Friday 29 February 2008

Gourmet Nutrition

When Gourmet Meets Nutrition,



Part 1
by Dr. John Berardi, CSCS
First published at http://www.t-nation.com/



Sometimes "health food" is just plain awful. And it's this simple fact that drives some folks away from eating healthy altogether.


While I lament this fact, I have to admit I feel most sorry for those poor folks who decide to lower their heads and keep at it — those who keep eating miserable tasting food because they want to lose weight or accomplish some other health or physique-type goal.


And I feel sorry for them because they don't even know there's a better way.


You see, every day, there are people out there eating healthy, easy-to-make meals that might easily be found in gourmet restaurants. Meals that could impress the most discerning foodie. Meals that could fool a first date, a reluctant spouse, or picky-eating kids. Meals that just plain taste good. Meals that, when planned and eaten consistently, can improve and even completely transform your body.

And how do they do it?

With the principles of what I call "gourmet nutrition."

Traditionally, the worlds of gourmet cooking and healthy nutrition have been at odds. The gourmands have sacrificed all (including nutritional value) at the altar of flavor and the "artistic presentation of food."

And the nutritionists have sacrificed all (including flavor) at the altar of physiology and nutritional value.

Yet flavor and nutritional value are not mutually exclusive. I prefer to think of them as absolutely reconcilable. And by using the principles of "gourmet nutrition" you can create meals that both taste great and are healthy, too.

To this end, a "gourmet nutrition" meal must conform to the following:


It must taste great.

Simply put, to be considered "gourmet nutrition," meals must taste great, and not only to your weightlifting friends. They must taste great to everyone from chefs, to foodies, to guys and girls whose idea of "gourmet" includes chocolate-mint flavored protein shakes.

It must contain lean, complete protein.

Protein is the building block of muscle. And even if you don't want to build more muscle, you definitely want to preserve the muscle you have for as long as you can. This helps to keep your metabolism revving, improve your fat loss profile, and reduce cardiovascular disease risk. And that's why I encourage you to eat a lean, complete protein source with each gourmet meal.

It must be low in sugar and processed carbohydrates.

Sugar isn't always the demon ingredient it's made out to be, but there are valid and strong reasons to limit sugar and processed carbohydrates in your diet. These types of carbohydrates (when ingested outside the workout window or in the absence of complete meals designed to slow digestion and absorption) digest too quickly, leading to erratic blood sugar, energy levels, and hormonal responses — none of which do your health or physique any favors.

It must prioritize healthy fats over bad fats.

Whenever possible, the goal of every health-conscious individual should be to eliminate the nasty trans fat we hear so much about. But even beyond avoiding trans fats, it's important to keep our saturated fats in check while prioritizing healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats. Gourmet nutrition means eliminating trans fats while balancing out your saturates, monos, and polyunsaturated.

It must control calorie intake and density.

One of the major reasons many people gain fat as they age (aside from lack of exercise) is the fact that their daily meals are often too high in calories. Indeed, many popular food choices can be quite calorie dense. And this means that even though you don't feel like you're eating a lot of food, you're packing in too many calories with each meal. To this end, "gourmet nutrition" meals should be designed with calorie density and portion control in mind. This helps you avoid sneaking hundreds of extra calories into your diet with each meal, unknowingly.

It must include fresh, natural, additive-free ingredients.

In general, the fresher the ingredient, the better it is for you — and the better tasting. So, when choosing your meals, ask yourself if you've ever seen what you're about to eat growing in the ground or running around on a farm somewhere. If the answer is no, you're about to eat processed food. Ditto for anything that comes in a box or plastic container.

Please understand it'll be next to impossible to avoid all processed foods. In fact, there may be some processed foods that you want to include in your diet. That's okay. Really, you just want to make sure your daily diet draws mostly on fresh, whole foods.

It must offer you carbs only if you "deserve" them.

You've probably read all about high carb vs. low carb dieting. In myopinion, this high vs. low carb debate is a little misunderstood. As the body handles carbs best when it's in an exercised state, the best carb strategy is this: eat carbs only if you've earned them.

Have you exercised? If so, you've earned a higher carb meal. Have you exercised a lot? If so, you've earned even more carbs. However, keep this in mind; if you haven't exercised, your carb intake should probably be lower. Therefore "gourmet nutrition" means having two categories of meals — higher carb meals (for when you've earned them) and lower carb meals (for when you haven't).

Post Workout vs. Anytime meals.

My meal classification strategy uses the distinction between post workout and anytime meals. Why does this classification exist? Well, research shows us that the body handles carbohydrates best during and immediately after exercise. From this, we know that it's a good idea to consume most of our daily carbohydrates during and after exercise (Post Workout). Likewise, if we haven't exercised, it's best to avoid higher carb meals during this time — instead focusing on proteins, good fats, and fruits and veggies.

