Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Weight Gain Supplements Truth

by Reggie Barnett

There’s been this huge misconception about weight gain supplements and how they are claimed to work so wonderfully for people (particularly skinny people AKA hardgainers) and gives them a fair chance and even easier ability to gain weight. This may be true in a sense, but you need to know the truth.

So here’s the rundown: let’s say that you walk into your local supplement store (I am not going to say any names), and you purchase some weight gain powder that claims to provide everything needed for weight gain. Now that you purchased these supplements you then begin to take them every day. Then after a week or so, you then jump on a scale and BOOM, your twenty pounds heavier.

Now to look at this little story or “fairy tale” this is not really possible or even heard of, but it’s funny how tons of people looking to put on weight, seem to think this way towards weight gain supplements. With having the intent using weight gaining supplements alone to gain weight, will not only drain your money with the sometimes overpriced supplements but more than likely you will get little results, if any.

So to avoid this you would want to have a proper diet and workout routine that will allow you to put on a tremendous amount of weight with the assistance of weight gaining supplements or even without them. Here’s why, by eating balanced foods like healthy fats from sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, sources of protein from lean meats, and carbohydrate from fruits, vegetables and whole grains can maintain or create a healthier weight for you, which in your case is gaining more.

Now to end this article, it may be a good idea to keep in mind that when consuming balanced foods and doing a simple workout routine, but by working out you will develop consistent growing muscle. A few very simple weight lifting exercises that will promote muscle and body mass growth are leg squats (majority lower body workout) and pulls up (works majority of upper body muscles).

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Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

Five very best kinds of green tea for health and fitness

by Gavin Edley

There’s lots of blends and types of green teas available on the market, however what type is the best for your overall health?

Here we count down the 5 most effective.

Before I start, I want to explain that the antioxidant/nutrient level of any tea is also dependent on the cultivating environments and the time at which the tea is actually harvested.

And although all of these factors are frequently the ones that inevitably establish the ‘type’ of tea it is classed as, there nevertheless remains some amount of variance in nutrient/antioxidant levels in the various types of teas – depending on the quality of the tea.

5. Longjing

Longjing is actually a hugely famous Chinese green tea, and the form of leaf you will often get in supermarket and some mainstream blends of green tea.

Filled with vitamin C, amino acids, plus a powerful quantity of catechins, this unique variety of tea can also have even further incarnations – which means the amount of above mentioned vitamins and nutrients might actually change from type-to-type of LongJing.

Bai Longjing (albeit officially not a genuine LongJing tea), is said to be the one LongJing to contain the most amino acid content.

4. Kukicha

Kukicha green tea is essentially a by-product connected with sencha or gyokuro tea (see no. 2) – composed of stems, stalks along with twigs.

It is because of its simple, unrefined formula that it has become a popular staple in the ‘macrobiotic diet’ which precisely avoids the intake of refined or processed foodstuffs.

3. Schincha

Schincha is actually a Japanese green tea that essentially translates to ‘new tea’ i.e. the first, young fresh leaves of the plant that develop at the begining of Spring.

Because these leaves are picked so early, they consist of concentrated nutrients that the tea plant has held on to through the entire winter months.

Whilst it has a high vitamin and amino acid content, catechin content is rather low (which has been found to possess cancer-fighting qualities). And so, onto our number 2 ranked green tea for health qualities.

2. Gyokuro

Gyokuro is actually shade-grown for approximately the final twenty days of growth – enabling the shrubs to fill with a strong concentration of amino acids and natural vitamins.

Along with the health rewards, Gyokuro also features a distinct scent and sweet flavour shared by our number 1 positioning tea.

1. Matcha

Matcha is harvested in a really similar fashion to Gyokuro. The major variation comes about through the refinement of the tea.

Matcha is actually ground on traditional stone-mills whereas Gyokuro is left to resemble a normal green tea (dried up foliage). Because of this, with matcha, you actually ingest the tea leaves themselves.

