Nutrition in Sports – The Secret Advantage of the Couch Potato?

/in , ,

Athletes undergoing strenuous training and competition have greater need for nutrition in sports than the sedentary population. Obtaining adequate nutrients will ensure maximal recovery time and lower rates of infections.

Increased perspiration associated with sport, particularly endurance sport, can lead to an increased loss of minerals and potentially set us up for nutritional deficiency diseases as the nutrient intake sufficient for the general population is not always sufficient for athletes.

nutrition

Nutrition in sports is often only taken into consideration when we suffer an illness or a disease and sometimes we can leave it too long with fatal consequences. Athletes lose more electrolytes like magnesium, potassium and sodium due to perspiration. Extra iron is needed when athletes become anaemic, as they commonly do. Minerals are needed in higher amounts and supplementation can ensure adequate intake is achieved.

Bone & Joint Health

Optimal bone strength is important for all athletes. Stress fractures can bring an abrupt finish to years of training because the athlete’s diet is not providing the necessary nutrients they require to maintain the strength of their bones.

In order to keep you joints healthy you need more than just calcium – it has been clearly demonstrated that the body requires a range of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids and other specific nutrients for the formation, repair and maintenance of healthy bones and joints.

Many scientific studies now acknowledge the effects of certain nutrients in preventing and even reversing the effects of joint wear and tear.

The 90 essential nutrients – 60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids and essential fatty acids give your body the nutrition required for the maintenance and repair of healthy bones and joints.

Nutrients such as glucosamine & chondroitin sulphate are beneficial in promoting joint repair and lubrication.

New Pain Relief Supplements such as ‘CM’ – (Cetyl Myristoleate) provide significant pain relief for joints and muscles – without the side-effects of NASAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

NSAIDs can cause irreparable damage to the joint and stomach lining and the anti-inflammatory effects over the long term are no better than glucosamine and chondroitin which also repair the joint.

You should experience measurable results from any supplementation within 90 days.

Factors that may influence outcome include: quality of the product, supplementing with a single nutrient (as opposed to all 90 essential nutrients), poor absorbability – liquids have better absorbability and digestive enzymes can be of great help in speeding up the healing process through nutrition.

Sports Drinks – How Many Nutrients Does Your Sports Drink Have? A simple question – and for most people who drink Gatorade, the answer to that question is ‘three’. That’s right, a whole three nutrients.

The whole key to good nutrition in sports is to put back what the body sweats out. Obviously we need to drink a lot of water – as a guide, the average person should drink about 8-10 glasses of water per day. When you exercise and you sweat, then you should double this amount for every hour you train.

When you sweat, you sweat out minerals (at least 60 in trace amounts), you burn up protein (amino acids) as well as glucose and your requirements for energy increase.

Look for sports drinks containing the maximum number nutrients including minerals, vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients beneficial for nutrition in sports and overall health including Ginseng, Green Tea and Taurine.

The Couch Potato Factor

So what is ‘secret advantage’ of the couch potato? They don’t sweat! While an obese person may be more likely to suffer a range of diseases associated with obesity – the athlete who over trains and sweats without fuelling her body with a great source of nutrition is just as likely to suffer diseases such that threaten the quality of life as she gets older. The warning signs are tiredness, fatigue, erratic blood sugar levels, abnormal heart rhythms and the end result is one of many chronic nutritional deficiency diseases.

The solution is simple, put back what you are losing through a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and proper daily supplementation.

 

Why Athletes Require Sports Nutrition for Peak Performance

/in , ,

The success of every athlete, whether they play amateur or professional sports, relies on how well they can endure the rigors of athletic competition. Numerous things go into the making of a top executing athlete and including mental, physical and nutritional preparation.

Sports nutrition is a critical part of any training regimen for the reason that it supplies the actual fuel that the body requires to remain at peak performance levels.

athlete

Just such as a car runs out of gas after a definite amount of miles, an athlete’s body can run out of fuel too soon as a result of dehydration and carbohydrate depletion. Most athletes need to win, or reach a personal milestone, and so they push their bodies to the max to reach their objective. When they do this, their bodies burn up an extreme amount of calories. for the reason that the body continually needs fuel in order to implement its frequent functions, it rapidly runs out of precious fuel when the engine is revved up by sports competition. And, this is why a lot of consideration is placed on making sure an athlete’s nutritional requires are met before, in the course of and after a competitive task.

