you a whopping 240 extra calories and comes with a ton of health benefits.

Two tips for the MMA Athlete to lose weight:

(1) Incorporate more anaerobic training into your routine. Unlike slow, steady-state exercise, short bouts of high-intensity training has been proven to raise metabolism throughout the rest of the day. 

(2) Eat breakfast (and have some protein with it). Researchers continue to find (A) Those who skip breakfast end up slowing down their metabolism and (B) Protein plays a role in satiety (keeps us feeling full longer so we are less likely to overeat). So, rethink breakfast. The oatmeal with blueberries is great, but don’t be afraid to have a few hard-boiled eggs on the side too.

via training.sherdog.com

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Could Diet Foods Slow Weight Loss and Hinder Fitness?

Healthy eating, which contributes to fitness, requires a certain amount of understanding about ingredients and how to read labels. Here is a recent daily food and drink record from a client of mine who is on a diet food regimen and yet is having trouble trimming his waistline and getting fit.  

8am: Popular bottled nutrition smoothie

10am: Apple with diet energy drink

Noon: Tuna sandwich with fat-free apple chips

2pm: Popular diet cola

4pm: Popular protein bar

6pm: Popular pre-formulated prepared “hearty beef stew” meal

7pm: Popular diet cola

You would be surprised how many nutritionally uneducated athletes have similar daily routines.

My client had the constant frustration of wondering: “How can I still be having trouble trimming my waistline when I am on such a strict diet?”

How is it that a body can consume diet drinks and prepackaged foods that have been specifically designed to lower calorie intake and support complete nutrition, and yet experience bloating, fatigue, weight gain and several other serious health issues?

Let’s take a look at the actual ingredients of my client’s “diet” foods.

The front label of the popular nutrition smoothie says, “Complete, balanced nutrition to help stay healthy, active and energetic,” with a large upper label that claims, “No. 1 Doctor-recommended.”

Turn to the back of the bottle for the ingredients, and you will find that the top four ingredients are: 1) water; 2) sugar; 3) corn syrup; and 4) maltodextrin. Ignore the fact that my client is paying a high price for a product that primarily contains “water,” and let’s take a look at the remaining ingredients of this nutrition smoothie.

Sugar, also known as sucrose, is a processed and refined carbohydrate that, according to clinical studies, has been linked to diabetes, depression, weight gain, obesity and a variety of other health issues. Sugar is also highly acidic and forces your body to balance the acid load by leaching calcium, a non-acidic compound, from your bones, adding to your chances of developing osteoporosis and decreasing bone strength.

One of the most serious threats that sugar poses to an individual is its effect on the pancreas and liver. A high or consistent consumption of sugar can cause decreased insulin sensitivity, which is a precursor to adult-onset diabetes. It can also cause a frustrating inability to metabolize carbohydrates properly. These unused carbohydrates are eventually transferred to the liver, where they are converted into fat, and relegated to the waistline, hips, butt and anywhere else you tend to store fat.

The third ingredient in the popular nutritional smoothie is corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is the primary sweetener in soft drinks, which is why numerous studies have connected soda consumption to weight gain and obesity. Like sucrose, corn syrup is a processed, refined carbohydrate that can decrease insulin sensitivity and can easily be converted into fat by the human body. And like sucrose, corn syrup is completely devoid of vitamins, minerals and nutritional value.

Maltodextrin is the fourth ingredient. Maltodextrin is also a processed and refined carbohydrate, and is often used by competitive cyclists, marathoners and triathletes who are burning 800-1,000 calories per hour and who need a sweet and highly dense energy source during training or competition. Ironically, in the popular nutrition smoothie, maltodextrin is featured as a supplement designed to reduce caloric intake

via opposingviews.com

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PR-USA.net - Bodybuilding Warehouse Whey Protein Pushed by Online Media Direct

Bodybuilding Warehouse Premium Whey Protein is an optimised blend of instantly-preparable, de-lactosed pure whey isolate, concentrate and hydrolysed whey, containing some 22g of protein in every 30g serving. The supplement itself is designed to not only be just what the body requires for the creation of muscle tissue, but to taste great as well – as testimonials from many satisfied bodybuilders, weight lifters, power lifters, rugby players, martial artists and other fitness enthusiasts will bear out.