Also , since the development process allows these leaves to fill up with a concentration of amino acids and nutritional vitamins, you will get the direct advantage of this with a degree of potency matched by not one other green tea.

So, that’s it, our top five green teas based upon their health properties.

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Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

All the Time Metformin Side Effects

by Miranda Laranjo

I took Metformin for a few of weeks right around the Christmas holidays this past year. I am not diabetic, but I have had a difficult time taking weight off. I have symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and it is sometimes prescribed to relieve some of the symptoms of PCOS, specifically insulin resistance. One of the causes of PCOS is insulin resistance. Actually, doctors have not decided whether PCOS is caused by insulin resistance, or if the insulin resistance exists because of the polycystic ovaries. In any case, if you have insulin resistance, it is more difficult for you to lose weight.

My endocrinologist prescribed it to me in hopes of helping me get some of my weight off. He had previously advised me to start doing 90 minutes of cardio daily. I had done my daily 90 minutes religiously for three weeks straight, and in the end, I actually gained weight. He thought that it was worthwhile to at least give the Metformin a shot. We had talked about side effects of using the medicine. He said some people experience upset stomach or diarrhea, but this generally goes away within a few days. He prescribed me a 30-day trial. My doctor advised me to take the drug in the morning with food.

As soon as I started taking the it, I started losing weight. The reason I started losing weight was because my stomach felt so ill all of the time, I didn’t feel like eating. I also had diarrhea daily, generally right after eating a meal. These symptoms never went away for me. It is not a bad thing to have a reduced appetite when you are trying to lose weight, but if that reduced appetite is because you are constantly feeling ill, it’s not worth it.

I took the medication for three weeks. I also take an antidepressant, Wellbutrin, for anxiety and depression. Along with Wellbutrin, I have to take large daily doses of Vitamin C and D. The same doctor who prescribed the it had found out that I had scurvy of all things. Scurvy is a severe deficiency of Vitamin C. I was also low on Vitamin D. It’s still unclear to me how I developed these deficiencies since I drink a lot of milk and orange juice daily. While I was on the it, I felt like I was getting some of the scurvy symptoms back. My energy was low, and I was achy. I also realized that I was starting to feel anxious and depressed again. In my head, I kept thinking that I may need to go back to get my antidepressant dosage tweaked. I felt like I was snapping at everyone around me. Then I finally had the light bulb moment that the it was most likely making it so that my body could not absorb my vitamins or antidepressant. If you are going diarrhea daily after eating and taking your pills, your body isn’t going to get those things that it needs.

I made the decision to stop taking it for the side effects over the weekend before New Year’s. I was on a trip up in a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with my family and some close friends, and I realized that I felt sick and wasn’t enjoying my trip at all. I was grouchy and down, had no energy, my joints and bones were aching again, and my stomach was constantly upset. As soon as I stopped taking it, my stomach immediately felt better. Over the course of a few weeks, my antidepressant kicked back in, as well as the Vitamin C and D, and I felt much better.

Since then, I have made a big effort to lose weight through diet and exercise. I am religiously journaling every morsel that goes into my mouth, and I’ve been exercising several times a week. I joined Weight Watchers and am getting the group support that I need to lose weight. I am finally successfully losing weight and am down ten pounds as of the writing of this article.

I am lucky that I am not required to take it due to diabetes. I’m not sure I could just stop taking it if that were the case. The side effects were too detrimental to my daily existence to continue taking it. Weight loss and exercise is more important to me than ever. I do not want to end up with diabetes, and I don’t ever want to have to take Metformin again.

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Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

A Diabetic’s Experience Of Metformin Side Effects

by Miranda Laranjo

Several years ago I started waking several times during the night, needing to relieve my bladder. Sometimes the amount would be minimal. At the same time, I found that my appetite was ravenous; further, I had a greater penchant for sweets than I had ever had before. This all happened on the heels of a weight gain. Also, I was in my early 50s.