Please note that this rule is a general rule of thumb that works well for most as a starting point. Now, I should mention that some people are actually able to tolerate higher carbohydrate intakes outside of the Post Workout period. These individuals generally know who they are. They're often naturally very lean, and sometimes very skinny.

If you don't fit into that category, you're best off consuming carbs only in the two to three hours after an intense workout, or at least using that as the starting point for some trial and error, slowly introducing carbs outside that window and measuring the results.

So there you have it — 8 criterion for designing "gourmet nutrition" style meals — meals that both taste great and can help improve your body. And now that we've defined this criterion, I'd like to share with you some wicked recipes that personify "gourmet nutrition."


The Popeye Fruit Smoothie




The Protein Shake

Popeye Fruit Smoothie (Post Workout)

Servings
1 large or 2 small

Prep Time and Cooking

TimePrep time: 5 minutes

Prelude

Spinach is a super-food high in anti-inflammatory nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and alkaline potential in the body. (No wonder Popeye ate it to boost his strength.) As a result, we try to include spinach in many of our meals, including our shakes. And while spinach doesn't seem like it'd be a great smoothie ingredient, this shake tastes awesome as raspberries, goji berries, and cashews lend their unique flavors to the mixture.

Ingredients

1 cup raspberries (frozen)
1 cup spinach
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/4 cup cashews
2 scoops Vanilla Low-Carb Metabolic Drive
2 tablespoons fresh goji berries


Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a countertop blender. Blend on high until mixture is a smooth consistency.

Variations and Options

If you're lactose intolerant or wish to avoid dairy, replace the 1 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of milk with 1 cup of lactose-free yogurt and either 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk or 1 cup of water and 1/2 scoop protein. Alternatively you can substitute with non-cow's milk dairy (i.e. goat milk, yogurt, etc.)

For a major vitamin boost, add up to 3 cups of spinach to the recipe.

If you can't find goji berries, you can substitute with goji berry juice or raisins.

Eggs Benedict





Breakfast

Eggs Benedict with Grilled Onion (Any Time)

Servings

1 large or 3 small


Prep Time and Cooking Time

Prep Time: 25 minutes


Prelude

Eggs benedict is a high carb, high fat breakfast tradition; delicious but not so friendly to the waistline. So with this recipe, we've decided to cut the carbs, replacing the English muffin with grilled onion slices. We also decided to cut the fat with a low-fat Hollandaise sauce. The net result is a veggie-packed breakfast that's not only delicious, it's nutritious, too.

Ingredients

Eggs Benedict
Olive oil cooking spray
3 onion slices (1/4 inch thick each)
5 oz (140 g) smoked chicken breast low-fat deli meat
3 cups spinach
3 tomato slices
1.5 oz parmesan cheese (grated)
3 whole omega 3 eggs (individually poached or fried
Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of Splenda
pinch of chili powder



Instructions

Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Lightly coat with spray and gently place the 3 whole onion slices in the pan.

** Tip: The onion slices are in place of an English muffin, so it's important not to break them.

Cook until the bottom is nicely browned and then gently flip each slice. Cook until onion is nicely browned on both sides.Carefully remove from pan and set aside.

While the onions are cooking, whisk all hollandaise sauce ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to a small saucepan and gently heat until mixture is warm but not boiling and set aside.

Once onions are done, re-spray pan and add the spinach. Cook until spinach shrinks to at least half its original size. Remove from pan and set aside.

Place three onion slices individually on a plate. Put a tomato slice on top of each onion slice. Place 1/3 of the chicken, spinach, and cheese on top of each onion slice. Top with an egg and garnish with hollandaise sauce.


Variations and Options

Post Workout Option: Add two slices of whole grain toast or any Gourmet Nutrition oatmeal recipe.

For a meat variation, substitute chicken with 2 oz (70 g) of lox or 5 oz (140 g) of turkey ham

For a cheese variation, substitute parmesan cheese with slices of havarti or aged white cheddar.

For a veggie variation, substitute the spinach and tomato with other vegetables such as sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or red peppers. For a sauce variation, replace Hollandaise sauce with fresh home-made Pesto (recipe provided in Gourmet Nutrition V2).

If you'd like to avoid Splenda, you can replace it with a small amount of Stevia.


Dr Berardis new Gourmet Nutrition book is out now to buy. It features over 120 delicious recipes and its a Bragain.

Sunday 24 February 2008

Fruit and Veg Intake

It seems people are still not hitting the target 5 fruit and veg per day. I for one used to find this difficult to achieve, but if you start off slowly and try and add a different fruit and veg to each one of your meals you will get there.

In fact I would recommend closer to 8-10 fruit and veg per day. This is mainly due to the loss in vitamins and minerals our fruit now lose due to the travel distances they go through before we eat them. We all know the benefits so lets get eating to help improve your health.

