The Problem With The Food Is

The problem with the food that most of the population eats on a regular basis is the fact that is wasn't what nature intended for us to eat.

Massive advertising campaigns are constantly trying to convince us to eat a myriad of foods and they are all fueled by the same desire to make bigger profits for the food manufacturers.

The human body was designed to eat specific foods to maintain a healthy balance and that balance included a body weight that ensured good health.

Obesity is becoming a bigger problem each year (if you will excuse the pun) and it is due to the fact that more and more people are eating the wrong food, feeling hungry due to the lack of nutrition in that food to meet their needs and feeling that they need to eat more to get their essential dietary needs.

There is also so much conflicting information about what we should and shouldn't be eating that many people are confused as to what is good for them.

One minute chocolate is good for you and the next minute it is bad. This wasn't so much of a problem for our ancestors who had a simpler diet where only basic foods were readily available.

One thing that they didn't need to contend with on the scale that we see today is obesity.

Where obesity has now become an epidemic is was a rare occurrence in the past. That says something for the foods we eat today just by looking at history.
And it wasn't just because of a lack of money and a lack of food because even those who could afford to buy what they required didn't have the widespread weight problems that face modern society.

If we look back in time and the occurrence of obesity in different races of people it can generally be linked to the introduction of changes in the types of foods that they began consuming.

It is difficult to fight the urge to eat when the body is feeling hungry even for those people with considerable will power and that is why most people tend to fail when they go on a diet unless all their nutritional needs are being met in some way.

Your Calorie Consumption

The amount of calories that you consume on a daily basis will determine whether you gain or lose weight and this is one of the most important aspects of any weight loss program that you decide to go on.

Studies have been taken where overweight people believed they were eating no more food than other people they associated with who were considerably slimmer than them.

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The overweight people were under the false impression that the reason why they were heavier and gaining weight was due to their body's metabolism.

When keeping a record of their food consumption over a specified period of time it was shown that they were actually consuming more calories and it had nothing to do with their metabolism but rather their choice of food and the quantities they were eating.

You only need to reduce your calorie intake by 100 calories per day to make a substantial effect on your weight over the period of the year.

This is a very manageable goal for almost everybody and it is not too difficult to cut back by that amount, however many of the weight loss programs are recommending considerably more reduction in calories making it very difficult to maintain and as a result of this many people are failing to achieve what they start out to do.

Now when you combine the fact that you only need to reduce calories by that much, with additional supplementation of vitamins and minerals that can help your overall health, you can see how you can stay nutritionally balanced throughout the whole weight loss process and not feel as though you are starving yourself.

For many people just knowing that the hurdle is not so great, and that there are suitable supplements to assist them, is enough to ensure that they can start and maintain a good weight loss program.

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For A Healthy Living Just Enjoy A Variety Of Vegetables

Eating healthy is important for everyone – and I bet: you know that already…

Plus: one of the most important keys to eating a better diet is eating more fruits and vegetables. I bet again: you knew that too. But:

Many people are unsure how to use vegetables more effectively as part of their diet, but it may be easier than you think to provide yourself and your family with healthy, nutritious meals at a great prices!

One way to create wonderful meals that are healthier than ever is to take a stroll through the produce section of your local grocery store.

Most major grocery store chains have huge produce sections, containing a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables from all corners of the world.

Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables is a great way to keep your meals interesting and exciting in addition to nutritious. It is all too easy to become bored when trying to follow a healthy diet, and boredom can lead people to abandon their healthy habits.

Avoiding diet burnout is important to the long term survival of even the most sensible eating plan.

So if you’ve never had vegetables like collard greens, asparagus or kale before, why not give them a try. Not only can trying new things allow you to make great new discoveries, but it can increase your level of fitness as well. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and kale are rich sources of many important vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

Another great way to increase the variety of vegetables you enjoy is to combine fresh, frozen and canned vegetables. While fresh vegetables are generally better and healthier, frozen and canned vegetables can be great alternatives for when the fresh varieties are out of season.

One of the best things about fresh fruits and vegetables is the great variety of flavors, colors and textures available. Eating a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits does much more than provide much needed variety. It also provides a great variety of nutrients.

For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be very high in beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are often great sources of calcium and other important nutrients. So why not spice up your plain old green salad with a splash of color in the form of yellow peppers or orange carrot slices?