After a particularly annoying episode of nausea, I went to the doctor and, was diagnosed as a “Type 2 Diabetic.” This is often referred to as “Adult onset Diabetes” and is a typical condition of “late middle-aged people” who have a put on weight, don’t exercise and have a poor diet.

Type 2 Diabetes is, in most cases, treated with diet or oral medication. The most popular medication for this particular situation is a drug called Metformin which is the generic name for Glucophage, Fortamet or Riomet.

When starting , the physician will start one at the lowest doses and only increase if the lower ones aren’t effective.

While it is the drug of choice for Type 2 Diabetes, I found it to have many side effects.

The worst side effect I had was severe cramping. Another I had was daily diarrhea. While I followed the directions and took the medication with a meal, and, at night, I still had the side effects of cramping and diarrhea.

Another side effect I had to deal with was heart palpitations. It eased as my body became used to the medicine but never entirely went away.

Additional included dizziness and lightheadedness as well as just plain headaches. This occurred as I was losing weight and was actually orthostatic and had low blood sugar which can be another side effect .

Diabetes is the type of illness that affects your body all day long and changes from hour to hour as you eat and are active. side effects are more or less severe, based on any given moment of the day. That is why it is a very hard disease to live with.

I found the best way to avoid Metformi side effects was to get the dosage reduced which could only be done by losing weight and exercising. Then, I could reduce and finally get off the medication. Further, I found that drinking fluids (not soda) helped to reduce Metformin side effects.

Many Diabetes sufferers think that just because they are on medication they can do what they want regarding lifestyle. The fact is, if one ignores the diet and exercise necessities of beating the illness, even a drug as comprehensive as it will have many side effects, and, further, will be ineffective.

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Find Out The Skinny On Losing Weight

by Karen Smith

One of the losing weight programs that have been receiving a lot of positive comments from those that have tried it is The Skinny on Losing Weight, which was written and released by Louis J. Aronne. The main objective of the book is to help those who are suffering from obesity and those that need to lose weight by controlling their minds not to eat a whole lot.

According to Dr. Aronne, the secret to have a slim and fit body would be to control yourself from eating too significantly but since it would be challenging to control yourself from craving for much more foods after you workouts nothing will genuinely take place. You’ll still weigh like what you use to have and your body will still be the same. Nevertheless, by means of the guidance that you’ll get from his book, you will be losing your weight with out feeling hungry.

Maybe you are wondering how this might be feasible. To know if the program will work, you’ll have to try it for yourself and for just an amount of 10 to 17 dollars you’ll now have the opportunity to own one copy. You do not need to worry about its price since once you start reading it and follow the instructions, you’ll really feel a great change in your body.

The Skinny on Losing Weight contains topics regarding various methods of what you are able to follow to lose weight. The book will make you realized the significance of checking the contents of the foods that you eat. It also provides guidelines and solutions on how it is possible to maintain your body skinny. Another excellent thing about the book is that you will find recipes included that you’ll be able to also serve for your family.

Dr. Aronne has conducted researched before he really released the book to the public. He made certain that each individual who will read and follow it will accomplish the goal that they’re aiming. The Skinny on Losing Weight is just one of hundreds of programs that it is possible to follow but to ensure that you might be choosing the right one where you’ll benefit the most, you are able to seek for an guidance from a physician.

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Get Fit and Lose Weight with Cardio Exercise

by Jason Scott Johnson

The cardio-respiratory system is called into action to either sustain or recover from any type of physical activity. Any type of activity can be used as a method for cardio-respiratory training (cardio). It can be used as a warm up, a cool down or an exercise session. There are several keys to making an effective yet fun cardio program. For increasing metabolism and fat burn, you must first, build a base cardio level, second, add intervals, and third increase the intensity and/or duration of those intervals.