The appeal of Premium Whey is the reason sales of the muscle building supplement have been steadily growing since its release on the bodybuilding supplements market last year, until it has become one of the most popular products sold on the Bodybuilding Warehouse website. It has even been a hot topic on the Bodybuilding Warehouse Facebook Fan Page, which currently has more than 14,600 fans.

Here are just some of the testimonials for Premium Whey from Facebook:

"The whey itself mixes really, really easily, taste is brilliant and the big tub is handy for storage I will be recommending you to as many people as I can Very good stuff indeed Already looking forward to my next order."
- Gary

"Received my Choc-Cookie Premium Whey today. Just had my 1st shake and...I definitely have a new favourite flavour - its even better than the Banoffee in my opinion! Thanks again BBW."
- Dan

"Just received my BBW Premium Whey Banoffee! Possibly The best tasting whey Ever! Think this is definitely a staple in my diet from now on."
- Dan

"I wouldn't buy any other protein - mixes and tastes awesome."
- Roy

With seven great flavours – banana, chocolate, strawberry, choc-cookie, vanilla, toffee and fruit punch – Premium Whey has been so popular that Bodybuilding Warehouse has been forced to increase the size of the batch for every re-order. As well as on its own Facebook page, Premium Whey is the subject of much online discussion – on dedicated bodybuilding forums in the UK, to general health & fitness boards, football fan boards, and even in the USA.

Combined with a healthy diet and hard training, Premium Whey can help regular users achieve the body they have always wanted and help them to recover from those hard training sessions in the gym.

via pr-usa.net

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Whey protein may cut metabolic risk of high-fat diet: Mouse study

Whey protein isolate may slow weight gain and the accumulation of body fat when added to a high fat, suggest new findings from a study with mice.

Animals consuming a high fat diet supplemented with whey protein isolate (WPI) gained 42 percent less weight, and had 32 percent lower body weight than animals fed only the high fat diet, according to findings published in the Journal of Nutrition.

“In mice and humans, high fat diets contribute to the development of insulin resistance and hepatosteatosis, biomarkers and major risk factors for type-2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” wrote researchers from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Kentucky.

“In this study, WPI supplementation in mice reduced the severity of several biomarkers, including gain in body weight and adiposity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver,” they added. “[…] whey protein may have therapeutic potential to reduce the incidence of diabetes and fatty liver diseases, especially in at-risk individuals who consume excess energy and fat and lead a sedentary lifestyle.”

The whey forward

For a long time whey was viewed as a secondary product within the dairy industry, used simply as a means of feed for animals and not as an added-value ingredient. That, however, is changing, particularly with the impact of high milk costs on the industry.

Such a change has seen whey proteins become an important nutritional and functional food ingredient, with extensive use in food applications such as sport beverages, meat replacement products, baked products, salad dressings, ice creams, artificial coffee creams, soups and dairy products.

In addition to its extensive use in sports nutrition products, the new study suggests that whey protein may also reduce the risk of metabolic disease associated with a high fat diet.

Study details

Led by Howard Shertzer from the University of Cincinnati, the researchers fed mice a high fat diet for 11 weeks. The high fat diet was defined as providing 40 percent of calories from fat. Animals were subsequently randomly assigned to one of two groups: One groups received normal drinking water, while the other received drinking water containing 100 grams of whey protein isolate (Natural Pure WPI, Bioplex Nutrition) per liter.

via nutraingredients-usa.com

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Sports Injuries: Whey Protein After Workout

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada and the University of Nottingham in England recruited 15 young men, all experienced in performing resistance exercise.

The participants underwent testing to measure the rate of muscle building under two conditions: after eating 15 grams of whey protein at rest and 24 hours after a round of resistance exercise.