Many people wrongly think that they can make up for a crappy diet by using vitamin and mineral supplements. This mistaken belief is apparently very widespread, since sales of these supplements continue to break records.

When considering vitamin and mineral supplements, however, it is important to remember that foods contain many different minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients.

That means that for every nutrient that has been discovered and synthesized, there may be ten, twenty or more of these micronutrients that have yet to be fully understood. That is why no vitamin supplement, no matter how complete, can truly replace a healthy, balanced diet.

In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements are quite a bit more expensive than a good selection of vegetables and fruits, and not nearly as tasty.

When changing your diet and eating for a healthier lifestyle, it is important to educate yourself about eating right, and go choose the right fruits and vegetables for your tastes. After all, the best diet is the one you can follow for the rest of your life.

One of the best ways to start eating a healthy diet is to choose the freshest fruits and vegetables. Not only do fresh fruits and vegetables taste better, but they are less expensive and more nutritious as well. Choosing a variety of in season fruits and vegetables every week is a great way to enjoy healthy and varied meals.

Of course your favorite fruits and vegetables will not always be in season, so it will sometimes be necessary to supplement those fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties. When choosing canned fruits, try to avoid those packed in syrup; choose canned fruits packed in fruit juice or water instead. They will be healthier and contain less sugar.

Adding fresh fruit, such as apple slices, mandarin oranges, nectarines and the like is a great way to make plain salads more interesting and more delicious. Combining fruits and vegetables is a great way to enhance your nutrition as well.

The Benefits And Side Effects Of Creatine

What is creatine?

Creatine is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) which is made in the body by the liver and kidneys, and is derived from the diet through meat and animal products. Creatine (creatine monohydrate) is a colorless, crystalline substance used in muscle tissue for the production of phosphocreatine, an important factor in the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of energy for muscle contraction and many other functions in the body.

What does creatine normally do in the body?

In the body, creatine is changed into a molecule called “phosphocreatine” which serves as a storage reservoir for quick energy. Phosphocreatine is especially important in tissues such as the voluntary muscles and the nervous system which periodically require large amounts of energy.

Why do athletes take creatine?

Studies have shown that creatine can increase the performance of athletes in activities that require quick bursts of energy, such as sprinting, and can help athletes to recover faster after expending bursts of energy. Creatine is best for the serious bodybuilder. It helps increase muscle mass, rather than muscle endurance, so it’s not well suited for athletes participating in endurance activities. However, the increase in muscle mass may be due to water retention and not an increase in muscle tissue.

Why have I been hearing so much about creatine and neuromuscular disorders?

Two scientific studies have indicated that creatine may be beneficial for neuromuscular disorders. First, a study by MDA-funded researcher M. Flint Beal of Cornell University Medical Center demonstrated that creatine was twice as effective as the prescription drug riluzole in extending the lives of mice with the degenerative neural disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Second, a study by Canadian researchers Mark Tarnopolsky and Joan Martin of McMaster University Medical Center in Ontario found that creatine can cause modest increases in strength in people with a variety of neuromuscular disorders. Beal’s work was published in the March 1999 issue of Nature Neuroscience and the second paper was published in the March 1999 issue of Neurology.

I want to start taking creatine — is it safe?

For the most part, athletes haven’t experienced adverse side-effects from taking creatine, although recently there have been a few reports of kidney damage linked to creatine usage. No consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. Dehydration has also been reported to be a problem while taking creatine.

Athletes generally take a “loading dose” of 20 grams of creatine a day for five or six days, then continue with a “maintenance dose” of 2 to 5 grams of creatine a day thereafter.

What are the side effects?

Little is known about long-term side effects of creatine, but no consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. In a study of side effects of creatine, diarrhea was the most commonly reported adverse effect of creatine supplementation, followed by muscle cramping.18 Some reports showed that kidney, liver, and blood functions were not affected by short-term higher amounts or long-term lower amounts of creatine supplementation in healthy young adults. In a small study of people taking 5-30 grams per day, no change in kidney function appeared after up to five years of supplementation. Muscle cramping after creatine supplementation has been anecdotally reported in some studies.

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Nutrient Timing for Sports

Performance nutrition is a profession that has come to the forefront of elite sports performance over the past 5 years. Many organisations such as The English Institute of Sport, Premiership football clubs, England Rugby and the Lawn Tennis Association now have nutritionists on staff and these expert nutritionists undoubtedly help athletes improve their performance and recovery. However at amateur levels of sport there remains many misconceptions about performance nutrition. Some of these include carbohydrate loading for sports, getting carbs from jelly beans, jaffa cakes, pasta and potatoes and that fat makes you fat and should be avoided.