Wednesday 20 February 2008

High Intensity Interval Training

Here is a great video of Craig Ballantyne showing you how to do your interval training. Make sure you are adding a few sessions of this training into your program to help you lose those extra pounds



If you are interested in more of Craigs work check out Turbulence Training. This is a great resource to help you lose weight and build some extra muscle.

Tuesday 19 February 2008

Eating on The Road

Here is another great article by Dr John Berardi. These are great tips for when you are travelling and don't think you can keep your diet on track.

Eating on the Road: Nutritional Travel Strategies

by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

More and more the biggest challenge my clients face is sticking to their nutritional plan while on the road. Therefore in this article, I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 favorite strategies for maintaining your nutritional discipline when traveling.

Strategy #1 — Location, Location, LocationIf you’re planning to take to the road for sport or for business, your first item of business is this—ensure that everything you need is in close proximity to where you’ll be working or playing. Location is key.

So let’s say you’re going to a week long conference at the Indiana Convention Centre and RCA Dome. Well first, get on the internet and find all the hotels nearest the Convention Centre. Next, give these hotels a call to find out where the nearest grocery stores, restaurants and gyms are located. Pick the hotel with the best combination of nearby resources. This way, even if you don’t get a rental car, you can easily walk or cab to your fitness and nutritional havens.
Skip this strategy and you’re giving yourself big excuses to skip workouts, miss meals, and make poor food selections while on the road.

Strategy #2 — The Penthouse Suite?While you don’t necessarily have to stay at a 5 star hotel or choose the penthouse suite, one great strategy for you road warriors is to choose a hotel chain that offers rooms/suites with kitchens or kitchenettes. If you know a nice kitchen set-up is waiting for you, you won’t have much difficulty sticking to your meal plan.

Just have your cabbie drop you at the grocery store on your way from the airport. Once you get to your hotel room you can rest assured that you’ll be able to eat as well as when you’re at home.
If you’re looking for a good hotel chain, Marriott Residence Inns are a nice choice. You can find other hotels that meet your needs as well. I recommend Marriott because my clients have always had great experiences with them.

Now, if you absolutely can’t find or afford a hotel that has a kitchen or kitchenette, make sure that your hotel room has, at the very least, a refrigerator (most do). As long as you’ve got a refrigerator, you can stock your hotel room with good snacks. My athletes and I pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, bottled water, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, regular cheese, natural peanut butter, whole grain breads and mixed nuts on our way into town and snack on these during our weeks on the road.

Strategy #3 — Can You Ship Egg Whites Next Day?Here’s a great strategy I picked up former client and current good friend, Austin. This guy is a bona fide road warrior himself and has a ton of great strategies for eating on the road. Instead of going shopping when he gets to town, Austin actually ships his food and supplements via UPS or Fed Ex. He gets a medium sized cold shipping box, loads it up with ice, protein powders, fruits and veggies, mixed nuts, legumes, meat, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, cooking pans, utensils, shaker bottles and non-stick cooking spray and ships it to his hotel before leaving home.

By doing this, Austin doesn’t need to worry about where grocery stores and restaurants are located. As soon as he arrives in town, he’s good to go—nutritionally, at least. All he needs to find is a gym and he’s set. Again, although the shipping option may seem a bit pricey, you’ll end up saving money on restaurants and the price may work out in the end.

Strategy #4 — The Big CoolerHere’s another strategy I picked up from my buddy Austin that helps ya’ transport both luggage and groceries simultaneously for shorter trips that might last only a day or two.

Pick up a big cooler with an extendible handle and wheels (much like the wheeled luggage so popular nowadays), put a little partition down the middle, and you’ve got a ready made combined cooler/suitcase that can act as a carry-on. Put your cottage cheese on one side and your drawers on the other!

Strategy #5 — What’s On The Menu?If you decide to have others prepare your meals for you when on the road, make sure you use Strategy #1 above to find out where the restaurants nearest your hotel are located. Next, visit them on the web for downloadable menus. If they don’t have downloadable menus, call them and ask them to send a menu over to your hotel for when you arrive.

By having the restaurant menus, you’ll know exactly what types of food you can have access to at all times. Also, when dining with a group, you’ll be able to suggest places that conform to your nutritional requirements.

Strategy #6 — You Don’t Have To Order From The MenuHere’s a hot tip that most people fail to realize. Most restaurants can easily provide a meal custom to your specifications even if it’s not on the menu. So don’t become a slave to the menu offerings. Ordering a specific number from the menu is almost always a recipe for disaster unless the menu is designed for "healthy eating" or whatever the restaurant is calling it. Most normal dishes have too much fat and too many processed carbohydrates for most body-conscious individuals.

Instead of ordering an item directly from the menu, either ask for an item that you like prepared without the sauces or high carbohydrate portions or simply ask for a portion of protein and a few servings of vegetables and fruit on the side. Remember, you’re paying top dollar for your meal and you’re about to tip your waitress. So don’t feel bad asking them to meet your needs, uh, nutritionally, that is.

