Nutrition

Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Gainer Helps Gain Body Mass With Fewer Calories.

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Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Gainer helps gain Body Mass with fewer calories.

Considered the “Gold Standard” of protein for serious athletes Whey protein helps those who work hard to develop and sustain a strong, lean, and well-defined physique. Depending on how much Athletes work out, they often need as much as twice the recommended daily allowance of protein in their diet. A preferred choice of protein for athletes is Whey protein. There are several reasons that the protein they choose can make a difference like the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.

Protein powders can be an excellent supplement between meals or as a meal replacement for those who want to control or lose weight. A nutritious daily diet includes foods that have “complete proteins”. Complete proteins must be obtained through the diet each day and contain all of the essential amino acids required. Optimum Nutrition 100% Natural Gold Standard Whey is a great source of protein and contains no artificial sweeteners, color, or flavoring. It is very low in carbohydrates, saturated fat, lactose, cholesterol and other fats.

These are the main proteins in order of the highest to lowest order of how proteins are rated and how well the body utilizes them. They are: Whey protein, Egg white, Fish, Dairy products, Beef, Soy, and Legumes (e.g., beans and lentils). Optimum Nutrition Pro complex contains Egg Albumen; Whey Protein Isolates and Hydrolyzed proteins which are proteins extracted from plants such as soybeans and are broken down into amino acids which are used in the production of products like bullion or soy sauce as a flavor enhancer. To enhance muscle-building, they have created a premium blend of protein by using a combination of 8 different sources.

Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Gainer is the perfect example of “lean gainer” in the supplement category. Unlike typical weight gain formulas, Pro Complex Gainer derives a much higher percentage of its calories from protein. And while some “ultra-hard gainers” require 1,000, 1,200…even 1,500 calorie/serving weight gain product, many athletes can gain quality mass with considerably less. So, in addition to having fewer calories, Pro Complex Gainer provides a blend of 6 premium protein sources, complex carbohydrates including dietary fiber, lipids, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals.

For serious athletes Whey protein helps those who work hard to develop and sustain a strong, lean, and well-defined physique. Depending on how much Athletes work out, they often need as much as twice the recommended daily allowance of protein in their diet. A preferred choice of protein for athletes is Whey protein. There are several reasons that the protein they choose can make a difference like the Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.

Honeydew Fun Facts & Nutrition

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Honeydew is a variety of muskmelon, considered the sweetest of all melons. They’re also called winter melons because they’re harvested late in the season, peaking during late summer, fall and winter, though honeydew is available almost the whole year round. Most of our U.S. honeydews come from Arizona, Texas or California with imported melons from Mexico taking up the slack during winter months.

Where did Honeydew originally come from?

No one is exactly sure the origin of honeydew but Persia is named the likely humble beginnings for this succulent melon. Columbus carried honeydew seeds to America and now it’s one of our favorite melons behind watermelon and cantaloupe.

How To Pick A Honeydew Melon:

Things you want to look for when picking out a perfectly ripe melon are no bruises, soft areas or cracks. Don’t bother shaking or hitting it, that won’t tell you anything. Sniff the stem end (which should be somewhat smooth): if you can smell it, then it’s ripe. Also, a ripe melon should be somewhat firm, if it’s a little soft that’s ok but if it’s very soft, put it back, it’s overripe.

Honeydew Nutrition:

Like other melons, honeydews contain a large amount of water and are happily quite low in calories. Additionally, they’re fat-free and cholesterol free. They’re also a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.

How To Store Honeydew Melon:

You can refrigerate cut honeydew in a covered container for up to three days. Make sure to keep it covered though, as the smell can mix with other foods thanks to its wonderful aromatic properties.

Want to keep that sweet taste of summer with you all year? No problem, you can easily freeze honeydew. Just slice it up, freeze it on a cookie sheet and place in freezer baggies. You can also add syrup or sugar if you like.

Some Honeydew Serving Suggestions:

Before cutting into it, it’s best to wash your melon with soap and water because honeydew is grown on the ground and can make contact with fertilizer and other contaminants you don’t want to ingest.

Serve it barely chilled. If it’s been stored in the refrigerator, remove it from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving. You can put it in a fruit salad, whip it up into a frothy cool summer drink or drizzle lemon on top to add tang to the melon’s natural sweetness. A clever serving idea is to use a half-cut melon as a serving bowl, perfect for yogurt, cottage cheese or even ice cream if you’re feeling mildly decadent.