Having worked with many top athletes I am still amazed how many athletes eat a poor diet and either rely of sports supplements and sports drinks to get them through their events or just have a really poor understanding of how important nutrition is. I have also found that with a little bit of education this can be turned around and athletes feel and perform a lot better.

General nutrition advice
These are some of the common mistakes I find athletes making.

• Not eating breakfast. This really upsets your hormone and energy balance and can lead to excess body fat accumulation.


• Carbohydrate loading. This is not necessary for events under 90-100 minutes, however it is advisable for events longer than this such as 10k, triathlon and marathons.


• Eating / drinking too much carbohydrates on a daily basis. Carb intake of between 7-8g and 10-12g of CHO / kg BW / day are only necessary for ultra long events such as marathons, triathlons etc... Otherwise I have found that athletes get excess body fat which has many associated negative effects on performance.


• Consuming too little protein. Protein recommendations are generally too low, whether they are for the general population or athletes. Eat between 1-2g of protein /kg BW / day.


• Avoiding fats because fats re unhealthy and make you fat. This is nonsense. Essential fats are required in the diet.


• Not eating enough fruit and vegetables and relying on foods such as rice, pasta, potatoes and beans for nutrition. A diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals is essential for an athlete - so eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

Eating before, during and after your event is extremely important to provide fuel for performance and recovery. The advice given on event day can be subdivided into pre, during and post event nutrition. The post event recommendations and further divided into windows of opportunity of 0-30 minutes, 30 minutes-4 hours and 2-4 hours post event.
Pre-exercise:
Aims of the pre training/ event period are:

• Eat sensibly and continue to restock muscle glycogen if it's been severely depleted from a prior training session - this includes eating fruits and vegetables and a little whole grain rice or quinoa along with some protein and fats in the pre-event meal.


• Eat to boost acetylcholine and dopamine and get plenty of B vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are needed for energy pathways and to convert nutrients into neurotransmitters. Ideal pre-event foods therefore include meat, poultry, cold water fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, berries, fruits, oats, avocado and brown rice.


• Hydrate well - drink as much water as tolerable, water and low sugar sports drinks (10g glucose per 500ml) only.


• Prevent hunger - so eat breakfast or lunch and stabilise blood sugar.


• Provide the body with host of antioxidants that will protect your body from the free radicals generated during the event.


• Ten minutes before training / playing consume 20g of BCAA with a low sugar carbohydrate sports drink. This helps protect your muscles from damage during the event.

During exercise:
Maintain hydration at all costs. Consume 30-60g of glucose per hour of exercise with water and electrolytes. It should be at about 15-20ºC for rapid absorption.
Post exercise:
Aims of the post training/ game period are:

• Replace water and electrolytes (1.5 litres of water per kg of BW lost)


• Restore muscle and liver glycogen (this is highest in the first hour post exercise), so use liquid then solid meals containing protein and carbohydrate.


• Consume 1-1.2g CHO/kg BW per hour for up to 4 hours - e.g. 80kg athlete would consume 80-90g CHO per hour to restock muscle glycogen.


• In this period use higher GL carbs such as fruit, dried fruit, whole grains and sports drinks.


• Provide good quality proteins for protein synthesis and repairing muscle.

0-30 minutes-
Re-hydrate and replace lost electrolytes.
A 4:1 carbohydrate / protein solution should be consumed to restore muscle glycogen and amino acids immediately post exercise. Liquid meals work best for glycogen re-synthesis and adding protein / 2-20g BCAA's to the liquid carbohydrate solution will markedly increase the glycogen content of muscle. Consuming glutamine following exercise can also accelerate muscle glycogen re-synthesis.

20 minutes - 2 hours -
Continue to re-hydrate and replace lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. In this time eat a solid meal. Continue to take in higher GL carbohydrate, however, limit the use of grains in the post workout window as they do provide carbohydrate, but they are nutritionally useless, and inferior in calories, micronutrients, antioxidants and fibre compared to fruits and vegetables. They also contain gluten that may cause food intolerance and slow down thinking and reaction times. Continued consumption of protein (25-30g) will provide valuable BCAA's that are an important regulator of protein synthesis through reducing protein degradation in humans. Consume fish and fish oils on a daily basis to match the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids will help to reduce inflammation.