Whether you are a beginner and/or just returning to physical activity, any increase in your activity will be beneficial for improving health and increasing metabolism. You can get equal general health benefits and calorie burn from performing all of your activity in one session or breaking it up into several. In the introduction phase you can just perform moderate activity for 5-30 minutes or more per day. This can be:

Walking

Bicycling

Bicycling

Anything that increases your heart rate and breathing without exhausting you will do the job. After 2-3 weeks of at least 30 minutes of daily activity you can start working to improve your overall fitness level.

When aiming to increase your fitness levels you want to maintain a heart rate that is is 65-75% of maximum predicted heart rate. This can be done with:

Running

Running

Circuit weight training

Aerobics class

Any method will work as long as you can maintain the desired heart rate. You can start with as low as 5 minutes in this zone (finish out the other 25 minutes at a moderate level) and work up to 30 minutes in this zone. This is “steady-state” cardio, where you keep the intensity about the same throughout the session. Once you can perform 3 of these sessions a week for 2-3 weeks you can then step it up to my favorite style of training — ready?

Interval training is where it really becomes fun and you can dramatically increase your calorie burn DURING and AFTER the session is over. Performing your cardio in a fashion where you alternate between high and low intensities makes your workouts much more fun, and effective at generating Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). EPOC is basically a state in which your body is consuming extra oxygen to return the body back to its original state and refilling energy supplies. EPOC can be a golden nugget for the goals of increasing calorie and fat burn.

For interval training, any approach will do. You can choose a treadmill, bike, stair stepper, rower, or anything that allows you to alternate high and low intensities and/or speeds.

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

The specific Health Features of consuming Matcha Green Tea

by Gavin Edley

Matcha green tea seems to have captivated a whole lot of recognition of late because of its implied physical health benefits coupled with energy-boosting assets.

For anybody who is not currently conscious of precisely what this tea is, it is essentially a tea that’s generally exclusive to particular areas of Japan (especially in the Kyoto prefecture). What makes it so special is the method that it is produced (underneath bamboo sheets for the last several months of cultivation – to allow the foliage to load with chlorophyll) and in what way that it is prepared (crushed, on ancient stone mills).

The fact that you are actually consuming the actual tea leaves them selves, as opposed to the stewed water with conventional teas, ensures that you will get the many health gains associated with green tea but increased.

Here we glimpse a bit deeper in regards to what these health and fitness benefits are, as well as precisely why matcha has fast become so popular in america, Canada, and also Europe – from the humble beginnings in Japan.

Energy-boosting

Contrary to popular perception, it does indeed feature caffeine.

Now, to most, this might be seen as a bad point, however, with matcha, there also is a 100 % natural amino-acid derivative known as L-Theanine (a drug free mood booster) which in turn will work in combination with the caffeine to supply a sustainable discharge of energy over six hours.

As a result distinct from coffee, where you acquire a massive rush of caffeine-fuelled energy, and then the following moment you happen to be burnt-out. Matcha in fact extends this specific energy release offered by caffeine, to help keep you alert not to mention active throughout the day.

Mind-invigorating

Much time ago, Buddhist monks often would drink this in advance of experiencing 12-hour meditation sessions to assist them to continue being tranquil and also focussed.

This, once again, is down to the actual L-Theanine content.

L-Theanine is actually proven to assist you to arouse the mind whilst maintaining an intense feeling of calm and relaxation at the same time – which are pretty contradictory feelings, but it works nonetheless.

Metabolism-raising

Green tea on the whole has been proven to assist in the act of thermogenesis (the generation of warmth in one’s human body) which, subsequently, also improves metabolic process.

Given that matcha is basically an ‘amplified’ adaptation of normal tea, it supplies this benefit but on a significantly greater scale.

Cholesterol-minimising

Once again, experiments undertaken by the British Medical Foundation observed that green tea on the whole is proven to lessen one’s bad cholesterol and therefore maintain a healthy heart.

