Advanced Diets Advice & News

There are so many bodybuilding supplements available it is very difficult to know which is the right one to choose. Anybody that is into bodybuilding needs to ensure that they get the right nutrients and levels of protein in their diet to succeed. Taking the correct supplements will help you prepare for and recover from high intensity training and will improve your performance and assist in the building of your muscles. Supplements are there to form part of your overall nutritional needs and are not designed to replace your regular meals.

You need to know that supplements are not anabolic steroids as they are very different. Anabolic steroids produce increases in testosterone hormone levels which helps to provide additional stamina while supplements are there to provide additional nutrition and help mainly after your exercise session. Anabolic steroids should be avoided at all costs as you can suffer some really serious side effects by using them.

There are three main types of bodybuilding supplements which all perform differently and these are:

Protein Supplements

Protein supplements will help with the build up of muscle as the body needs protein to grow and these are best taken after exercising. Protein supplements are regularly found in powder form. When you take protein supplements after a workout you will be helping your body quickly repair muscle tissue and provide the best growth possibilities. Probably the most popular of these supplements is whey protein as it contains a good level of amino acids that are very good for the body. Then there are egg white protein supplements which are easy to digest and dairy free and these contain very important fatty acids which are good for bodybuilding. Milk proteins or casein contain high levels of glutamine which is another amino acid which is slowly absorbed by the body and provides great assistance with muscle recovery. If you are a vegetarian then you can use soy protein supplements as they contain many useful amino acids.

Glutamine Supplements

Our muscle tissue has a very high level of glutamine. There is evidence to suggest that muscle tissue glutamine levels are significantly reduced when you partake in strenuous bodybuilding workouts and to replace this glutamine supplements are a good choice. This can lead to a reduction in the efficiency of the immune system which in turn can lead to muscle tissue wasting which is the last thing that any bodybuilder would want. The market is full of glutamine supplements.

Creatine Based Supplements

Because there are a lot of short energy burst exercises undertaken in most bodybuilding exercise routines, the use of creatine will provide your muscle cells with more energy meaning that you can do more and workout longer. Being an organic acid, creatine is naturally produced in your body. A lot of weight training experts swear by creatine as it has the power to build muscle mass and improve strength, significantly increase energy levels and aid recovery times. Creatine naturally occurs in a number of meat products.

Those are the top selling bodybuilding supplements. There are others available such as simple carbohydrates which are designed to provide energy after exercise, complex carbohydrates which give you higher calories, EFA’s (essential fatty acids) which will give a boost to your stamina and multivitamins which look after many different aspects of your health.

You can find some great supplements at very good prices on the Internet but be careful here and use a reputable company such as  bodybuilding supplements who provide high quality products from organizations like USPLabs

Getting rid of belly fat fast is no easy task for most people. Easy it may not be, but it’s essential for more than just your looks. Belly fat is emerging as one of the most dangerous health risk factors for diabetes, heat attacks and other serious health problems.  If you want to know the fastest way to lose weight and melt away body fat, keep reading.

A recent study of 360,000 Europeans revealed that extra belly fat was even worse than originally thought . Research revealed that the link between excess belly fat and a myriad of diseases was so strong that the lead researcher Dr. Tobias Pinchon stated “There aren’t many simple individual characteristics that can increase a person’s risk of premature death to this extent, independent of smoking and drinking.” When an esteemed researcher says something like that, one has to take notice .

Thankfully, if you’re burdened by extra fat around your midsection, all hope is not lost. You needn’t be condemed to die of a heart attack or stroke due to your excess weight. There are 3 simple rules you can follow that will have an amazing effect on your excess weight. It will be almost like the hot, Arizona sun on a snowball.

Getting Rid of Belly Fat Rule 1
Start resistance training – Conventional wisdom dictates that long cardio sessions in the “Fat Burning Zone” of about 60% to 70% of your maximum exertion rate are the most effective way to get rid of your excess fat. New research has uncovered that while you will, indeed burn fat in this way, it is not the most effective way to do it .  The muscle you get from weight training actually speeds up your fat loss efforts. The muscle requires your body to burn additional calories to just keep it alive. That in turn raises your basal metabolic rate, causing you to burn more calories all day and night, not just during the exercise period and for an hour or so afterwards, like medium intensity cardio sessions. The calories you burn by raising your basal metabolic rate will more than compensate for the fewer calories you burn by doing shorter workouts, as compared to hour long cardio sessions. Sure, you may be sore for a few days at the bedinning, but it is good trade off for the weight you’ll lose.