2 - 4 hours post -
Continue to re-hydrate and replace lost electrolytes and carbs. If hungry snack again with higher GL carbohydrate, protein and essential fats such as fruit and nuts.
By using these recommendations you will break through the myths and hype about sports nutrition and be doing yourself and your performance a huge favour.

Steve Hines is an expert sports nutritionist who runs the popular website sports nutritionist London specialising in nutrition and exercise for elite performance. If you found this article useful and want to know about how you can improve your sports performance visit http://www.sportsnutritionistlondon.com

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5 Easy Tips to Eat More Vegetables

Vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, regardless of whether you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, or just generally feel better. They're packed with vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients, they fill you up, their high fiber content helps regulate your digestive system... but let's face it, they aren't always what comes to mind when you get hit with some hunger pangs or a mid afternoon snack-attack. For some people, the thought of having to eat their vegetables can be downright stomach turning!

Does this look familiar? Colorless broccoli steamed to the point of becoming a soggy, flavorless, textural nightmare? Without some Cheeze Whiz to mask the whole mess, that stuff is pretty hard to get down... SO DON'T EAT IT! Your mom isn't standing over you threatening to withhold desert, so why subject yourself to that? Instead, here are some tips for working vegetables in to your diet in ways that you might actually enjoy instead of merely tolerating:

1. Shopping local = shopping fresh
Produce freshness plays a huge factor in taste and nutrient content. Seek out local farm stands or farmer's markets and get your hands on some truly fresh produce; you'll be surprised by how much better the stuff tastes! If it's out of the harvest season where you live, it's definitely worth paying a little bit extra to get your produce from a higher end grocer to get the best quality produce available. Also, learn how to identify when a piece of produce is fresh or not (hint: they should be vibrantly colored and blemish free.)

2. Pre cut your haul
So, you got some good lookin' veggies, but just like that treadmill that's gathering dust in your garage, they won't do you any good if you don't do something with them! You should get in the habit of purchasing some vegetables that can be eaten with no prep at all (carrot sticks, snap peas,) but take the time when you get home from shopping to prep all your other vegetables. Cut your peppers into snack size strips, chop your kale, dice your onions, and store them all in plastic bags or Tupperware containers. That way, you don't need to worry about getting out the cutting board and knives every time you're cooking a meal - you just need to open the fridge and grab what you need!
All chopped n ready!

3. High heat turns veggies into candy!
OK, I exaggerate a bit, but bear with me. For some reason people trying to lose weight assume they need to steam their vegetables. Now, there's nothing wrong with steaming veggies if that's how you like 'em, but they often end up overcooked and flavorless. So, why settle for the bland when you could utilize the culinary magic that is caramelization by roasting or grilling them instead? By hitting your vegetables with high enough heat, the natural sugars undergo a chemical reaction that brings out the sweetness and adds a rich nutty flavor. It also creates a much better texture than steaming.
So, instead of sticking your vegetables in the microwave, coat them with a little bit of melted coconut oil and put 'em in the oven at 425-450 for 10-15 minutes or toss them in olive oil and throw them on a hot grill, cook until tender, season with a bit of salt and pepper, and enjoy. Some of my favorites are roasted carrot sticks (they get SUPER sweet,) grilled asparagus, roasted green beans, and roasted brussel sprouts (yeah... really... don't knock it till you try it!) It may take a little bit more effort and attention than using the microwave, but the payoff is well worth it, I promise!

4. Can't face vegetables head on? Hide 'em!
If you're not yet at the point where you can sit down and put a heap of vegetables on your plate and eat them, you can always hide them in other foods! Throw some diced peppers and onions in an omelet, add a handful of spinach to your post-workout shake, try some cauliflower rice or cauliflower mashed potatoes, or load up a nice meaty chili with some extra tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

5. Still not getting enough veggies? Try a supplement...
While it isn't a replacement for eating vegetables, a green supplement can provide you with some of the vitamins and minerals you'll miss out on if you're not eating enough of the real deal. Especially when traveling or eating out a lot, it can be tough to eat enough vegetables, so give a green supplement a tree. Greens+ is a reputable brand I'd recommend trying out and one that I use on occasion when I know I'm not getting enough green in my life the natural way!
Well guys, I hope this helps you realize that vegetables don't need to be something you fear. Learn how to cook some delicious vegetable dishes and it'll pay off in the mirror and on the scale in time!