If you’ve ever watched a marathon for the duration, you’ve possibly looked on in admiration as the leaders of the pack have the stamina to keep running at a stable pace for numerous miles. These runners are assisted in their endurance by having refueling stations along the way where they can drink water to prevent dehydration. Yet, there are a few who come out to struggle at the halfway point and progressively fall furthermore back in the pack. regardless their mental determination to finish potent, they are betrayed by their body’s lack of fuel. similar to an empty automobile gas tank gives out before reaching the following town, a runner may collapse before reaching the finish line.

Every fiber of an athlete’s being requires fuel so as to function in a proper way. Fuel normally comes in the type of healthy foods that are packed with carbohydrates and protein, energy drink with powder protein added and other liquids like water or milk. Athletes are known for placing a lot of strain on their muscles. These muscles can simply cramp and strain without proper nutrition. A vigorous metabolism is also necessary to keep the body going at peak levels for long periods of time.

This is why sports nutrition has turned essential to the well-being of every athlete. Each sport tends to have its own type of athletic nutritional requirements and suggestions. Body builders, Football players, Skiers, Rock Climbers, Triathlon athletes all have particular dietary regimens that they go after in order to implement at the best level of their sport. The objective is to balance nutrition, health & sports vitamins.

These days, most sports fitness programs are pretty comprehensive and involucre educating the athlete in all aspects of meal preparing, nutritional requires and goals, and how to incorporate vitamins like powder protein into their every day routines. They are in addition instructed on how essential it is for them to eat a definite amount of carbohydrate foods like chicken, beef and fish, in conjunction with a healthy serving of veggies, and low-calorie snacks. They are still told how much to consume and when to consume certain foods. The clever athlete will consider these recommendations and then reap the profits from having an improved performance.

Studies have shown that athletes need more food, liquids and nutrients than the average person. And similar to there are certain foods that they should consume a lot of, there are in addition foods that they are advised to remain away from – essentially high fat, low nutritional value junk food. While an athlete is in the heat of a rigorous training regimen, eating the improper types of foods can seriously dampen their performance and impede the functioning of their metabolism.

But, for sure, they are human too, so there requires to be a few way that an athlete can indulge in a small snack while not compromising themselves nutritionally. This is where things like protein shakes, bars and snacks come in. as opposed to snacking on unhealthy foods that do not provide them with any nutritional pros, the athlete can indulge in a chocolate protein bar, a fresh strawberry powder protein shake or snack on protein packed nuts like peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

An athlete has to get just the proper balance of protein in their diet. Protein assists to build up and fix every cell in the human body, so the importance of this nutrient can’t be skipped over. The bigger and more active any person is, the more protein they will require to keep their body potent. Protein in addition helps safeguard the immune system, so if an athlete wants to remain fit and well, they will require to monitor their protein intake continually.

Vitamins in addition play an essential role in the athletic diet. The objective of the athlete is to get as numerous vitamins and nutrients in their system in the course of the day as doable. This is why there is no room for junk food. Each meal requires to provide a few form of supplements A, B, C and D, plus minerals like iron, folic acid, potassium and magnesium. numerous athletes will be advised to consume at least 6 meals a day so as to satisfy all of their nutrient requirements.

They must in addition limit the number of saturated fat, cholesterol, caffeine, sodium, sugar and alcohol they eat. These substances will have a negative affect on the body and will absolutely affect how they implement in training and the actual event. So, this is why any athlete who takes their sport seriously, will in addition be accustomed to sports nutrition and get a good education about the way in which food, liquids, carbohydrates, protein, and supplements and sports nutrition vitamins information all play a role in keeping them healthy and in peak situation to do what they love – participating in an exciting sporting event.

 

Athlete Nutrition Guidelines – What Are the Basics?

/in , ,

One of the largest things that impact most athletes is what they consume. If they consume garbage there is a high probability that they implement like rubbish. To reach the highest levels of triumph there must be athlete nutrition guidelines to go after.

These must be general sufficient that all sports can go after them, but additionally can get more sport singular if necessary. For example a marathon runner will have to consume a higher number of calories than a baseball player for the reason that they expend more energy every day.

athletes

What I am going to do is give some simple athlete nutrition guidelines that if followed can help expand ability it doesn’t matter what the sport is.

H20 – It is vital to drink half of your body weight in ounces every single day. For example if you weigh 180 pounds you require to be drinking 90 ounces of water daily. Being the right way hydrated will help you implement better.

Fast Food – prevail away from rapid food as most of the items are bad for you. If you must consume a meal be sure it is a salad and consume at these restaurants sparingly.

Protein – This is possibly one of the most vital nutrients for all athletes. be sure you are getting lots of protein every single day. I suggest most people have a protein supplement and have these shakes numerous times a day throughout the season.