Strategy #7 —Protein and Energy SupplementsUsing some combination of the strategies above, you should be able to ensure that good meal options are always around the corner. But sometimes when you’re on the road it’s impossible to slip back to your room or to get to a restaurant.

For times like this, you’ll need to consider a few supplement options.

Typically, when at home I only use 1-2 scoops of protein powder per day, but when on the road, I may use up to 6 scoops if necessary. Protein choices are both hard to come by and more expensive than other options. So increasing your dietary energy with protein powders is a good fall-back option.

Strategy #8 — Powdered VeggiesNormally, at home, I get about 10 servings of fruits and veggies per day. But when I’m on the road that amount is usually reduced to somewhere around 2-4 servings unless I’m very conscious of my intake. A great way to make up for this reduction in my micronutrient intake is to use a powdered vegetable supplement such as Greens+.
If I’m on the road, these products help make up for the deficit I may be experiencing. An added bonus is that I seem to better digest my protein supplements when adding some greens+ to my protein shakes.

Strategy #9 — Homemade BarsIf you’re not into drinking numerous protein shakes per day, another great option is to bring some homemade snacks with you. In fact, homemade protein/energy bars are a fantastic alternative to the mostly crappy, store bought, sugar laden, artificial ingredient containin’, protein bars.

Strategy #10 — Sleep PillsJet lag, time zone changes, unfamiliar sleeping environments, poor nutrition, altered exercise habits, and the stress associated with big business meetings or competitions can all really impair your ability to get adequate rest when on the road.

Following the previous nine steps will help you take care of your nutritional intake. Making sure not to skip workouts will also help. So will the addition of a ZMA supplement. While research hasn’t provided direct evidence to support a relationship between zinc and/or magnesium status and sleep quality, most ZMA users find dramatically improved sleep quality when taking this supplement. Three capsules before bed should do the trick.

If you’re going to be successful in maintaining a good nutritional plan, no matter what the circumstances, you’re going to have to plan for the unplanned and display adaptability to all circumstances. The guidelines included in this article should help get you thinking about how to become a successful road warrior.

SEE ALSO:For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out our complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing system manuals, gourmet cookbook, digital audio/video library, online membership, and more, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.

And what's more, your online access allows you to talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches. Find out more about Precision Nutrition.

Order Precision Nutrition now and get $50 off!

Obesity Epidemic

We have all heard the reports in the news about the obesity epidemic. How can we fix it? Is it to late? Professor Philip James from the International Obesity Taskforce beleives that the international community needs to take decisive action much like what is being called for with regards to climate change. You can read all about it here.

To be honest I tend to agree with him. It is never to late to change your habits a good exercise program and healthy diet such as Precision Nutrition are the key to a slimmer fitter you.

Thursday 14 February 2008

Motivation For the Gym

If you ever feel like you can't train because you are too tired or have not got time then you need to stop making excuses. Check out this video and see if you change your mind, this guy makes the time and certainly makes no excuses.

Tuesday 12 February 2008

How to Build Muscle in 4 Simple steps

Here is anaother great article by Vince DelMonte. Vince is one of the best guys around that will help you build muscle.


Are you sick and tired of everyone telling you a different way to build muscle? Are you unhappy with how you look in the mirror? Are you frusturated with your slow progress in the gym? Are you ready to learn five simple steps that will teach you how to build muscle safely and effectively?

There is a good chance that you are not maximizing one of these four steps. Your problem and solution lies in correcting these essential steps before you have any chance of building a muscular and lean physique.

Get read to learn how to build muscle in four simple steps, in less time, without any drugs and without bogus supplements.

Step #1

Committ to lifting weights at least three to four times per week. Your goal is to stimulate your muscles with resistance (stress) which results in your muscles growing bigger to avoid the stress from occuring again. Once you go home, let the muscle heal through nutrition and rest, it will grow bigger and you will repeat this process again. Ideally you should hit your muscles once every 72 hours so you could perform 2 upper body workouts per week and 2 lower body workouts per week.

Step #2

Focus on eating at least 5-7x a day with balanced meals from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If your goal is to build muscle than you should be eating at least 15-18 x your current body weight. Your carbohydrates should equate about 45% of your intake, your proteins should equate about 35% of your intake and your fat should be the remaining 20% of your intake. You should focus on over half of those meals being solid whole food meals and the remainder can be liquid meal replacment shakes.

Step #3

You should focus on stretching at least half the amount that you lift weights. One of the biggest mistkakes I see is people training, training and training with out any stretching. Stretching helps restore normal length to the tissue and if you are constantly training, your muscle tissues will shorten and big to perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injuries. So if you are lifting weights 4 hours in the week, at least an additional 2 hours should be dedicated to stretching. You must counteract the shortening of the muscle tissues that occurs with weights or else you are a injury screaming to happen.