During the exercise portion of the study, each participant performed these activities: lifted a heavy load on a leg extension machine until fatigue a light load until fatigue; or a light load in which the workout session was stopped before fatigue set in.

Whey Protein After Workout

Each man returned to the laboratory 24 hours later and ate 15 grams of whey protein, a common dairy constituent.

Results indicate that regardless of the type of exercise load, muscle building increased after eating whey.

The findings suggest that muscles may make better use of dietary amino acids eaten 24 hours after exercise, regardless of exercise load as long as the exercise is being performed until fatigue.

The researchers say their findings suggest insights about how exercise can provide benefits to lean muscle mass growth and maintenance.

via recoverydoctor.blogspot.com

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XAPP Protein Energy and Recovery Drinks

XAPP Protein Energy and Recovery Drinks may have found a new niche!

XAPP, which is made by Designer Whey, seeks to tap into the body building and fitness industry with their two new drinks.

Both drinks contain whey protein, but they are formulated to work together as the preworkout formula has caffeine and nutrients to keep you going hard, while the recovery formula has electrolytes and nutrients to replenish tired and growing muscles.

Taste

Both XAPP drinks are fruit punch flavor. As for taste, the fruit punch taste is pretty good, a bit better in the preworkout version, yet still good in the post workout version as well. I got a sense of cherry hint towards the end. The company promotes XAPP as the first carbonated protein drink and the carbonation is just right. There isn’t any sort of aftertaste, yet both the caffeine and caffeine free versions did leave my mouth a little dry so I had reach for some water.

XAPP Ingredients

XAPP contains the same ingredients in both versions, minus caffeine in the XAPP Recovery. Each can contains 25g of liquid whey protein, along with sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and 1g of sugar. XAPP Protein Energy contains 93mg of caffeine. Even though the protein in XAPP is derived from milk, the drink isn’t milky or gritty like other whey protein based drinks. XAPP will to fit snugly into your workout plan as each can also only has 100 calories.

Effect

I drank the pre-workout XAPP Energy about 20 minutes before working out and it took just about the whole 20 minutes before I began to feel the rush. Now the rush wasn’t quite as high as some of the preworkout formulas I’m used to, but it did provide enough to get me going.

After my workout which lasted about an hour, I was still getting a solid energy buzz, yet still followed the directions on the post workout XAPP Recovery that said to drink right after workout. The post workout left we feeling refreshed, a bit thirsty but refreshed. The rush from the first can continued to keep me high for about another 2 hours, before dispersing with a slight crash.

Verdict

As this drink fills a niche, providing gym goers with a refreshing protein drink, I will probably continue to stick to my preworkout drink to get me through my workouts and regular energy drinks to get me through my day. XAPP Energy and Recovery Drinks did have a great taste and I’m sure some in their target market will enjoy getting protein in a carbonated way opposed to the usual milky way.

via energyfiend.com

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The best way to Find the best Protein to Buy — Free Press Release List

What’s the best protein powder to buy? I get this question all the time,
and truly, there is absolutely no greatest protein – a lot of are very very good for various
causes! In my view, it can be futile and probably detrimental to stick to only one brand for the subsequent good reasons:

a) I constantly suggest that you simply cycle your dietary supplements to ensure your system does not
get utilized to them thereby decreasing their impact,

b) for assortment sakes on your own, it breaks the
monotony and allows you to try different brands,

c) to take benefit of
the special traits provided by a variety of brand names, and

d) it can be a good idea to swap the powders you employ on the regular basis to not develop
any foods intolerances and even worse allergic reactions (I have an write-up coming out on this
subject in the in the vicinity of potential.) A blend that brings together a variety of protein sources (i.e.
casein, egg, whey, and also beef if you can uncover it) is your finest bet. I highly
recommend the subsequent: MD+ Myosin Protein Complex, Beverly International
Muscle Supplier, Biotest Low-Carb Grow!, and Dorian Yates Authorized ProPeptide.

