Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The Effects of Adding Fitness Supplements to Your Diet

With Christmas and New Year celebrations still swilling around our waistlines, keeping our body fat under control is enough of a challenge. But for some of the more serious amateur athletes, supplements are what they believe takes them to the next level. So are they safe and what effect do they have on our bodies?Protein Shakes / A High Protein DietRecent low-carb diets made carbohydrates the modern-day evil. But while a high protein diet can help with specific weight management goals, long-term adherence can create risks of nutritional imbalance as high protein diets can be low in fibre thus impeding digestion. A lack of vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains could mean an absence of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, weakening the immune system.As protein is excreted by the liver and kidneys problems can occur in these organs as well as dehydration. A condition called 'Ketosis' can occur meaning calcium is drawn from the bones possibly leading to osteoporosis. Although high in protein, red meat is high in saturated fat thus increasing risk of heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. A high protein diet can also impact serotonin levels which affect a person's mood. These risks would normally become a factor over the long-term or for people with known liver or kidney problems.But, as long as sufficient water and vitamin C are taken on board for most people, a high protein diet shouldn't pose problems in the short to medium term. Longer term, a balanced diet should always be followed.CreatineCreatine is often cited by athletes as helping to bulk up the body by increasing the amount of fat-free mass. Without wanting to get too technical, as increases in muscular creatine produces increases in muscular creatine phosphate, stores of creatine phosphate in the muscles increase which can delay the onset of fatigue thus extending peak performance. This helps improve short-term bursts of power so explosive, power-based sports such as sprinting, jumping and cycling may benefit. The delayed lactic acid build up would benefit endurance athletes.Studies have shown that use of creatine under certain conditions will produce an increase in fat-free mass. So this will help you to bulk up but you should be at the right stage in your training plan to use this and it's important to know how much to take and how long for.In term of risks, short and medium-term use have shown no adverse affects however concerns over long-term use of strain on the kidneys due to the high nitrogen content has not been proven after studies. Caution should be taken for those with kidney problem history however. The other side effect is water retention leading to weight gain. A possible gender-based 'side effect' could be that fat-free mass increase is lower in women than men so that may affect the results a woman is expecting.CaffeineCaffeine increases the use of free fatty acids as a fuel source instead of glycogen, so this will benefit your endurance. Caffeine also enhances the release of calcium needed for muscular contraction and acts as a stimulant to the nervous system so this can help your strength conditioning.Health issues associated with caffeine consumption are hypertension, diuresis (increased urination), arrhythmias (heart beat rhythm deviation), insomnia, upset stomach, anxiety, delirium, impaired memory and hallucinations. By taking caffeine approximately 1 hour before exertion the peak concentration values in blood will be hit. And if you don't like coffee, you can get caffeine tablets instead which can actually produce superior results. But remember, It's important to drink plenty of water if taking caffeine as a supplement to your training.Sports drinksMore of a fluid and mineral replacement than a supplement. Electrolytes are ions found in the body that have the capacity to conduct electricity. The main ones are sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium and are essential for organ and cell function especially the brain, nervous system and muscles.Sweat contains a lot of electrolytes, especially sodium. Exercise tends to induce sweat therefore as well as rehydrating to replace fluid levels, these electrolytes lost through sweat also need replacing which is why sports drinks contain them. A home-made version of these drinks can be made by mixing equal quantities of fruit juice and water and adding a couple of pinches of salt.So do they work?Supplements are exactly that and are not substitutes for a well-balanced diet, proper hydration, plenty of rest and hard work! But if you are training for a specific goal and know which supplements you want, how much to take and when to take them, there is evidence that these supplements can improve performance and results and just might give you the extra edge you are looking