Step #4

Avoid supplements that have not been around for longer than 3 years. I learned this phisophy from an Australian strength coach who recommended not trying any supplement until it has been around at least 3 years to pass the test of time. This will make your life much easier and help you avoid all the marketing hoopla in the latest fitness and bodybuilding magazine. If you follow this rule, you will discover only a small handful of supplements still standing. Here are the ones you should not go with out: a high quality multi-vitamin, fish oil capsules, powdered creatine and a protein powder. These products will cover your nutritional basis for health, healthy body composition, strength and muscle mass.
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found here
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.

Monday 11 February 2008

High Intensity Interval Training Works in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Very interesting and novel article in Physical Therapy.

Although they only investigated 4 subjects, they implemented a high intensity training programme in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). These are the type of patients many Doctors are scared of giving exercise programs.

They found that that this high intensity training lead to improvements in physical capacity and quality of life and had no adverse events. These results are consistent with recent evidence supporting the efficacy of high-intensity interval training in people with CHF.

Indeed 3 of the subjects improved theor aerobic capacity by 17, 25 and 52%, respectively after training. (The fourth subject did not take part in this test due to limitations associated with their pacemaker).

I know this is not my usual type of post but I find it fascinating how much the old myhs of training at a low intensity are being broken down at all levels. What it tells us is the body can very quickly and safely adapt to a training stimulus as long as the intensity is high enough to elicit change.

Low Carb Diet and Diabetes

Great new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The authors looked at 20 years worth of diet information to examine if there was an association between low carb diets and a risk of type II diabetes.

They found that diets lower in carbohydrate and higher in fat and protein do not increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women. In fact, diets rich in vegetable sources of fat and protein may modestly reduce the risk of diabetes.

This is great information and follows the rules outlined by Dr John Berardi's Precision Nutrition plan. In this plan the emphasis is only to consume carbohydrates when you have "earned" them, i.e. in the immediate hours after exercise.

Sunday 10 February 2008

High Frequency Training

Sorry I have not posted in a few days internet connection has been down. Finall got AOL to get me back online.

Anyway started a new workout program a few days ago. Its a high frequency plan so training 5 times a week using full body routines. Its pretty tough so I will just have to up my calories to make sure I am getting the proper nutrients.

Here is an example of what I am doing. Got it off T-nation.

It consists of 2 seperate blocks.

Block A:

A1: Horizontal Push (Bench Press)
A2: Horizontal Pull (Bent over row)
B: Quad Dominant (Squat)

In this block you do exercise A1 then rest 60 seconds and then do A2 rest 60 seconds then repeat back to A1.
For exercise B repeat the exercise in straight sets with 60-90 seconds recovery.

Block B:

A1: Vertical Push (Shoulder Press)
A2: Vertical Pull (Pull up)
B: Hip dominant (Kettlebell swing)

For block A you complete each exercise with 5 sets of 5 reps.
For block B you complete each exercise with 4 sets of 10 reps.

Be careful not to go to failure as you want to keep your CNS (Central Nervous System) fresh.

LASTLY DO NOT DO THIS TYPE OF TRAINING UNLESS YOU HAVE AT LEAST 2 YEARS TRAINING EXPERIENCE BEHIND YOU AND ALSO INCREASE YOUR CALORIE INTAKE TO ADD ON THE EXTRA MUSCLE YOU ARE STRIVING FOR.

Let me know how you get on.

Thursday 7 February 2008

Creatine Guide

Todays special blog is from Vince Del Monte.

Skinny Guy's Guide To Creatine

By Vince DelMonte

What is creatine? How do I take creatine? What are the side effects of creatine? What is the best creatine? Unless you just arrived from another planet, you should know that when it comes to muscle building supplements, creatine is the king!

To date, creatine has proven to be the most research-proven sport supplement on the market to day. Creatine has collected hundreds of clinical studies that show increased lean muscle mass, improved energy levels, increased muscle strength and size and improved exercise performance. There is even a new batch of research showing creatine supplementation having a significant effect on memory and intelligence, as well as immune function. Bigger, smarter and healthier, not that's a solid combo!

What is creatine?

Creatine acts by supporting the reproduction of ATP (fancy term for energy) in muscle tissue resulting in cell volumization which can create a more optimistic cellular environment for muscle growth. By having more energy reserves in the muscle tissue, you now have the ability to train harder at higher intensities. This means more reps, more sets, heavier loads, more explosive power and quicker recovery. Each of these stimulus are key requirements for continual muscle growth. Creatine is simply a mechanism that allows you to work harder and out do your previous workouts.

How do I take creatine?

To load or not to load, that is the question! You have three research-proven options to choose from. Each method will appeal depending on a variety of reasons:
· Method 1: Six day load at 20 grams a day plus a maintenance of 2-3 grams a day afterward.
· Method 2: 3-5 grams a day for the long term.