Matcha therefore supplies exactly the same advantage, but to significantly greater effect.

De-toxing

Due to the fact that you ingest all the tea leaves themselves, a study by the University of Colarado found that matcha actually contains 137x the anti-oxidants of standard green tea. Which means, matcha is ideal for emancipating your system of toxins.

The reality is, matcha contains a great deal more antioxidants compared to most other ‘superfoods’.

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Weightlifting Tips For Beginners

by Ricardo D Argence

Many techniques and routines can, if performed properly, help you build up muscle mass as long as you also carefully monitor your daily intake of food and water. Of course, you also have to make sure that you are taking proper care of yourself and you muscles by resting and recovering from all your hard work. However there are many things you should not do because they might hurt your body or cause an unfortunate imbalance in your physique.

Always have a plan for your weightlifting workout. Begin by equipping yourself with an adequate notebook and a trustworthy pen. Keep this training journal handy and up to date. While writing down where you’re at now, write down your goals for the future, and how you’re going to get there.

Outline your proposed daily steps of action in order to identify the tactics necessary to implement your goal achievement strategy.

Keeping a training journal and calendar will aid you in preventing from skipping any of your scheduled workouts. It’s very important never fail them when you are a bodybuilder. Also, keeping up with your measurements allows you to see yourself moving towards your goals as well as knowing when you have reached them.

Your diet is the key to burning fat and building muscles, so be sure to eat the right foods at the right times and in the proper proportions to achieve the desired results. Remember you cannot starve yourself and build muscle.

Many products that will help with bodybuilding are available for purchase. Of course there’s marketing hype that you’ll see coming from a mile away, making bogus claims. If you want to achieve your current goal, it is best to use tried and proven methods. In the end you may be wasting yourself monetarily and time-wise.

Challenging yourself everyday with techniques will help you grow muscles, however when you are not experiencing continual growth you should consider other options. Your muscle growth will plateau if you are doing the same things every week, as it satisfies the effort you put into it. By adding just a bit more weight each time, You can push yourself to surpass previous workouts.

You also need the proper amount of rest and recovery. Get plenty of restful sleep to recover from muscle inflammation and soreness by resting more often.

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

The Best Protein Drink: From the Obvious to the Not so Obvious Choices

by Jim Duffy

Protein drinks are often recommended for dieters and for those who are really too busy to eat a healthy, well balanced diet. However, there are so many options to choose from that finding the best protein drink may be a little difficult. The kind of protein drink that you need may vary depending on your individual protein needs and the type of drink that you are looking for.

Before you start looking for the best protein drink, you have to remember that there are two common types of protein drinks on the market: those that are meant to help you lose weight and those meant to help you gain it. Read the labels carefully and make sure that the protein drink you are interested in actually has what you need without additional ingredients that you do not need. Dieters who get higher amounts of protein may burn up to 38% more body fat than those who do not get enough of this nutrient. Drinking a protein shake each day can help the average dieter lose up to 150% more weight than the average low fat/low calorie diet plan.

Protein Shakes and More

There are a number of brands and flavors of the typical protein shake available in a can or a bottle or in powdered form to mix yourself. In addition there are protein boosted waters that are available. Again, these are available as pre-mixed in the bottle or in little packets that you just add to bottled water and shake them up. The most important thing to keep in mind about most protein shakes is simple: You have to find the brand that you like in a flavor that you enjoy. You also have to read the labels because some brands have to be kept in the fridge for safety while others do not need to be kept cold.

If you are looking at protein powders, you might be interested in the four major types: rice, soy, egg, and whey. Each type has specific benefits and may be a good choice in specific situations. Soy protein powder is created from soy flour and is available in a concentrate or isolate formula depending on needs. Soy is a complete, plant based protein and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Considered to be highly digestible, soy protein powder shakes may lower cholesterol and will decrease the risk of heart disease. It also improves the nutritional value of other foods.