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Sunday, December 8, 2013

Whole Food Supplements: Fact or Fiction

Almost all of the vitamins on the market, even those claiming to be "whole food supplements" are not natural or from food at all.Conventional vitamins are isolated or synthetic forms of very specific components which are standardized and incomplete sources of nutrients. The dosages found in conventional vitamins are much higher, often thousands of times higher than what you would find in food. Synthetics and isolates are very cheap to make, take up little space in a capsule or tablet, are standardized and have stable shelf lives. For these reasons, they are convenient for vitamin manufacturers to use and they are anything but natural.Another reason these synthetics and isolates are so widely used is that FDA labeling requirements are drastically skewed to be in favor of them, making it very difficult for anyone to try to produce a supplement using natural ingredients. In some cases, a label claim cannot be made based on whole food ingredients unless there is a standardized source added. These labeling requirements are very crippling for most companies making a truly natural supplement where the whole foods are actually the source of nutrition in the product. Vitamin C is an exception to this law and as a result there are several supplements on the market where the vitamin C content is naturally occurring, but only for a select few whole food supplements.The laws governing supplements in the United States are not only skewed away from natural vitamin sources they are also quite arbitrary. This is most problematic for consumers who take it upon themselves to actually read a label. Labeling requirements make it very difficult to distinguish between natural and unnatural sources of vitamins. Some sneaky companies use this to their advantage and will spike yeast with synthetics, in their "fermentation or culturing process" then sprinkle foods in too. They can then legally call themselves whole food supplements.Believe it or not, laws governing vitamins in this country are some of the most lax in the world. In fact many ingredients commonly used in American supplements are outlawed in Asian countries. There are pros and cons to this situation. On one hand a lack of regulation allows for people access to alternative medicines and protocols that might not be available find if one is depending on the FDA and the big drug companies for ultimate access. At the same time, a lack of regulation makes it very easy for manufacturers to put anything they want to on the shelves regardless of integrity or consequences.A good example of this is the use of the words "proprietary blend," on the label. It's perfectly legal for a supplement company to use this term rather than list their actual ingredients. For all you know the proprietary blend could be saw dust and Kool-aid mix.There was a movement started less than 10 years ago by the few truly natural whole food supplement companies out there pushing for the FDA to implement a Naturally Occurring Standard. The hope was that additional standards would allow nutrient claims to me made from naturally occurring sources of vitamins and also that there would be Daily Recommended Values established that are based on food not just standardized vitamins as they are now. This movement apparently never caught on but there are a couple of things you can do as a consumer to find truly whole food supplements.Keep in mind the following label alerts when shopping for whole food supplements:1) If a company brags that they are "whole food created, cultured or fermented" it means they spike their food with standardized vitamins.2) If the label claims give you higher than 100% DV the sources are probably not from food. (The exception to this could be vitamin C which can be found naturally occurring in relatively high amounts.)3) If any of the ingredients are listed as "Proprietary blends," you don't really know what is in there.4) If a product lists dozed of vitamins and dozens of foods they are probably using standardized vitamins with a tiny sprinkling of fruits and veggies to make the product look like it's packed with nutritious food. Think about it. There is only so much space in a tablet, how much food could you actually be getting?The nutrients are naturally occurring which means you get the whole-complex of vitamins that comes in the whole foods and at dosage levels found in food. There is no culturing process necessary. In reality, if a whole food supplement contains whole food sourced vitamins (peels and all) there are actually hundred of nutrients naturally occurring in them... even if the FDA does not allow them to be claimed on the label.

Nature's Dose is just the right amount of "Natural" in your everyday life.All the contradictory information out there about what is good for you and what isn't can really seem overwhelming. We are here to help make sense of it. Nature's Dose is all about a natural approach to life. We give you everyday tips, advice and information on how to stay healthy. Take to heart the things that apply to your life and don't worry about the rest.Nature's Dose is your home base for living a well-rounded healthy life while having a realistic appro

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tips and Secrets of Pelvic Floor Fitness