Getting Rid of Belly Fat Rule 2
Get rid of sugar . Actually, you should avoid high glycemic index carbohydrates, but especially processed sugar and high fructose corn sweeteners . Glycemic index is a measure of how fast a carbohydrate affects your blood sugar level. Three of the worst offenders are refined sugar, white rice, and white flour. Rid your diet of as many foods containing these ingredients as possible. Remember that things such as breading are made from white flour. A very important part of getting rid of such things from your diet is taking the time to read the ingredient labels on your food before you buy it. Research has shown that a diet rich in such carbs soon leads to a belly rich in excess fat.  You can take fat loss powders and pills, but even the best thermogenic fat burner is no substitute for the proper diet and a a few minutes  of high intensity exercise.

Getting Rid of Belly Fat Rule 3
Eat more meals. That doesn’t mean you eat more food. You should eat the same amount of food you eat now, or possibly a bit less , but you should break up your caloric intake into more, smaller portions throughout the day. Instead of 3 meals, eat 5 to 6 smaller meals. You body will be better able to absorb the nutritional content of your food. Less of your food will be stored as fat and you will benefit more from the food you eat. Even better , you will feel full throughout the day, and want to eat less.

Following these three “golden rules for fat loss” will help you in getting rid of your belly fat fast. You’ll be healthier and look better too.  For more great fat loss tips and tricks that make losing fat easy, check out the how to lose belly fat guide

Being a mother of three and self-proclaimed health-nut , I am someone who is always looking for a high protein snack , I have found that eggs are something that appeals to nearly everyone and I tend to enjoy often! With so many different recipes and ways to cook them , they rarely fall on that list of ‘things I’ll never eat again’.  Eggs are easy to eat, not too messy and great for on the go eating (I know most of us are looking for healthy on the go snacks!).

In fact, eggs are a great source of protein that contains ALL of the essential amino acids that our body needs to build and repair muscle! To get all the benefit of an egg, you must eat the entire egg . Organic , cage-free eggs are always a better choice if they are availableMany of my clients use eggs as a weight loss snack,so let me share with you the simple 3-step method for cooking the perfect hard-boiled egg that I share with my clients. 

3 EASY STEPS TO A PERFECT HARDBOILED EGG!

Below you will find a recipe to make the perfect HARD-BOILED EGGS. You may not need this recipe if your boiled eggs turn out perfect every time and you’ve never have a problem with the membrane sticking to the white of the egg. However,  if you are like me, you’ve tried  many times and only occasionally got it right… the recipe below will ensure you have EASY TO PEEL eggs every time!!

RECIPE FOR PERFECT HARDBOILED EGGS

1. Place the eggs in a pot of COLD water. Be sure there is a minimum of an inch of water above the top of each egg. The idea is to stabilize the temperature between the water and eggs.
2. Place the pot with the eggs and water over high heat until the water comes to a full boil . IMMEDIATELY take the pot off the heat and cover with a tightly-fitting lid . The eggs will continue to cook from the heat of the water.
3. Let the eggs sit in the pan in the hot water for 12 minutes for medium eggs, 15 minutes for large eggs and 18 minutes for extra large eggs. USE A TIMER! After your timer goes off, drain water and replace with ice cold water. Let the temperature between water and eggs stalilize again and you’ll have the perfect BOILED EGGS! ENJOY and give yourself a pat on the back for choosing a healthy and natural snack!

As a final note, I have been noticing, on many weight loss blogs, that there are concerns about regular consumption of eggs. Studies have shown that daily consumption of eggs will not cause an elevation of cholesterol or heart disease risk. Most cholesterol problems can be linked to excess carbohydrate intake rather than excess cholesterol consumption. So, go ahead, enjoy your eggs!

The glycemic index table is a way for comparing the blood glucose response of carbohydrate founded foods. It was highly-developed to assist individuals with diabetes in controlling their blood sugar levels while consuming high carbohydrate, low fat diet.

The glycemic index table can potentially be used as a guide for pre and post exercise nutrition for people wanting a healthy weight loss alternative.

The oxidation rate of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) can stay elevated for a few hours after exercise. However , if insulin levels are increased the fatty acids will be reconverted to triglycerides and stored. It was determined that plasma FFA use was lower after a higher index meal than a low glycemic meal. It was also found that the high glycemic index meals had greater insulin responses than low index meals.

Eating a lower index meal after exercise, in people who desire weight loss, may help FFA oxidation levels stay elevated for several hours succeeding exercise. In addition a diet which stresses the ingestion of low glycemic table foods may help lower the storage of fat ingested with the meal.

Blood glucose levels and the stretch receptors in the stomach are the two main controls of appetite. The decrease in blood sugar that often comes with high index foods may increase appetite causing an increased energy intake making weight loss more gruelling.

Foods that should be reasoned high on the glycemic index table would include your standard glucose drink, French bread, carrots, parsnips and mashed potatoes.

Foods like skim milk, peas, chick peas, sweet potatoes are considered to be low on the glycemic table.

You canpurchase a book on glycemic index list of foods at your local book store that will go into the different glycemic food levels in more depth.  Understanding and using the glycemic index will greatly improve the overall health for women.