High-quality whey protein powders are superb selections for post-
exercise diet since they get into your method quickly to feed people
depleted muscles. Casein, then again, is really a slow releasing protein
since it recurdles into a sound with your gut prolonging digestion – this can be a great
choice before your routines or prior to going to bed.

Anyhow, as far as whey powders are concerned, amino acid complex
profile decides good quality. We have in my possession a checklist of protein
powders that were analyzed for high quality by an independent laboratory,
but since I never want any of these firms breathing down my neck, I
will only divulge that details to my clients. Keep in mind one particular thing, you
get what you spend for! Preserve that in head. Also, some people are very
sensitive to aspartame and lactose and that means you may have to search out no cost versions
of those. Taste will ultimately determine regardless of whether you purchase that
powder once more. Create in with a few of your feedback on these goods -
I’d love to hear your remarks.

Another issue, you may even mix protein powder into other meals to
up the protein subject material and boost the taste. Mixing protein powder in
(slow-cooked) oatmeal is 1 option, but here is one more. I contact it my
“bedtime concoction.” Add a scoop of Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide
(vanilla) to a combination of ricotta (whey) and cottage (casein) cheese. Not
only does this present both an anabolic and anticatabolic impact throughout
rest, additionally, it tastes wonderful – it really is like eating the cream filling of a cannoli with out
the pastry shell! Try it.

via freepressreleaselist.com

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Scope - medical blog - Stanford University School of Medicine

The big excitement at the rehearsal dinner for my wedding was a trip to the emergency room. Someone accidentally ate the wrong tortilla chip.

We had a large bowl of guacamole set out with the appetizers, along with two bowls of tortilla chips. Natalia, one of the musicians for the ceremony, had a severe milk allergy. She asked if the chips or dip had any milk products in them. The guacamole was homemade, so we knew for sure it was safe. My aunt grabbed a tortilla-chip bag and read the ingredients: corn, water, salt. No milk there.

Natalia ate a chip and felt her throat start to swell shut. It turned out the plain tortilla chips were milk-free, but the lime-flavored chips had whey protein added. No one had thought to check the labels on both packages.

Fortunately, Natalia had an EpiPen with her - like most people with severe food allergies, she carries it everywhere she goes. She gave herself a shot of epinephrine. Then, not wanting to take any chances, she headed out the door to the emergency room. The epinephrine did its job and she was OK, but we were all quite shaken up.

Having had this window into the scary consequences of severe milk allergy made me especially glad to hear about new research findings from Stanford's Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD. In a study Nadeau presented today at the annual meeting for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, her Stanford team and collaborators at Harvard University did a small test (see abstract #L5) of a drug that could help children overcome severe milk allergy.

The drug, omalizumab, blocks the action of IgE, the class of antibodies responsible for allergic reactions. The scientists gave omalizumab for nine weeks to a small group of children with severe, life-threatening milk allergy. They then began giving the children small amounts of milk. The children received omalizumab and gradually increasing doses of milk for the next seven to 11 weeks. Then the drug was discontinued, while the milk dose continued to increase. By the end of the study, at six months, most of the children in this small pilot study could tolerate eight ounces of milk without an allergic reaction.

The idea of exposing someone to gradually increasing doses of an allergy trigger to desensitize their body is not new - it's the basis for shots used to combat seasonal allergies. But using omalizumab during the tolerization process is new, and while she cautions that the study's results need to be repeated in a larger trial, Nadeau said omalizumab may make the process safer and faster. She also thinks it could potentially make the anti-allergy treatment available to a wider group of people:

For the first 16 weeks of oral desensitization, we gave omalizumab to try to decrease the severity and rate of allergic reactions when subjects consumed cow's milk. Without this treatment, 10 to 20 percent of people who start oral immunotherapy drop out, in part due to intolerable allergic reactions early in the treatment.

via scopeblog.stanford.edu

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EatStrong Trail Mix and Energy Bar: Product Review – Eat Drink Better

I love granola bars, but the ones I like best are not always the healthiest. The healthiest are often the least tasty. When EatStrong offered me the chance to try their new energy bars and trail mix, I was happy to.