This topic of women's health is usually taboo. Most women dare to discuss it only with their doctors or they have a bit of a giggle about it with girlfriends.Often the pelvic floor area is often left out of a woman's wellbeing routine simply because it is hard to know exactly what to do to achieve results. Consequently, many women accept occasional bladder accidents as part of becoming a mother. Problems like difficulty reaching orgasm are often viewed as a normal part of womanhood. Haemorrhoids or sagging pelvic organs are frequently acknowledged as a side-affect of aging and having to visit the loo frequently is usually blamed on a small bladder. The truth is that the above experiences are early warning signs of a weakening pelvic floor. If ignored, a woman's feminine foundation will never be the same again.Small problems of this nature tend to get bigger overtime. For example, occasional bladder accidents become a need to wear a pad and knowing the toilet map of a town becomes a necessity. Sagging pelvic organs prolapse and sexual passion disappears from relationships. Obviously, these problems are more difficult to rectify. And let's face it; the state of our core femininity can seriously affect our self-esteem. Although surgery is available to fix pelvic floor problems, over 50% of cases need further procedures or have permanent side effects. So it is a smart choice to try to fix things naturally first.Women who squeeze their hidden muscles are onto something. However, it is difficult to achieve long-term results from the occasional squeeze here and there. It is important for women to learn to successfully contract their pelvic floor muscles. If no strengthening is seen in six month, the contractions are not effective enough. Different types of contractions (fast, slow and sustained ones) to maximal capacity are most effective. It is just as important to relax between squeezes. Idyllically the contraction phase and the relaxation phase should equal.Many of us are challenged by regular exercise. Therefore not maintaining a training program is a common problem. However, our body is not sympathetic to excuses so we need to incorporate strengthening in other ways, as part of our everyday activities. All women should learn to engage their pelvic floor muscles at appropriate times. This requires a little effort at the beginning but becomes automatic after a while. Activating the these muscles at certain times not only strengthens but also saves us from bladder accidents and saggy organs. Typically these instances are sneezing, coughing, laughing, jumping, lifting and carrying and shouting. We also need to protect the area from accumulative stresses and carry ourselves in a way that is friendly to our core. Straining on the toilet and slumping are the worst offenders. In other words, we need to learn to live pelvic floor consciously. This way, despite the lack of regular exercise, our pelvic floors will become much healthier. TFor best results, it is also a smart choice for women to learn about this intimate area as much as possible. Learning the location of the pelvic floor muscles and organs is a good start.Feminine fitness should be a part of every woman's well being routine. Nurturing this area is a must to feel healthy, vital and sexy. Any sign of weakness of the intimate zone deserves immediate attention. The earlier action is taken, the easier it is to restore the core to its best possible shape. It is never too late or too early to start tending to this most feminine body part. This is obviously a worthwhile investment for all women interested in long-term well being. The goal is to enhance our quality of life and self-esteem.

For more information visit http://www.discreetlyfit.com http://www.d

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Monday, December 2, 2013

Buying Tips For Camping Stoves

The vast selection of camping stoves tagged with technical terms a layman wouldn't understand, may be scary for some who are not that experienced when it comes to camping and buying camping stoves. However, purchasing the right camping stove is not as hard as it may seem.Here are some considerations you should take into account when buying a camping stove. With these information and simple tips, selection and purchase would be much easierSizeCamping brands like Coleman offer one, two and multiple burner camping stoves. What you should opt for should depend on the volume of cooking you intend to do. If you're solo packing, a camping stove with one or two burner may do but if you intend to go camping with the whole family or plan to have a camping cook feast with a bunch of friends, go for a camping stove that has two or more burners to save time cooking.Type of FuelAfter deciding which stove size is suitable for your camping needs, the next thing to consider is the type of fuel you'll want to use. Your fuel options include propane, white gas (otherwise known as Coleman fuel), unleaded gas, butane or kerosene. However it is mostly recommended to use either propane or white gas only.Out of all the camping stoves, those that are fuelled by white gas produce the most heat. It is the more environment-friendly choice for it burns cleanly without any odor or effect on food taste as well as produces less waste.Many of the Coleman camping stoves that are fuelled with white gas operate on dual fuel system which means that the stove can run either on white gas or unleaded gasoline. However, it is best that you use only white gas unless during cases when you run out of it and can't buy any.Propane camp stoves on the other hand are simpler and more easy to use, but weigh a lot heavier compared with white gas. But propane Coleman camping stoves are also great choices because of their easiness to operate and ignite, and good performance in warm climates and at low elevations. Most Coleman camping stoves powered with propane fuel even have electronic ignitions to save time and energy.Type of Camping ActivityAnother consideration to make is the type of camping you intend to do during your trip. For example, if you plan to go backpacking, choose a camping stove that is lightweight, has a single burner for this is easier to carry in your load.But if you intend to go on a family camping trip, a group hike or RV camping, it is more appropriate to opt for three or four burner stoves that would allow you to create a grand fiesta for everyone.Now, if you're planning to go on a beach camping trip or have a backyard party where you'll probably want to do some grilling on the side, a combination of a stove and grill is the perfect choice for you.Many camping brands such as Coleman provides you with a wide array of quality camp stoves and background information on its features to make your choice much easier.

For more tips and information about Camping Stoves, check out www.summit

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