Alcohol and Drugs – be sure you prevail away from these as no good comes from them.

In conclusion i guess that these are only some of the things people require to go after. There are far more athlete nutrition guidelines, but these ones listed are the main ones. Just be sure that all unhealthy food is in moderation so that not permit it impact your performance on the area.

 

Prореr Nutrition fоr Athletes

/in , ,

Prореr nutrіtіоn is аn еѕѕеntіаl раrt оf lіvіng a hеаlthу life; this іѕ еvеn truеr whеn соnѕіdеrіng nutrіtіоn fоr athletes. Athlеtеѕ whо are more асtіvе оr аrе еngаgеd іn a ѕроrt need tо hаvе a wеll-bаlаnсеd diet. Inсludіng thе рrореr nutrition thаt thе bоdу nееdѕ will hеlр you ѕtау hеаlthу аnd еnеrgіzеd.

Tоdау, оbtаіnіng proper nutrition for аn аthlеtе іѕ not difficult to асhіеvе; with thе help of scientists and nutrіtіоnіѕtѕ, thеrе is a wіdе variety оf nutrition рlаnѕ and nutrіtіоn рrоgrаmѕ tо сhооѕе from. Wіthоut the adequate nutrіtіоn, аthlеtеѕ саn develop vаrіоuѕ dіѕеаѕеѕ, аnd also run thе risk оf рооr performance оn the field, court оr аthlеtіс еvеnt.

Why is рrореr nutrition fоr аthlеtеѕ іmроrtаnt?

Thе mаіn rеаѕоn why athletes ѕhоuld fіnd a nutrition program іѕ ѕо thаt thеу саn ѕtау hеаlthу and рrеvеnt injuries. Recent rеѕеаrсh rероrtѕ thаt injuries аrе mоrе рrеvаlеnt durіng thе lаѕt 20-30 mіnutеѕ оf a game; thіѕ іѕ because durіng thіѕ time the bоdу is more fatigued аnd the mіnd becomes lеѕѕ concentrated. A hеаlthу diet can hеlр аthlеtеѕ build endurance not only physically, but mеntаllу аѕ well. Stауіng fосuѕеd аnd еnеrgіzеd thrоughоut a gаmе or an еvеnt can hеlр prevent injuries.

Anоthеr іmроrtаnt reason tо оbtаіn рrореr nutrіtіоn іѕ tо еnhаnсе уоur оvеrаll реrfоrmаnсе. Despite оf аll the training and ѕkіllѕ rесеіvеd, thе оnlу wау fоr аn athlete to rеасh his оr her full роtеntіаl іѕ by nоurіѕhіng аnd fuеlіng thе body. Bу еаtіng hеаlthу mеаlѕ full оf nutrіеntѕ, vіtаmіnѕ, аnd minerals, athletes саn рrоvіdе thеіr body wіth thе adequate energy ѕоurсе tо perform wеll.

Whаt ѕhоuld hеаlthу nutrіtіоn for athletes іnсludе?

Athletes ѕhоuld соnѕіdеr соnѕumіng a hеаlthу dіеt thаt іnсludеѕ the following;

Cаrbоhуdrаtеѕ – Sіnсе thеу рrоvіdе uр tо 50% оf thе energy ѕоurсе, саrbоhуdrаtеѕ should dеfіnіtеlу bе on top оf thе nutrition plan lіѕt. Thе mоrе асtіvе a реrѕоn is the more саrbоhуdrаtеѕ the body wіll uѕе. Inсludіng proper amounts of carbohydrates іn уоur diet wіll aid іn уоur реrfоrmаnсе аnd ѕtrеngth.

Wаtеr – As mоѕt know, water іѕ necessary fоr lіfе. Bеіng wеll-hуdrаtеd is crucial fоr аll human beings especially аthlеtеѕ. Bесоmіng еvеn ѕlіghtlу dеhуdrаtеd can bе extremely dаngеrоuѕ whіlе уоu’rе асtіvе. Water іѕ nееdеd tо rеgulаtе your bоdу tеmреrаturе аnd рrоtесt your hеаlth.

Fаtѕ – Lіkе carbohydrates, fаtѕ аrе аlѕо a gооd ѕоurсе оf energy. Whіlе fаt is typically оnlу uѕеd аftеr оnе hоur оf реrfоrmаnсе, аn adequate amount of fat should bе іnсludеd іn an аthlеtе’ѕ diet. Lасk of fаt consumption саn highly аffесt уоur рhуѕісаl activity.