EatStrong Energy Bar

The granola bar tasted like a nut butter, which is mostly what it is. The texture was somewhat crumbly, but it held together and I didn’t have a problem with it falling apart in my hands. Ingredients include flax seed (omega-3s!), sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds finely ground and mixed with whey protein isolate and chocolate drops made from organic cacao.

While the amount of calories in a bar is average at 230 calories, the protein and carbohydrate ratios are not. The liberal use of seeds and nuts brings the protein up to 12 grams and the carbs are only 15 grams. The bar also provides 6% of the daily value of calcium and 15% of the daily value of iron.

EatStrong Trail Mix

EatStrong Trail Mix comes in a bag with 1.6 ounces of mix in it. It’s about a handful. While that sounds small, it actually turned out to be very filling.

The trail mix contains walnuts, cashews, pistachios, and almonds with flax and sunflower seeds and chocolate drops made from organic cacao.  The nuts are unsalted.

One bag has 260 calories, 18 grams of fat, no cholesterol, and the sodium is only 15 mg. Again, like the energy bar, the trail mix has a fairly ratio of protein to carbs, with 7 grams of protein and 17 grams of carbs. The mix provides 6% of the daily value of calcium and 30% of the daily value of iron.

EatStrong

EatStrong granola bars and granola are part of a weight loss system centered around eating real food that tastes good. The system focuses on one-on-one phone calls with a nutritionist who will help customers through all the difficulties of losing weight – grocery shopping, dining out, even pregnancy nutrition – as well as an initial consultation to plan nutrition to meet the customer’s goals.

EatStrong‘s site also has free articles for weight loss, weight maintenance, and working out; an active online community; and an archive of newsletters. They also have a fairly large collection of recipes for browsing. Mexican chicken burgers looks amazing.

The energy bar and trail mix were developed to provide people with healthy, energy snacks that still taste good. I think they succeeded.

The snacks can be purchased from EatStrong’s snack shop without participating in the weight loss system. The EatStrong Energy Bar is $2.50 each or twelve for $27.50. The trail mix is priced similarly.

Image of a dense forest by d.boyd, used with Creative Commons license.

Images of EatStrong packages by EatStrong.

via eatdrinkbetter.com

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Amy's Story: Know what to expect after chemotherapy

Before beginning my chemotherapy, during "Chemo Teaching Day" at my doctor's office, I took notes of all the possible side effects specific to the medicines I would receive. I also read tips from the literature I was given and checked out a couple of books, which I found helpful, including "Just Get Me Through This," a practical guide to coping with breast cancer.

Everyone reacts differently, so I wasn't sure which of the many side effects I would get. I tracked them after each chemotherapy treatment. My first round of chemotherapy included these medicines: Adriamycin & Cytoxan and Neulasta.

Here are some tips that I hope will be helpful to others. They are not meant to be advice to anyone; only tips that helped me, that may help someone else.

• Hair loss: It's one of the most emotional side effects I am experiencing. (We'll cover it at length another time.) Oh my gosh, huge, huge deal.

• Night sweats. Waking during the night with my shirt soaking wet. These were reduced once I started taking a B-complex vitamin daily.

• Nausea. At the first sign of nausea, I took Compazine, then waited one-half hour, and forced myself to eat something, even if it was just a few animal crackers. Keeping anything in my stomach to keep it busy helped.

• Headaches. I got severe, roaming headaches, sinus pain, throbbing temples and migraines. After trying several things, I found it worked best to drink LOTS of water, and take one Exedrin migraine when needed.

• Bone, muscle and joint pain. After trying different painkillers that didn't help, I learned that Clariton once a day helped a lot; not sure why, but I learned this from a nurse practitioner. It worked for me.

• Dizziness. I learned to look straight ahead and take deep breaths when dizzy. Also, had a protein smoothie almost daily to ensure nutrition. My favorite: frozen strawberries, banana, yogurt, ice cream, peach nectar and whey protein. I always felt stronger after drinking this.