It was once thought, that a loading phase was required to maximize the effects of creatine but there is countless research that shows you don't have to go through all the hassle of loading. This will appeal to the individual who experiences gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and other problems with higher dosages.

Personally, I have found the best time to take creatine is 15 minutes BEFORE a workout and AFTER a workout with a liquid protein and carbohydrate drink. As well as first thing in the morning on non-training days.

What kind of creatine should I buy?

With all the fancy bell and whistle creatine supplements out there, a lot of people of forgotten about simple, powdered creatine. All you need to know that the best creatine manufactured is sold to companies in the form of Creapure. So as long as you see the that the creatine bottle you have bought, as Creapure as their source of creatine, that's the good stuff.

There has much debate about creatine purity and it is not accepted that not all creatine is created equal.

Creatine ethyl ester is a new form of creatine. It is made up of a creatine, alcohol and acid meaning the absorption rate into the tissue is better. Manufacturers claim it does not cause bloating, cramping or stomach discomfort and gets into the muscle faster resulting in better results. Due to it's chemical structure, it might result in greater stress on the liver. Although it does seem to have potential, wait for more research and rely on the time-tested powdered creatine.

Should I take creatine with sugar?

Stimulating insulin release by consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to enhance the transport and uptake of of creatine into the muscle tissue. However, insulin is also responsible for fat storage. Therefore my recommendation would be to only consume your creatine with simple carbohydrates if it is before or after your workout. On non-training days, creatine would be be better shuttled using insulin mimicking compounds like alpha lipoic acid and D-pintol which can help improve creatine transport and retention without the excess sugars.

Conclusion

Creatine, is by far the king of the jungle when it comes to muscle building supplements. I have only included the information I believe to be the most critical and useful. Your take home message is to use powdered creatine, year round before and after your training workout and in the morning on your non-training days. Make sure your creatine says Creapure and don't get caught up wasting any more time or sleep on the academic debate associated with creatine use. Just do it!
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at his website
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before

Wednesday 6 February 2008

Recipe Idea: Pan seared Salmon with a Citrus Mint Sauce

Here is a recipe from Dr John Berardis Gourmet Nutrition ebook. Give it a go let me know what you think.


Pan-Seared Salmon with a Citrus Mint Sauce
By Dr. John M. Berardi, Ph.D. and Dr. John K. Williams, Ph.D., authors of the bestselling optimal nutrition ebook, Gourmet Nutrition.


There are limitless possibilities for cooking and flavoring salmon. Here is an out of the ordinary twist that combines citrus and mint to compliment that ever-gratifying crispiness of seared salmon. For this recipe, prepare the sauce first so that you can serve the salmon when it's hot and crisp. And don't forget to add a nice helping of veggies to this dish. Try some grilled asparagus for an extra special treat. Now on with the show . . .


Part 1: Citrus-Mint Sauce
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice squeezed from ½ fresh pink grapefruit½ pink grapefruit, cut into sections for serving2 tbsp fresh lime juice1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tbsp)3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leavesSalt & pepper, to tasteDash of Splenda (equivalent to 1 tsp sugar)
Make sure to remove all of the membrane from the grapefruit sections. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, shallot, and Splenda in a medium bowl. Mix well, and then gradually stir-in the olive oil, mint, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while cooking the fish.


Part 2: Pan-Seared Salmon
Two 8-ounce salmon fillets, without skin1 tbsp Smart Balance butter spread or coconut oilSalt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
Pat the salmon fillet dry with a paper towel, and then season both sides of each fillet with salt and a generous amount of pepper.
Heat the butter or oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add fillets to the skillet and cook until edges are opaque and bottoms are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes for 1-inch thick fillets. Gently flip the fillets with a spatula and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is firm yet tender and moist, and the flesh has become opaque with a slight translucence.
Before serving, whisk the citrus mint sauce to recombine, and drizzle it over the fish fillets. Serve immediately garnished with grapefruit sections.

Serves two.

Nutritional information

Per Serving
Total Calories : 529 k/cal
Protein :46 g
Total Carbohydrates : 12 g
Fiber: 0.13 g
Sugars: 8 g
Total Fat: 33g
Saturated: 5.3 g
Monounsaturated: 16 g
Polyunsaturated: 9 g
Omega-3: 4.2 g
Omega-6: 3.2 g


Tip: When is salmon cooked just right?

Cooking your salmon until it's 'flaky', as commonly suggested, can result in overcooking. Here's how to cook it just right: use a paring knife to peek inside the middle of the fillet. If the flesh is translucent, it is undercooked. If it is opaque and slightly flaky but still juicy, it is ready to serve. It is overcooked when the flesh falls apart and looks dry.


Food Fact: Are all omega-3's created equal?