Protein – Onсе саrbоhуdrаtеѕ аnd fаtѕ have bееn used, thе body will ѕеаrсh for рrоtеіnѕ as an alternative energy source. Whеn еxtrа рrоtеіn is consumed, the body stores it as fаt аnd uѕеѕ іt whеn еnеrgу іѕ nесеѕѕаrу.

Vіtаmіnѕ & Mіnеrаlѕ – Rіbоflаvіn, thіаmіn, аnd nіасіn are thrее іmроrtаnt vіtаmіnѕ thаt ѕhоuld bе included in аn athlete’s nutritional rеgіmеn. Thеѕе vіtаmіnѕ аrе required іn оrdеr fоr thе bоdу to produce energy.

How can уоu оbtаіn the proper nutrition?

Most people don’t hаvе thе tіmе or patience tо build their оwn nutrіtіоn рlаn. Thаt іѕ whу ѕресіаl nutrіtіоn рrоgrаmѕ for аthlеtеѕ have been dеvеlореd. Thеѕе nutrіtіоn рlаnѕ аrе mаdе especially to hеlр аthlеtеѕ improve their реrfоrmаnсе аѕ wеll аѕ their оvеrаll health. Athletes ѕhоuld аlwауѕ bе саrеful tо рrоvіdе thеіr bоdу wіth thе nutrіеntѕ іt needs tо ѕuссееd.

Put Power Bеhіnd Yоur Nutrіtіоnаl Infоrmаtіоn

/in , ,

Nutrіtіоn іnfоrmаtіоn аnd nаturаl remedies аrе now bеіng uѕеd by a large рорulаtіоn іn thе United Stаtеѕ and thrоughоut thе wоrld. Pеорlе are lооkіng fоr аltеrnаtіvе wауѕ tо сrеаtе hеаlth or rесоvеr from lоng ѕtаndіng іllnеѕѕеѕ. Drugs hаvе been аррlіеd for around a hundrеd уеаrѕ and we аll know thаt thеу are gооd fоr emergencies and for ѕhоrt term uѕе to gеt раѕt hеаlth dangers.

If you are ѕісk оr hаvе certain bоdу соndіtіоnѕ thаt are creating раіn, thеn consider learning enough nutrition іnfоrmаtіоn thаt wіll hеlр you еlіmіnаtе that ѕісknеѕѕ оr раіn. Lеаrnіng thе bаѕіс principles оf nutrіtіоn іѕ not hard, but іt does tаkе a lіttlе effort іn fіndіng the right nutrіtіоnаl соurѕе that tеасhеѕ practical wауѕ оf applying nutrіtіоn.

 

Nutrition іѕ асtuаllу a ѕсіеnсе, which саn gеt quite соmрlеx in thеоrу. Nutrіtіоn information is concerned wіth thе chemical mаkе uр оf food, hоw this fооd іѕ digested, hоw іt іѕ аbѕоrbеd аnd uѕеd bу уоur bоdу. It іѕ аll about how it іѕ used to promote health, аnd hоw it іѕ uѕеd tо prevent аnd еlіmіnаtеd іllnеѕѕ.

Aррlуіng practical nutrіtіоn stops the beginning of inflammation. Thіѕ рrеvеntѕ thе formation of dіѕеаѕе. If dіѕеаѕе іѕ developing or wеll еѕtаblіѕhеd, nutrіtіоn саn reverse thеѕе соndіtіоnѕ. But іt саn оnlу do this if not tо muсh tіѕѕuе or cells in thаt area hаvе not bееn destroyed.

Inflаmmаtіоn comes from еxсеѕѕ acid in your bоdу. This acid іѕ сrеаtеd frоm the fооdѕ уоu еаt. Eating сеrtаіn foods leave аn acid rеѕіduе іn уоur сеllѕ that then trаvеlѕ into thе liquid ѕurrоundіng уоur cells – lуmрh lіԛuіd. In thе lymph lіԛuіd, thіѕ acid саn dаmаgе the ѕurrоundіng сеllѕ аnd tіѕѕuе аnd іn doing ѕо ѕtаrtѕ thе іnflаmmаtіоn process.

Mаnу scientists аnd mеdісаl rеѕеаrсhеrѕ hаvе unсоvеrеd the bаѕіс principles оf the acid-alkaline bоdу. Mаіntаіnіng аn асіd bоdу, whісh many реорlе hаvе, іѕ what сrеаtеѕ аnd mаіntаіnѕ vаrіоuѕ dеаdlу dіѕеаѕеѕ. Most pathogens lіkе аn асіd body. Cancer thrіvеѕ іn аn acid bоdу.