• Sores on tip of tongue. A nurse gave me a recipe of water, baking soda and salt for rinsing my mouth after eating, which got rid of sores within two days. I did not get mouth sores from the Adriamycin. While receiving this medicine during chemo, I chewed ice — another tip.

• Exhaustion, fatigue. I tried to stick to my regular sleep schedule as best I could. Following chemo, many nights in which I could only sleep three to four hours per night — a side effect of the anti-nausea medicine, which left me very tired. I take an afternoon nap, and read a lot to get my mind off everything.

• Loss of taste buds. Everything tasted yucky for a little over a week after each treatment. I found myself planning yummy meals for the days I knew they would return (day 10 to 14) In the meantime, I especially liked Italian food, which I could at least barely taste.

• Sour taste. Tums

via greenbayhub.greenbaypressgazette.com

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4 Best Bodybuilding Supplements You Should Know About : Muscle Resource Book

Are you tired of being scrawny and getting blank stares from people when you tell them you workout? Do you find it hard to believe that you bust your butt in the gym 5 days a week and have little to show for. Maybe it’s simply because your not taking the right bodybuilding supplements to complement the right diet plan? In order to make the 4 major supplements perform for you the right way and give you the results you deserve, then you have to first understand the true definition of a Supplement – “Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole.”

Let’s look at your body as an incomplete work of art. In order to attain your personal goals we need to work on these 3 factors. Put in place a challenging workout plan, write out your nutrition plan and stick to it, then take the 4 super bodybuilding supplements to complete your masterpiece. You must follow your diet and training plan To a T in order for the supplements to deliver great results. OK, we have covered those important points, it’s time to forge ahead to the next step.

What Supplements Do I Need?

Great question, let us suppose that a health supplements website such as Bodybuilding.com carries well over 10,000 different vitamins and bodybuilding products. The reason I reference them is because they are the most well known among bodybuilders and people who are serious about their health. The array of products would be too confusing to start out. That is why we are starting with the most basic supplements. These will get you noticeable results in the least amount of time. They are laid out below:

Multi Vitamins: They are perhaps the most underestimated vitamins supplements by most people. So, I will place them number one upon my top rated supplement list. If your looking to improve your body then a very large and varied amount of nutritional supplements is imperative. Your body would be unable to operate at peak performance levels if you were to overlook them. Just try surviving without them – You won’t be able to. There would be no notable gains in strength, stamina, or muscle size without including an all around multi-vitamin to your diet. Make sure you check out the quality and ingredient summary before ordering. Most strength trainers, runners and all around fitness fanatics use AST Multi Pro 32X. This is a good mix of mulit vitamin and minerals. They are the most popular brand, and I can also recommend them highly to you.

Whey Protein Powder: The very best way to get protein is from protein powder. It is the ultimate way to fast track your bodybuilding results, and it’s a more complete way to get protein than from food alone. Whey protein comes just from milk. Other great ways to get your protein is from eggs, meats, fish and fowl and other sources of dairy such as yogurt and cheese. However, not all of the these protein sources have these levels of (BCAA’s) which if you did not know, stands for Branch Chain Amino Acids. Just one whey protein shake a day has the highest value of BCAA’s available and stands for about 35 grams of pure protein. Include a protein shake to your diet especially after a challenging workout, this will help your muscles recover in twice the amount of time. Another great thing about protein shakes is that they can be made in a flash and you can drink them anytime, anywhere.

Vitamin C: I know what you are thinking. I am already taking a multivitamin. Why do I need more Vitamin C?” As taxing as bodybuilding or cardio workout is on the physique, you need more Vitamin C to help with the recovery process. Most athletes take in 3 grams a day. Vitamin C is great for supporting healthy stress levels. With bodybuilding, college, work, kids and other things going on in life your going to need all immune support you can get.

Creatine Monohydrate: It’s a known fact among bodybuilders that creatine has gotten a bad rap. Just bring up this super important supplement and someone will have something to say. They should know that at least 95% of creatine is found naturally in our muscles and is naturally generated by the liver, pancreas and our kidneys. Without creatine, our muscles would have no energy or power. The question is, if you are a bodybuilder and are looking for great results, can you afford not to supplement your diet with creatine?