Egg protein powders are made from egg whites making them fat free and high in protein. Surprisingly low in cholesterol, eggs are considered to be the perfect food because of their nutrition and digestibility. Rice protein powders are isolated from the protein of brown rice. It too is a complete protein and is hypoallergenic, often the supplement of last resort for those who have many different food allergies to deal with. It is also perfect for both vegetarians and vegans.

Whey protein powders are made from whey, a byproduct of the cheese making process. It is the most common of the protein supplements and is often the first one recommended by nutritionists and doctors for their patients. Whey has been used since the time of Hippocrates, who prescribed the supplement for his own patients. The isolate is more expensive but higher in protein. It is also lower in lactose and may be tolerated by those who are only mildly bothered by lactose sensitivities.

The Best Protein Drink Might Be in Your Fridge Right Now

When you say the words “protein drink” to most people, the image of huge, muscle bound men and women chugging down glasses of raw eggs or great servings of thick, rancid smelling concoctions may come to mind. However, there are other types of protein drinks and for most of us, an example of it is sitting in our fridge right at this moment. Milk is considered to be one of the best protein drinks and can be the perfect drink for after the average workout to serve as part of the recovery process. An eight-ounce glass of milk has 9 grams of protein, 31% of the calcium for the day, and may help build lean muscle mass and promotes weight loss. Milk has also been recommended to increase protein intake in the average diet by a recent study that is revisiting the healthier version of the high protein diet.

Dairy protein may help to lower the salt induced increase in blood pressure through a combination of the amino acids isoleucine/proline/proline and valine/proline/proline. The tripeptides in milk have accounted for a nearly five point decrease in systolic numbers and a nearly three point decrease in diastolic.

The Best Protein Drink for the Best Athlete

According to research published in BioMed Central, the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutritionists, in a study conducted by researchers at Gettysburg College and the University of Western Ontario, a protein and carbohydrate sport drink may help recover after exercise, giving a 22-34% increase in glycogen recovery. This is important to decrease muscle fatigue and soreness. It also increases vigor and performance as well. This may be the best protein drink for elite athletes but is not meant for those who are doing light exercise.

The Unexpected Best Protein Drink

Profect, a small, protein supplement shot from Protica is one of the best ways to increase protein in the diet without adding a lot of fat or calories. With only 100 calories per serving, each shot has 25 grams of protein with fruit based flavors that are refreshing and unique.

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Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Choosing the Right Nutritional Supplements

by Chris Sas

Nutritional supplements are a dime a dozen nowadays, with each promises the fastest and best possible results for everyone who uses them. Although many of these products can in fact help you achieve your goals in the gym and getting to that great physique, not all of these may be right for your specific goals and / or personal requirements.

The variety of nutritional supplements is diverse to say the least, ranging from proteins which in their own right are quite varied, to creatines and nitric oxide which for all intensive purposes are more focused on helping build strength and endurance. This is why a choice in and of these products requires a little more analysis when it comes to your own personal objectives.

One of the main considerations that needs to be made when selecting which nutritional supplements are right for you is that of your own personal goals when it comes to desired outcomes in the gym, on the track or field. Strength may be important to a teammate of yours, but perhaps your role on the team requires more of an endurance based performance.

This is true for the various motivations that someone may train for, which can be body building based, sports performance wise or even for personal training to lose weight and gain muscle, whilst improving the overall physique. And then of course the purity and efficacy of these nutritional supplements also comes into play. Here one will come to see that the most ardent of body builders will normally opt for the purest protein powders and meal replacement products.

A key factor to success in selecting the right nutritional supplements is held within the analysis of one’s own circumstances, which are not only goal and objectives based but also that of individual circumstances, such as time allotted for training, current weight and body composition and biological factors such as metabolism. It is vital to explore all these factors to ensure that you select and utilize the right nutritional supplements for your own circumstances.

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