Nutrition gives уоu thе information уоu need tо knоw оn how tо mаіntаіn an аlkаlіnе body. It gives уоu the іnfоrmаtіоn оn what fооdѕ аrе асіd and alkaline. Eating the right foods is hоw уоu maintain уоur hеаlth. But, nutrіtіоn information gоеѕ furthеr іn explaining hоw уоur bоdу uѕеѕ the fооdѕ уоu eat and hоw your еntіrе bоdу funсtіоnѕ with thіѕ gооd fооd.

Nutrіtіоn ѕауѕ уоur bоdу іѕ bioelectrical. Your bоdу is run by еlесtrісаl аnd сhеmісаl rеасtіоnѕ. Yоu nееd tо dіѕсоvеr whаt foods ѕuрроrt these еlесtrісаl аnd chemical асtіvіtіеѕ. Wіthоut thе rіght еlесtrісаl асtіvіtіеѕ in your bоdу, your сеllѕ wіll not gеt the right nutrіtіоn, which іѕ nесеѕѕаrу for your ѕurvіvаl. Nutrіtіоn іѕ аlѕо аbоut dіѕсоvеrіng what food, nutrіеntѕ and minerals your bоdу nееdѕ аnd whаt іllnеѕѕ уоu dеvеlор іf you dоn’t get thеm.

Lеаrnіng natural nutrіtіоn іnfоrmаtіоn іѕ now роѕѕіblе оnlіnе. In thе раѕt іt was dіffісult tо lеаrn nutrition wіthоut going to ѕсhооl. Fіndіng соurѕеѕ in practical nutrіtіоn саn be dіffісult but whаt уоu аnd most реорlе need is to learn іѕ nutrіtіоn that you саn put іntо рrасtісе. Find the tіmе, find thе соurѕе, аnd fіnd the hеаlth thаt уоu nееd wіth thе rіght nutrition соurѕе.

Essential Steps for Women’s Balanced Nutrition

/in ,

As a general rule women require less food to maintain a healthy balanced diet than men. The exception is salt and fiber intake, which should be the same for men and women.

Here are some easy ways to help you measure out how big meal portions of everything you should have as a woman.

women

  • Carbohydrates like cereal, rice, pasta, or potatoes – Clench your fist; this is the size of portion of carbohydrates you should have.
  • Proteins like meat, poultry, and fish – You should measure your protein to be the size of the palm of your hand.
  • Popcorn should just be enough to fit in two cupped hands.
  • Limit your baked goods to the size of two of your fingers.
  • Butter and spreads should be the size of the tip of your thumb.

So here are the balanced meals a woman should eat throughout her day.

Breakfast

This is truly the most important meal of the day. Kick-start your metabolism with protein. Be sure to include things like eggs, fish, lean ham or low-fat dairy. Stay away from the carbs in the morning. The protein will keep you full longer, helping you to eat fewer calories throughout the day.

Morning Snack

Eating smaller meals throughout the day helps maintain your blood sugar. This doesn’t mean you eat more; it should be just a small pick-me-up. Some rice cakes spread with peanut butter and a banana are great for keeping your energy up.

Lunch

Keep lunch to starchy carbs and lean proteins. The carbs will provide you with energy to keep you from falling victim to the mid-day slump that most people experience. You need to choose carbs that will give you a steady rise in blood sugar, so stay away from the sugar and white foods and opt for high fiber whole grain options. Try rye bread with salmon, chicken, or dairy. Don’t forget the greens. Whole grain toast with baked beans is another good lunch choice.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

Is your sugar tooth starting to come out around this time of the day? Well, it’s a good time then to take care of that sweet tooth. But opt for fruit. A handful of dried fruit with some nuts are a good sweet and savory pick-me-up for a mid-afternoon snack. Combining dried fruits with nuts will help slow down the release of the sugar from the dried fruit, keeping you energized longer. Quick healthy snacks on hand like cherry tomatoes, grapes, and small vegetables will be great to keep in your fridge and grab for your mid-day snack.

Dinner

Go ahead and have carbs at dinner. They’re low in fat, high in fiber, and help you relax in the evening. Have healthy fats like what you can get from salmon, mackerel, and sardines as well as nuts and seeds. Your body will use the fat overnight to regenerate and repair, which is great for healthy skin and hair.

Fill half of your plate with colorful vegetables, or a salad covered with a dressing made from flaxseed oil. Have meat, fish, or beans with brown rice or whole grain pasta.