To Wrap Things Up: When looking at the value of health supplements, there is really no end to what you could be taking to enhance your body. However, for now these are the 4 most popular bodybuilding supplements on the market today. Think of these 4 supplements as the foundation to your castle. They support you from the ground up. If you looking for strength, long lasting endurance and great muscle mass, don’t even think about not taking them on a daily basis. Best of all, they are responsible for supporting your health in so many ways. I hope everyone reading this post will give them a try.

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The Best Whey Protein Supplements

There are so many brands and types of

best whey protein supplements that are available in the market and considering that they are using different serving sizes, different scoop sizes and different container sizes and this makes it harder for a person to make the comparison. The key to losing fat, building muscle, or just improving your body or health in any way is a combination of a proper diet plan and a proper workout program. The best supplements in the world won't do a thing if you don't get the important stuff right first. With hundreds of protein powders all promising to be the best, it is a difficult process to find a high quality protein powder.

Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein which is recognized as the world leading Protein Powder is a great protein to start with. Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein is designed with a blend of muscle enhancing proteins in Whey Protein Isolate, Hydrolysate, and concentrate and L-Glutamine. Its Advanced 3 Stage Time Release Technology provides superior absorption, digestion, and shuttling to provide protein at the exact time that the muscles are in need of it. Optimum Nutrition has the highest quality proteins, muscle ripping compounds, and delicious tastes which means that when using it you have to bid goodbye to filler and preservative packed proteins.

Syn-Tec Synthesis is also among the best supplements you can get in the market. Syntha 6 comes from the well known company of Syn-Tec. They come in the signature red bottle with their logo, and you are promised maximum results. Its numerous flavor combinations which include cookies and cream provide better taste. Synthesis has all the right proteins in the right amounts and it's the highest quality only. This supplement is also fortified with essential amino acids and fiber for more drawn out digestion which is good for absorption and greater muscle nourishing benefits that a person is not able to get from any normal protein powder.

Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide Whey which is another form of best whey protein supplement will give you the optimal ratio of best whey protein concentrate, isolate and casein for your daily needs. With Xtreme Formulations Ultra Peptide Whey, a person is able to get whey prtein and milk protein isolate in the same formula. This protein delivers a great tasting advanced muscle building protein that helps to cater to the real needs of athletes and everyday citizens alike. It also delivers only the highest quality protein for fast and effective delivery. This type of best whey protein delivers various different forms of protein, and enables one to get a powerful 25g of pure protein for only the best results.

CytoSport Monster Mass, another type of

best whey protein gives a macronutrient heavy lean mass gainer that is tailored specifically for the needs of the person who is taking them. CytoSport Monster Mass will give a person the additional height and hype he may need, and it is absolutely essential to achieving greater muscle gains. With a lean mass gain as well as a meal alternative, nutrition, and weight management in one, CytoSport Monster Mass is on the right road. It also gives a sustained release formula that is multi functional throughout the day.

What's The Best Protein To Take Before You Sleep?

By: Gina Ostarly

It started as just another status update on my Facebook page. I asked my followers on the “Gina Ostarly: The New Forty” page: What type of protein is best before bed and why? To my astonishment, it wasn’t until 20-something responses later that I got an answer worthy of an A+. In the end, this seemingly simple question raked in more than 60 comments of what’s and why’s. 

    

While it appeared my health enthusiast friends were aware of protein, and the importance it plays in their overall fitness goals, few were educated on the varieties of protein or how they should be incorporated. I realized after that Facebook status posting, the protein “story” isn’t played out after all!
    
With so many protein supplements available, it’s easy to be confused. Deciding what the best protein source before bed is doesn’t have to be a coin toss!
 
First of all, why protein is important?
Protein is an extremely important element of any well thought out fitness plan. Fitness plans and protein go together like peas and carrots! Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gains or maintenance, getting enough protein, understanding the different blends and when to take them could be the difference between ho hum results and mind-blowing progress! 
    