Mma Fight Nutrition And Hydration

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Sports Nutrition for MMA

Fluid Needs for Fighting

Your mom may have told you: drink 8, 8oz. glasses of water per day. Although this advice is considered conventional wisdom, it surely isnt based on any science. If that advice does apply to anyone, it certainly isnt mixed martial artists who spend a good amount of their day jumping, punching, and wrestling in a hot, stuffy gym. Your fluid needs are unique, and as such, need a unique approach. As you likely know, dehydration results in a tremendous reduction in performance capacity. If youre dehydrated, your body and mind will suffer. In the ring, this is a formula for disaster. There are two major reasons why an MMA practitioner has different fluid needs than both your average Joe and other athletes: one is that your activity level is much higher than most other athletes. Because MMA training is unusually intense and usually has a long duration, there is significantly more fluid loss than a steady-state activity like jogging. Secondly, because of the level of conditioning required to be competitive, mixed martial artists tend to have significantly more muscle mass than most. Glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrate, needs a lot of water. The vast majority of glycogen is stored in muscle, so you need to drink more fluid just to keep the glycogen in your muscle hydrated.

How Much Fluid Do I Need?
Simple, everyone is different. Alright, so figuring out exactly how much fluid you need isnt quite so simple. But, with a little bit of work up-front and a commitment to monitoring your progress; you can ensure youre getting the right amount of fluid. Here are some general guidelines that you can use as a baseline:

Hydration Before Training
Drink at least15-20 fl oz. 2 hours before training/competition
Drink 8-10 fl oz. 15-30 minutes before training/competition

Hydration During Training
Drink 8-10 fl oz every 10 minutes
If youre training more than an hour and a half, drink 8-10 fl oz. of electrolyte replacement drink every 30 minutes.

Its possible that what youre already doing closely resembles these guidelines. However, because the variability of ones training varies so much, there is a more accurate way of going about staying hydrated.

Easy Ways for Mixed Martial Artists Assess Hydration
Although following the guidelines above gives you an excellent baseline, there are many variables like altitude, humidity, and clothing that can make generic guidelines inaccurate. One of the most accurate ways to assess hydration is to check out your urine color. If its cloudy and yellow, then you know that youre dehydrated. This is because the toxins that your kidneys filter out arent diluted in a large enough urine volume to be invisible. On the other hand, if its clear, youre likely getting enough fluid. Its normal to have a slight color in your urine, especially first thing in the morning or after taking a multivitamin.

Another fantastic way to monitor your hydration is to weigh yourself before and after your training session. Although you do burn a bit of fat during training, the vast majority of your weight loss is fluid. For example, if you weighted 155lbs. before your training session and weigh in at 153lbs. after your training, which means that, you lost 32oz. of fluid. (1 pound=16 ounces of fluid). A 2-3% loss of bodyweight during training can impair your performance and put added stress on vital organs. You should try to maintain adequate levels of hydration during training and replenish any losses within 1 hour of training. If you weigh more after training than you did before, thats a sign you overdid it and drank too much.

The Hydration Plan Recap:
1.Mom may know best in most cases, but not when it comes to your hydration!
2.Everyones fluid needs are different from yours-so learn what your body needs.
3.Use the hydration guidelines as a starting point. Adjust to your training and body needs.
4.Check the color of your urine. Dark Yellow/Brown=severe dehydration, Yellow=moderate dehydration, Slight Yellow/Clear=Hydrated!
5.Weight yourself. Before and after training to get an idea of how much fluid you have lost and drink according. Sipping works better than chugging.

Train hard, eat smart and stay hydrated!
Daniel M. Solomon, Registered Dietitian (RD)

Reference: (1)Benardot, Dan. Advanced Sports Nutrition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006. Print.
(2)Clark, Nancy. Nancy Clarks Sports Nutrition Guidebook . 4th. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.
(3)Judelson, Daniel. Hydration and Muscular Performance: Does Fluid Balance Affect Strength, Power and High-Intensity Endurance?. Sports Medicine 37(2007): 907-921. Print

Good Nutrition Can Lower The Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease

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I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease,” Ronald Reagan, former president of the United States, announced in November 1994. “I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this Earth doing the things I have always done,” he declared. “Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience.”

In his message, Reagan summed up the tragedy of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Those suffering from AD face the reality of losing touch with their old lives. Family and friends are forced to watch a loved one slowly fall victim to the dreadful condition.

Scientists aren’t sure exactly what’s behind AD. Some suspect a certain gene – apolipoprotein E 4 allele (Apo E4) – plays a major part in your brain’s decline. Other experts believe years of oxidative stress also are at the root of the problem.

Whatever causes Alzheimer’s disease attacks the part of your brain that controls speech, thoughts, and memory. You gradually lose the power to recall the past and the ability to carry out your daily life. AD usually hits around age 65 and older, and your risk goes up each year after that.