Following these guidelines and making healthy choices throughout the day will keep you satisfied all day long, and ready to tackle a busy day.

How to Make Menu planning with Low Costs and High Nutrition

/in , ,

The frenzied lifestyles we lead these days barely give us any time to think of what we will be having for the next meal of the day. But with some effort, you can easily chalk up a menu (for a week or two) that is nutritious and cost effective as well. A menu plan not only helps you save a whole lot of money, but it also lets you know what you will be eating.

It is far more healthier to have an idea of what you will be preparing, instead of pulling out the first thing you see in the pantry/freezer and deciding to make a meal out of it. To create a menu plan that saves time and money, here are some tips that you can follow:

menu

The first step of menu planning is to find out what you have in hand. Make a mental note of the meals you can prepare using what is available in the freezer, pantry and fridge. Prepare a shopping list of the things you have to buy to help you shop smartly, avoid impulse purchases and save money and time. Remember the essentials like fresh fruits, cereal and milk which you always buy.

Before you set out, plan your expenses. Have a look at the grocery ads and food coupons you already have. Maintain a price book in which you record how much things cost at different stores to help you know where you will find the best bargains for different items.

When you plan the menu for different meals, pay attention to serving enough vegetables and fruits and remember to balance your meals. Keep note of the requirements of your family, based on their ages, activity rates etc to ensure that food does not get wasted. The trick to make a meal appealing is by offering a variety that is both tasty and nutritious.

While planning a menu, you should think of how you will utilize leftovers. Leftovers can come handy on a day when you don’t have time to do elaborate cooking. Making use of a part of a meal to make a completely new meal can help you reduce your cooking time and food costs.

There are bound to be times when you will have to come up with quick alternatives when things don’t go according to plans. A hectic day at work, your kid’s illness, surprise visitors at home or weeks when you need to stretch the paycheck are situations when you should be prepared to make changes to your menu and reschedule your plans accordingly.

When our fast paced routines give us no time to breathe, having a menu plan means one less thing to worry about. With a clear plan of healthy and cost-effective meals for the day and week, you can be content about taking care of your family’s dietary requirements without spending too much money.

Active Nutrition for an Active Lifestyle

/in , ,

It’s important to eat right at all times. But when you live an active lifestyle you have got to be sure you’re fueling your body right in order to keep up and not get run down and even get sick. If you don’t have the proper nutrients and end up running around like crazy, then you are more likely to have faster crashes and burns and even to end up catching colds and other illnesses much easier.

So here’s how to eat to fuel your body so you can keep up with everything you want to do.

active

Healthy Nutrition for an Active Lifestyle

Antioxidants 

Fruits and vegetables are a great source of antioxidants. What this does for your body is protect it from damage due to free radicals which will cause you to age faster and break down the cells in the body. Lots of colorful fruits and vegetables will help to neutralize the effects of free radicals on your body. So fill up your plate, or at least half of it, with these foods.

Vitamins and Minerals 

Whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats, and fruits and vegetables all provide the vitamins and minerals needed for energy to fuel an active lifestyle. Our bodies aren’t very efficient at producing the vitamins and minerals needed to function properly, so we have to choose the right foods with the right amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Portion Control 

Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat smaller, healthy, well-balanced meals throughout the day. Eating six to eight smaller meals a day instead of three large meals will keep you energized throughout the day so you can maintain your active lifestyle. It will keep your energy up and metabolism high.

 Healthy Fats 

You cannot avoid fat. Most foods contain fat and your body is in need of fat. But you need to choose healthy fats, not empty calories. Eating fats with key fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 will provide you with good heart health and will lubricate your joints. A great healthy fat to eat would be nuts like walnuts.

Eat before Exercise

Don’t follow the old adage of waiting 30 minutes before you can swim. Eating prior to exercise will fuel that workout. But be smart about what you eat. You don’t want a big heavy four-course meal; it should be sensible. This way you aren’t hungry in the middle of your workout.

Stay Hydrated 

Remember to drink water throughout the day. An important part of nutrition is to remain hydrated, no matter what kind of lifestyle you live.

What you put into your body – your food and drink – is going to have a huge impact on how you perform throughout the day. So choose the right diet, but then fine-tune how you eat throughout the day based on how you perform. Be open to making changes and space out your eating schedule differently. Doing this will improve your performance, and will help you maintain your active lifestyle and remain in good health while doing it.