Protein, the main structural nutrient in your body, makes up the bulk of your muscles and organs. It is essential for proper hormone function and immune system health. Most importantly, for our purposes, protein promotes healing, repairing and growth of muscle tissue after strenuous exercise. 
     
To adequately take advantage of protein’s benefits, know the basics, the types available and how to best implement them into your individualized fitness program. Buying any old 2-pound tub of protein powder won’t get you the results you want.

So which is it? 
Now, to answer the Facebook question I posted that generated so many responses: what’s the most beneficial protein to take before sleep? The answer is casein protein.
    
Although casein has been shown to be slightly inferior to whey in its muscle-building ability, it’s still your best bet when it comes to a bed-time protein source. The reason? Your body needs to be sustained for six to eight hours during sleep without food. During this time of extended sleep, our bodies risk a catabolic state, a very unfavorable condition in the body created by a combination of overtraining, lack of good nutrition and rest that leads to muscle loss and fat accumulation.
    
Casein has been shown in studies to offer a strong anti-catabolic effect. You don’t want your hard-earned muscle being broken down in your sleep, so a protein that is slowly released over time is your best defense.
 
What is casein protein? 
Casein (pronounced kay-seen) is the predominant protein found in milk. It is made by separating the casein from the whey in dairy (milk protein is 80 percent casein and 20 percent whey). There are three main types of casein protein: micellar casein, milk protein isolate and calcium caseinate. On average, one scoop (30 grams) of casein protein powder has approximately 100-120 calories and 25 grams of protein. 

What are the benefits of casein, bedtime or anytime?
Research shows that when you consume casein, you will reach a peak in blood amino acids and protein synthesis between three to four hours. The total release of amino acids in the bloodstream, however, can last as long as seven hours after ingestion of casein protein. This is the reverse of best whey protein supplements, which are metabolized quickly and recommended immediately after training and first thing in the morning. That’s a whole other article, so check back to read it.
    
Besides its slow-digesting benefits, casein is invaluable for its high glutamine content. Of all the protein powders available, casein has the highest concentration of this amino acid. Glutamine provides a multitude of functions, which include increasing levels of the branched chain amino acid leucine in muscle fibers, enhancing protein synthesis and therefore, muscle growth. Because the immune system requires glutamine to function, consuming extra glutamine prevents the immune system from stealing it from muscle fibers, further averting catabolism. Glutamine also boosts growth hormone levels and can even aid fat loss by increasing the amount of calories and body fat burned both at rest and during exercise.
    
While all food has a thermic effect, research proves that lean protein sources have the most thermogenic punch. Your body burns more calories digesting proteins than carbs or fat. Protein also satiates: you feel full longer after eating a protein-rich meal (which also helps for weight loss goals).

Do “blended” proteins offer the same effect as straight casein?
Either protein supplements are straight whey, soy, egg or casein; or they are a combination of any or all of these kinds of proteins, making them blends. What can a blend of proteins offer that a straight protein cannot? Basically, different rates of digestion. This means you can take a blended protein any time to get quick, medium, and prolonged absorption of protein. 
    
Max Muscle Sports Nutrition’s High 5 Synergistic Protein Complex is a blend with its five ideal protein sources, including casein. This ideal proprietary balanced formulation provides up to four hours of maximum protein uptake and utilization. 

But, I really like my “whey” protein supplement. 
Turn your favorite best whey protein shake into a slow digesting one by simply mixing with milk, preferably low fat or skimmed. While casein protein is “optimal” before bed, don’t forget that milk is 80 percent casein, adding it to any best whey protein will slow down its absorption. Adding a fat such as natural peanut butter, flax or other healthy fat can further slow digestion, thus “mimicking” casein protein.
    
While casein, nor any other supplement, is the secret to building muscle or your silver bullet for weight loss, it is an invaluable ingredient to your recipe for success! And something that does great things for your body, while you sleep, just makes my case!