Plants provide a form of omega-3's called alpha-Linolenic acid (ALA). Flax seeds are one of the best sources of ALA. But it's becoming clear that some of the best health benefits come from docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are found in fatty marine fish, like salmon and mackerel. DHA is particularly beneficial, and contributes to better body composition, brain health, stress relief, and has even shown potential in preventing dementia. Granted, some ALA can be converted into EPA and DHA, but the conversion rate is low, particularly in men.


What's the lesson? Go ahead and eat your flax, but don't skip the fish!

Want more great tasting recipes designed to get you real results?

If you want to build the body you never thought you could have, start eating the meals you never thought you could eat! Get over 100 recipes and a no-nonsense nutrition plan that will show you how to make it work in the new ebook written by Dr. Berardi and Dr. Williams, Gourmet Nutrition.And if you want new great tasting recipes, cooking tips and nutrition strategies delivered to your inbox every two weeks, sign up for a FREE subscription to the Gourmet Nutrition Report.

High Intenstiy Training Fights Fat

Its been a few days since my last post so thought I would give you a bit more research on how to lose fat quickly and effectively.



In Januarys edition of the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from the University of South Wales, Australia found that high intensity interval exercise three times per week for 15 weeks compared to the same frequency of steady state exercise was associated with significant reductions in total body fat, subcutaneous leg and trunk fat, and insulin resistance in young women.



This is one of the many scientifically proven studies showing the effectiveness of high intensity interval training over long slow steady state exercise. The benefit of this type of exercise is that it is short bursts of exercise as hard as you can go with a walk recovery in between.



Here is an example of how to do interval training from Craig Ballantyne's Turbulence training program. This program is one of the best fat burning resources you could possibly buy to help you achieve your goals. Take a look HERE

Saturday 2 February 2008

Diet Hazards

Here is a great mini article from Ross Chainey. It shows how important it is to make the right choices when eating out. In the article it states that a coffee you grab on your way to work could have 600 calories.

What does this mean in the real world: well just one coffee a day at this rate would add 1 pound of fat to your body every week. It takes 3500 calories over your maintenance intake to add a pound of fat. Seven coffees a week adds up to a staggering 4200 calories a week.

Be honest how many of you have more than 1 a day? Thats many hours in the gym to work that off. If you have to have the coffee try the healhier option go for a small with skimmed milk.

http://style.uk.msn.com/wellbeing/healthyeating/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=7398678

Great win

Ok going slightly off topic but could not write today without mentioning the great result Arsenal had today. Things got even better when both Man Utd and Chelsea drew. 2 points clear at the top let hope we can extend the lead soon.

Friday 1 February 2008

Carbohydrate Training Study

Here is a recent journal article I have had published. Let me know what you think?

Carbohydrate-Gel Supplementation and Endurance Performance During Intermittent High-Intensity Shuttle Running

Stephen D Patterson and Susan C Gray

International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 17, 5, 2007.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a carbohydrate (CHO) gel on performance after prolonged intermittent high-intensity shuttle running. Seven male soccer players performed 2 exercise trials, 7 d apart. On each occasion, participants completed five 15-min periods of intermittent variable-speed running, interspersed with periods of walking (Part A), followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (Part B). Participants consumed either a CHO gel or placebo (PLA) immediately before exercise (0.89 mL/kg body mass [BM]) and every 15 min thereafter (0.35 mL/kg BM). In addition, water was consumed at a rate of 5 mL/kg BM before and 2 mL/kg BM every 15 min during exercise. Blood glucose levels were higher (P 0.05) at 15, 30, and 60 min of exercise and at exhaustion in CHO than in PLA. During Part B, run time to exhaustion was longer (P 0.05) in the CHO trial (CHO 6.1 min vs. PLA 4.2 min). These results indicate that ingesting a CHO gel, along with water, improves performance after prolonged intermittent running in healthy male subjects, possibly by maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise.

These can be bought form http://scienceinsport.com/
Everyone knows in order to achieve your fitness and training goals what we eat has a significant impact. Below is an article from one of the best Nutrition guys out there. Dr Berardi is the "go to" guy of many top athletes as well as "average joes". Take a read and implement the following to help youself achieve your goals this year.


Changing the Rules of Good Nutritionby Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

What are the rules of good nutrition? What types of things must you absolutely do to succeed – and what types of things must you avoid?

Seriously, take a moment and think about it.

What rules do you think you’ll need to follow if you want to eat in a healthy way – a way that will improve the way your body looks and the way it feels.

Come up with that list in your mind right now.

Now that you’ve considered these rules, I want you to take a second and think about your list. Specifically, think about where you learned these rules.

Certainly your rules have been influenced by how you were raised, no? Certainly they’ve been influenced by your experiences dining with friends and relatives – comfort foods, right? Of course, no set of nutrition rules is immune to media influences – you can’t help but be bombarded by those Got Milk ads! Your rules have probably also been influenced by what you’ve heard others say – heck, every 3rd episode of Dr. Phil is about food and dieting. And, no doubt, your nutrition rules have probably been influenced by your own past attempts at changing your body – whether you’ve been successful or unsuccessful.