 

Nutrition and Supplementation for Fortified Brain Power

/in , ,

So overall, the cons might just outweigh the pros when it comes to using nootropic to increase or decrease quantities of specific neurotransmitters.But that is not to say there’s no way you can effectively increase your brain power with a little outside assistance. The key is simply to switch your focus to your long term brain health rather than trying to get an immediate boost to your intelligence.

And doing this is very easy with the right diet. Diet is absolutely essential for brain health and many of us don’t realize just how critical it is in this regard. Let’s take a look at just some of the nutrients and supplements that you can use to enhance your brain power.

brain

Amino Acids 

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When you eat any meat, your brain will break it down into the amino acids and then recombine these to build tissues around your body. These tissues include use in the brain and so consuming more amino acids can be used to actually improve the body’s ability to repair and grow the brain!

But this is not where the importance of amino acids ends.

Amino acids are also crucial for creating many neurotransmitters. For example, l-tyrosine is used to create dopamine, whereas tryptophan (discussed earlier) is used to create serotonin. Others, like l-theanine, can have direct effects on the brain and in this case it’s a somewhat calming effect. L-carnitine meanwhile has an energy boosting effect on the brain by increasing the performance of the mitochondria (more on this in a second!).

As we’ve seen with 5-HTP, it is possible to consume many of these amino acids on their own, in order to trigger immediate changes in the levels of neurotransmitters. However, this leads to imbalances as we’ve discovered and despite popular opinion, this is never a positive thing.

So instead, the best advice is to focus on trying to get a healthy mix of as many amino acids as possible. By simply eating lots of protein, or supplementing with amino acid products, it’s possible to provide the brain with all the materials it needs to create all of the different neurotransmitters as and when it needs them.

This then makes it better at entering every mental state and ensures that you can maximize your focus, concentration, memory and relaxation all at the same time. The best way to conveniently get lots of amino acids? To consume plenty of eggs. Eggs are one of the only ‘complete proteins’ meaning that they contain all of the amino acids that the brain doesn’t create on its own.

On top of this, they also contain choline, which is the precursor to excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine. They’re a great source of healthy saturated fat too and seeing as the brain is predominantly made from fat, this is also a very important and beneficial factor.

Vitamins and Minerals 

The same goes for countless vitamins and minerals. These too are used to create a lot of the neurotransmitters that are so highly sought after by people trying to enhance their productivity and focus. Vitamin B6 in particular is used to create a huge number of neurotransmitters. Vitamin C meanwhile is key for increasing serotonin and boosting the mood, while also providing protection against illness (which brings with it cytokines – an inhibitory neurotransmitter).

And there are plenty of other roles for vitamins and minerals too. Iron and vitamin B12 both help with blood flow by producing more red blood cells. Vitamin D helps with the regulation of hormones, especially testosterone. Zinc plays a key role in enhancing neuroplasticity. Magnesium meanwhile helps to combat depression and anxiety. In short, if you are not getting the micronutrients you need, then you are not giving your brain everything it needs to function optimally.And this is why you need to avoid processed foods.

Anything that is very artificial like a Mars Bar, bag of crisps or McDonald’s burger will contain calories to fill you up but won’t contain the nutrients you need to function. You’ll stay alive but you’ll feel tired, sluggish and far less productive as a result. Eat healthy salads, smoothies and lots of fruit and veg and you’ll find that you start feeling healthier and alert. The next best thing is a multivitamin and if you get the right one of these then it can do a lot to improve the function of your brain as well as your overall health and wellbeing.

Vasodilators 

If you’re looking for an immediate brain boost that you can get from safe supplements and foods, then look for vasodilators. A vasodilator is any substance that dilates the blood vessels (veins and arteries). These will allow more blood and more oxygen to get around the body, which in turn will result in more making it to your brain.

A particular favorite among nootropic-fans is vinpocetine because this vasodilator focusses on the brain specifically – and the prefrontal cortex even more specifically. This means you’re getting more energy right to the part of the brain that you use for planning and problem solving and some people describe the feeling as being like ‘a cold shower for your brain’.

Cognitive Metabolic Enhancers 

This is a fancy term for anything that increases your brain’s energy levels and often this means things that will increase the efficiency of your mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy factories of your cells. They float around inside the cytoplasm and they use glucose and ATP to power your bodily functions – including brain function!

Numerous things can help your mitochondria to perform better and these include CoQ10, lutein, l-carnitine, PQQ and more. In other words, a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and all kinds of lesser known nutrients available in supplement form.Again, the best strategy is just to eat a very balanced and nutritious diet but you can also increase your energy levels further by using creatine.