Through this dark cloud, however, there is a ray of hope. According to AD experts like Dr. Grace Petot, a professor at Case Western Reserve University, people can change their lifestyles to lower their risk. Boost your fruit and vegetable intake for a start.

From her research, Petot discovered that many AD sufferers ate fewer fruits and veggies as adults.

Science, she suggests, also points to a connection between heart disease and Alzheimer’s. So eating a heart-healthy diet might protect you, too. That means a lot of high-fiber, low-fat foods. It’s also a good idea to exercise both your mind and your muscles. “Keeping the brain active and the body active,” Petot says, “is beneficial in many ways.”

Nutritional blockbusters that fight AD

Antioxidants.

Thanks to cutting-edge research, experts now hope AD can one day be prevented. Antioxidants, those powerful substances that fend off cancer and heart disease, might also safeguard your brain against free radicals. Antioxidants appear to slow – and even reverse – the memory loss caused by free-radical damage.

Supplements usually only contain one antioxidant, so eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get the most benefit. Fruits and vegetables are rich in many antioxidants – not just beta carotene or vitamin C, but flavonoids, too. Flavonoids make memory-saving marvels out of snacks like blueberries, strawberries, and spinach.

B vitamins.

You also need foods rich in B vitamins to help protect your brain from AD. At least two studies show Alzheimer’s sufferers have lower levels of folate and B12 than their non-AD peers. Low B-vitamin levels, according to several other studies, appear to lead to lower scores on IQ and memory tests.

Vitamin B 12 helps your body make neurotransmitters, chemicals that help carry messages between your nerves and brain. Another B vitamin, thiamin, helps nerve signals travel from your brain to different parts of your body. These important tasks could be why a lack of B vitamins might affect your brain’s health.

To get more folate into your diet, try dark leafy greens, broccoli, beets, beans, and okra. Meats, eggs, and dairy products are good sources of B12. For older adults, who might have trouble absorbing B12, experts suggest eating fortified breakfast cereals. Wheat germ, nuts, beans, and rice will give you your full day’s supply of thiamin.

Omega-3s.

Look to the sea to find help against Alzheimer’s. Fish are the greatest source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fat molecules protect against heart disease and inflammation and may lead the attack against Alzheimer’s as well. One of AD’S possible causes is beta-amyloid plaque, clumps of protein that build up in the victim’s brain. Experts believe beta amyloid might be connected with inflammation of the brain’s blood vessels. So it makes sense that anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids could help.

It’s a good idea to eat as much fish as you can net. Experts recommend at least two servings of salmon, tuna, mackerel, or other cold-water fish per week. For you landlubbers who think fish are for the birds, get your omega-3 from flaxseed, walnuts, and dark leafy greens. And while you punch up omega-3, limit your intake of omega-6 fatty acids. They compete with omega-3 and can cause inflammation. Foods high in omega-6 include fried and fast foods, salad dressings, and baked goods.

Nutrition for Nail Growth

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Don’t waste good iron for nails or good men for soldiers”. As it is correctly said, nutrition plays an extremely significant role right from the tip of fingers to one’s toe. Nail growth is a good indicator for all possible health related problems which can be linked to intake of daily nutrition.

These problems are associated with multiple factors working together. Lack of proper daily nutrition including proteins is the main cause of improper growth of nails. Deficiency in nutrients can lead to crooked structure, loss of texture, ridged, fragile and yellowing of nails which hamper the growth. One’s body needs adequate amount of all elements for proper development of nails, thus in order to avoid problems one must add certain things in his/her diet. Some of the essential nutrients that affect the nail growth include calcium, vitamin B, Vitamin C or folic acid, protein, fat and iron.on.

Eat plenty of healthy food to get sufficient amount of minerals and vitamins for healthy nails. Let’s take a look on how nutrition plays an important role in growth. Low iron content can cause brittle nails and thus inhibit development. People with iron deficiency generally tend to have spoon shaped nails Hence one should include iron rich product to the diet viz broccoli, shellfish meat, juice, walnut etc. Calcium being the key ingredient for nails should be consumed daily in some form or other. One can get optimum amount of calcium from dairy products.

Nails require proteins and requirements for this can be met by eating lean meat or nuts. Vitamins B and Vitamin C are essential nutrition for nail growth. Hence one should have citrus fruits and other multivitamin supplement along with healthy food. Another component which is essential for growth is Zinc which can be obtained from crabs, breakfast cereals etc. Low level of zincs can cause white spots to occur during growth. Biotin is a vitamin that supports nail growth and the ideal dose recommended in order to eliminate splitting and making nails grow is 2.5mg each day. Besides these elements MSM, methionine and essential fatty acids can significantly assist nail growth. This is the best way to assure oneself of healthy growth.