I could sit here all day and list potential nutritional influences. But I’ll stop here since there are probably hundreds of ‘em and to enumerate them all would bore your socks off.

At this junction, I’d just like to go ahead and make my point. And the point is this - very few of your “Good Nutrition Rules” have been influenced by those who know anything about good nutrition – let alone about long-term success and about what it really means to eat in a healthy way! And worse yet, most of those rules have been hammered home without you even knowing it!

It’s time to change the rules.

The Triple S Criterion

Now I’ll admit it. Changing the rules – just like changing your habits – is difficult. Not only does it take a desire to change – “want to” – but it takes a strategy for change – “how to”.

The “want to” is all your own. But the “how to” is what I do best. I’ve committed my career to helping people do just this – to change their rules and change their habits – and have gotten pretty good at it. In changing these rules and habits, everything changes – the way clients eat, the way they sleep, they way they look, the way they feel when they wake up in the morning, and they way they perform in day-to-day activities or during athletic events.

Today, I’m going to teach you a good part of that system – a system based on my Triple S Criterion.

What’s the Triple S Criterion? Well, it represents a three step way of evaluating a strategy for its usefulness.

Step 1 – Simplicity:
Are the rules easy to follow?
Step 2 – Science
Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
Step 3 – Success
Have the rules produced success in past clients?

Using this criterion, the systems developed for my clients always produce a positive result.

Think again about your nutritional rules – rules that you might be quite attached to. Which criterion did you use when determining your rules? Are your rules based on Simplicity, Science, and Success? Have your rules produced the desired effect – a lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror?

If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.

Dr. Berardi’s Good Nutrition Rules

Below, I’d like to present my 10 Good Nutrition Rules, rules based on the Triple S Criterion above. In doing so, I hope to accomplish 2 goals.

• First, I want to help you rethink your whole nutrition approach – providing you with a new set of nutrition rules and habits – a set that swiftly moves you in the direction of your goals.

• Secondly, I want to show specifically how the recipes, cooking tips, and strategies can integrate together to represent a complete success system, fully integrated into the basic habits of good nutrition.

So here are the 10 rules:

1) Eat every 2-3 hours - no matter what.
Are you doing this – no matter what? Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours but you do need to eat 6-8 meals and snacks that conform to the other rules below.

2) Ingest complete, lean protein each time you eat.
Are you eating something this is an animal or comes from an animal – every time you feed yourself? If not, make the change. Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.

3) Ingest vegetables every time you eat.
That’s right, every time you eat (every 2-3 hours, right), in addition to a complete, lean protein source, you need to eat some vegetables. You can toss in a piece of fruit here and there as well. But don’t skip the veggies.

4) If want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, quinoa, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised.
Although these often heavily processed grains are dietary staples in North America, heart disease, diabetes and cancer are North American medical staples – there’s a relationship between the two! To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after (your body best tolerates these carbohydrates after exercise). For the rest of the day, eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.

5) A good percentage of your diet must come from fat. Just be sure it’s the right kind.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health and even help you lose fat.
Your saturated fat should come from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

6) Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).
In fact, all of your drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and sodas – these are all to be removed from your daily fare. Your absolute best choices are water and green tea.

7) Focus on whole foods.
Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods. There are a few times where supplement drinks and shakes are useful. But most of the time, you’ll do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods.

8) Have 10% foods.
I know you cringed at a few of the rules above – perhaps #6 in particular. But here’s a bit of a reprieve. 10% foods are foods that don’t necessarily follow the rules above – but food’s you’re still allowed to eat (or drink) 10% of the time.
100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible.
Just make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means. For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 is about 4. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” 4 meals each week.

9) Develop food preparation strategies.
The hardest part about eating well is making sure you can follow the 8 rules above consistently. And this is where preparation comes in. You might know what to eat, but if isn’t available, you’ll blow it when it’s time for a meal.

10) Balance daily food choices with healthy variety.
Let’s face it; during the week –when you’re busy – you’re not going to be spending a ton of time whipping up gourmet meals. During these times you’re going to need a set of tasty, easy to make foods that you can eat day in and day out. However, once every day or a few times a week – you need to eat something different – something unique.

So, what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in many other articles on my own web site and elsewhere? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the time (i.e., no more than 4 meals out of an average 42 meals per week violate any of those rules), everything else is pretty pointless. Moreover, many people can achieve the health and the body composition they desire using the habits alone. No kidding! In fact, with some of my paying clients I spend the first few months just supervising their adherence to these 7 rules—an effective but costly way to learn them.

If you’ve reached the 90% threshold, you may need a bit more individualization beyond the habits. If so, visit my web site. Many of these little tricks can be found in my many articles published there. But before looking for them, before assuming you’re ready for individualization; make sure you’ve truly mastered the habits. Then, while keeping the habits as the consistent foundation, tweak away.

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