Creatine is a supplement that is very often used by athletes and bodybuilders. Its main function is to convert used ATP (adenosine and ADP) back into more useable ATP. In other words, it recycles adenosine which thereby provides you with extra energy to use in your training. The more recent surprise though is that this also enhances brain function by improving the energy efficiency of brain cells.

Basically, it allows the brain to recycle its ATP too, which means you get just a second or two of extra energy at maximum exertion. Studies show that individuals who take creatine get a slight boost to their IQ, so this is definitely a very effective nootropic – and one with zero side effects or risks! Creatine is produced naturally in the liver and can also be obtains from your diet (sources such as beef). However, the best way to see a significant boost is to use it in supplement form – look for creatine monohydrate.

Omega 3 Fatty Acid 

Omega 3 fatty acid is a great antioxidant that is found in tuna and other oily fish, as well as some nuts and various other sources. What makes omega 3 useful for the brain though, is the fact that it can improve ‘cell membrane permeability’. Essentially, this means that it makes the cell walls of the neurons just a little more permeable, thereby allowing things to pass through a little more easily. That includes neurotransmitters, nutrients and more – so it essentially makes brain cells more responsive and thereby gives you a slight boost yet again.

<Antioxidants

Antioxidants are key for looking after your brain’s long term health. These include vitamin C, omega 3, resveratrol and tons of other micronutrients. Essentially, antioxidants work by destroying ‘free radicals’ – substances that damage cells when they come into contact with them and which can even lead to cancer if they make it through the nucleus and cause damage to the DNA!

Consuming antioxidants is thus a very important strategy for your overall health and will also help you to reduce your likelihood of illness by strengthening your immune system. However, what we’re interested in right now is how this can boost your brain power in the long term by protecting brain cells from damage and potentially lowering your chances of developing tumors later in life.

How to Nourish Your Body with Nutrition

/in , ,

Exercising is one of the best ways to keep the human body in optimum shape besides the more obvious elements like proper diet and food choices.

A good nutrition will allow the body to function well during and after a workout session.

protein

Eat Right

Being aware of the protein intake when physical activity is being practiced on a regular basis is important as it helps to ensure the correct amounts of macronutrient needs are being met. The carbohydrate and protein intake must be adequate to help maintain the body weight, replenish the glycogen store and help with the building and repairing of any tissue damage.

The fat intake should also be of an adequate level as it will provide the essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins to maintain the energy level and weight maintenance.

The diet should ideally consists of energy derived from fat which should be about 20 – 25% of the overall energy contributor, anything less would not be able to yield the desired results.

Having a good pre workout meal or hydrating liquid concoction would be most beneficial in ensuring all the right nutrients are available within the body system to help the body cope with the exercise regimen designed.

This may include some orange juice, water and whey protein, or some Endurathon mixed in with water, or a vanilla whey protein smoothie with berries and orange juice. Even some yoghurt and cereal or some toast and peanut butter are good pre workout boosters.

The post workout meal is also very important as this is provides the necessary elements to repair any damage done during the exercising session or to simply replenish the nutrients for the body.

Drinking a shake or a sports drink or even eating an energy bar after a good work out session will help maximize the muscle building process and hasten the body recovery time..

Essential Supplements For Extra Energy.

The energy needed to get the best out of any exercise routine is often not simply available without the aid of essential supplements. There are many different ways of getting these supplements, some of which are through natural sources while other are taken in the form of pre processed supplements.

Supplements

The following are some examples of essential supplements for extra energy sources:

Caffeine – this particular item has always been known for its “pick me up” qualities. Acting as a good energy booster this convenient and easily available item is a good stimulant that increases the energy, focus and endurance levels of an individual, and this is especially beneficial for high intensity workouts.

Energy drinks – these drinks are usually specially designed to help replenish the body during and after a workout. The energy boosting angle of this drink will be a good and easy source for the rejuvenation feeling. It is also a cheap and fuss free way of being re-energized.

Energy bars – these are food items that are specifically designed to be compact enough to conveniently carry around and they are filled with energy packed ingredients.

These ingredients would include the necessary essential nutrients and energy boosters.

Energy shots – another conveniently small packaged drink that contains all the necessary stimulants to support energy and performance. This will help the individual stay refreshed and energized even after a strenuous workout.

Other essential supplements, that are usually ideal for workouts would include a good dose of carbohydrates as this also provides a good source of energy and fuel for the body.

Vitamin B is also another essential need for the body as it helps to promote overall healthy and optimizes the energy and metabolism within the body. Ribose is a natural occurring sugar that may increase the ATP production and performance while supporting the energy levels.