Kent McCann, CPT, Pn1

http://www.KentMcCannFitness.com
Kent is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, but he hasn't always been in amazing shape... Having grown up as a fat kid, he is in a unique position to relate to and really help those looking to lose weight so they can look and feel their best. For more information on Kent, more easy fitness and nutrition tips, or to contact him about his training services, click the link above!

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Good Food/Bad Food What's Left to Eat?

We've entered the Twilight Zone when it comes to the multitude of diets being promoted today. Starting with the Atkins Diet, then the South Beach Diet, now the Hamptons Diet and more. All higher in protein, lower in carbs, but the distinction should be quality of carbs, not singling out one nutrient entirely. If you are on the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet or any other variation of a high protein/low carb diet simply adjust from eating low quality carbs like refined flour and sugar products (think if it comes in a box, it's likely low quality) to eating more whole food products like fresh vegetables and fruits - yes fruits.

Apples vs. Apple Jacks - You be the Judge
I know the traditional Atkins Diet doesn't advocate much fruit (too high sugar) but think about that for one minute. My strong belief is that an apple is a good food, a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal may not be on an equal level. One is highly processed sweetened by added white sugar and corn syrup, and one is natural, plucked from a tree and sweetened by the sun. Which would you choose? Don't shun fresh fruit for the sake of following your low carb diet to the letter.

Eliminating healthy, wholesome foods is not the best way to learn to eat better, but severely cutting back on the frequency of eating highly processed foods is. I saw a site which called it GM or MM: God Made or Man Made. If you think of those terms when you go to choose your foods, it starts to make more sense. No one says you shouldn't eat chips, or whatever strikes your fancy, but make them a treat - and eat the GM foods more often.

Common Sense Diet
Common sense will answer the question about what to eat. If you are on Atkins, South Beach or any variation of low carb diet, avoid processed foods, not natural foods. Stop using "instant" breakfast, and cook whole rolled oats for instance. Sure you might have to get up 10 minutes earlier, oh well. You're worth it!
You can still stay on a higher protein food plan, but this one minor adjustment will allow you to continue with your eating plan for a lifetime, rather than a short-time. I'd go insane if I couldn't eat my daily apple, banana or other fruit. I love fruit. I think there's a very good reason humans desire sweet foods - Vitamin C, and other nutrients, including bio-flavnoids.

Can You Be Addicted to Fruit?
I heard someone complain they were "addicted to fruit" and I had to wonder, what do they eat? The person who refuses to eat fruit because they believe it is too high in sugar, probably does eat cookies, crackers and sugary cereals. They might even drink artificially flavored and sweetened drinks, but they refuse to eat a natural food, grown from our earth? That makes no sense, if you think about it. Did our planet develop and thrive based on processed foods? No, of course not. They are very recent in the evolution of our world. Very recent. In fact, we've had processed foods less than 200 years while our planet is millions of years old.
With the high incidence of obesity, and our high consumption of processed foods, it's hard not to draw the conclusion that one causes the other. You won't hear big industry stating that case because our economy depends on us buying the products being produced by the companies that employ us. You'll never see it reported that "scientists discovered refined flour kills," even if it were proven true because it doesn't support our way of life. We need industry.

Witnessing the epidemic of food illnesses such as Mad Cow, and now Bird Flu, I can envision a society without the mass produced meat industry. It will come to pass - nothing but your local farm will be allowed to sell meat because the big farm industry cannot guarantee safety of the food supply. Meat will become much more expensive because when they can no longer mass produce it, there is nowhere for prices to go but up. So do we whine and cry and moan about our misfortune or do we start to think of meat as something to savor and enjoy like the Sunday roasts we had years ago? We never ate meat every day then - and we weren't so fat either. We simply didn't eat as much processed foods. Most of us had moms at home cooking us dinner, making our lunches and even fixing our breakfasts.

Yes, progress marches on, but when it comes to your body, common sense rules the day. The Common Sense Diet! Try it on for size today.

Kathryn Martyn, Master NLP Practitioner, EFT counselor, author of Changing Beliefs, Your First Step to Permanent Weight Loss, and owner of OneMoreBite-Weightloss.com
Get the Daily Bites: Inspirational Mini Lessons Using EFT and NLP for Ending the Struggle with Weight Loss.

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