Tuesday 31 January 2012

Whey Protein: How To Gain Sustained Energy, Not Just Strong Muscles

Whey has become almost synonymous with Body Building and Huge Muscles. It is impossible to miss the Mega-containers of Whey Protein at the Gym's store and you may have wondered what Whey could do for you, even if you are just working out at the Gym for Health and Fitness? The short answer is: Yes you can benefit and increase your fitness level with Whey supplementation.

However, there is much more to know than the short answer, as the devil hides in the details. Whey is a natural product with a long history in Health and Beauty. It is not clear when it was first used, but we know that Hippocrates, 2,500 years ago used Whey liberally for its natural healing qualities particularly in the treatment of liver disease and gout. In Alpine Europe after WW 2, Whey was served fresh as a health beverage in special "Molke Kurhotels", and guest would go there for recovery after serious illness. But as the shelf-live of Whey is measured in hours, not months or years, the use of Whey was limited to close proximity to the source: the pasture roaming cows.

To make Whey available to consumers everywhere, it had to be dried into a powder. That process resulted in a natural Whey product, which today is still available, albeit not where Body-Builders run their errands. Why? Because dried, unprocessed Whey contains only about 11% Protein (highly bio-available Albumin and Globulin) and 75% Carbohydrates in form of Lactose, plus abundant natural Vitamins, particularly B 2, alkaline Minerals, very little fat and therefore is low in calories.. It is known to stimulate digestion and repopulate intestinal flora and provide a noticeable energy boost. On top of all, Whey tastes naturally great!

In order to convert this product into an Instant Muscle Generator, its Protein content had to be multiplied and the Carbohydrates minimized. The process to accomplish that is fairly simple and the industry is producing Whey concentrates and isolates with Protein contents of up to nearly 100%. But, of course, as always a gain on one side means a loss on the other, Whey is not different. So if you want all Protein, you sacrifice everything else and that means you are isolating the Protein; this means the Whey's natural balance is gone and with it, its innate health benefits. It is then not surprising that Whey isolates are connected with side effects including headache, loss of appetite, fatigue, swelling, cramps and even damage to the kidneys or the liver, the development of osteoporosis or allergic reactions.

For this reason the producers usually mix Whey concentrates with Whey isolates, because the concentrates still have some of the original components. But, unfortunately the producers don't stop there; they add a multitude of adulterants for flavor enhancement, most of them toxic chemicals, many of which are hard to identify on the label, because they are disguised under benign terms like MSG in "Flavors".

So unless your one and only interest is to build huge Muscles instantly, you want to avoid a pure Whey isolate product and choose a more balanced product with all the co-factors in tact. For example, if you are engaging in the currently taught Interval exercises, you can significantly increase your results of gaining Energy and Fat-burning, when you consume Protein within a half an hour of completion. Whey is an obvious choice and if you select a Natural Whey product without all the tagalongs like artificial flavors, you will enjoy the health benefits described above and then some.

Friday 20 January 2012

Discover Why Anti Aging Nutrition Relies On Enzymes

Have you heard experts say to eat your fruits and vegetables? Well, there's a very good reason for that. It all has to do with the relationship between enzymes and aging and it all starts with food.

More specifically, it starts with food preparation. Raw foods contain enzymes that the human body needs. Without those enzymes, the body can't function properly. When food is cooked, the heat kills the enzymes. In other words, raw foods, such as fresh fruits and veggies, tend to be much healthier than cooked foods.

There are three different types of enzymes that you need to be concerned with, when it comes to eating. Those are the digestive, food and metabolic enzymes. When foods are heated to 116 degrees or hotter, all enzymes in them are killed off. The result is a diet that lacks necessary enzymes.

When enzymes are lacking, your body has to work much harder to process your food as you eat it. It causes your body to take more time absorbing necessary nutrients and it can also stress out your pancreas. You see, the pancreas has to release more metabolic enzymes to cover for the lost food enzymes.

Enzymes And Your Health

It's no secret that eating a proper diet is good for your body. In fact, nutritional experts have been singing the praises of fresh fruits and vegetables for years. Not only that, but more and more people are advocating raw foods these days.

No matter what your opinion of raw food is, one thing is clear. Having the right balance of enzymes in your body can lower your risks of certain medical issues. Those include heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Those are certainly three medical problems that everyone wants to avoid.

Medical Advancement

The interesting thing about all of this is that it lends itself well to medical advancement. You see, despite the fact that raw foods may be healthier, a lot of people still like to cook their food. So, pharmaceutical companies have been trying to find a work around for that.

In other words, pharmaceutical companies are looking to create and bottle a sort of fountain of youth. They want to encapsulate the enzymes that would be lost from cooking foods and, in doing so, reduce the risks of certain illnesses.

More than that however, studies show that enzyme deficiencies can reduce a person's life span. So, those same pharmaceutical companies are actually looking to increase the life span. To put it another way, they want to slow down how fast people age. The implications of that could turn out to be astounding, if it works.

Stick With The Basics

For the moment, however, it's important for you to stick to basics. Now that you understand the relationship between enzymes and aging, simply eat a healthy, balanced diet. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in that diet and you can't go wrong.

Thursday 12 January 2012

Nutrition and Your Mental Health



How exactly does nutrition and mental health go together? What effect does the food we eat have on our mental well being? Can we make some changes that will positively influence our brains and the state we find ourselves in? Absolutely.
The foods we eat can greatly affect the body and its systems. The types of nutrients (or the lack of them) determines how our body and mind operates. If you find yourself dealing with anxiety, depression and other mental issues making some adjustments in your diet may help.
Mental nutrition and health related food is not something new, but has been somewhat overlooked by the public and to an extent health professionals. Diet and exercise are usually offered up as helpful tips to combat mental disorders, but the information is often general. Usually doctors go for therapy and drugs for more noticeable forms of depression and anxiety. They do so without more specifically looking at how natural substances can help without the need for drugs or other expensive options.
However, recent nutrition and mental health studies have begun to highlight specific natural substances that directly impact mood, anxiety and depression. Many of these we can get in our diet by adjusting the foods we eat. Unfortunately, most of us don't get enough of these even by eating right due to the fact that much of the food we get in stores is processed to the point of removing nutrients. Usually a person will need to both eat the right foods and use supplements to get the total amount needed to make a change in their mental state.
Mental nutrition and health experts have noticed that B complex vitamins have a role in mental function and mood. B complex vitamins have been understood to help provide energy to the body by working in the process of breaking down food into energy more efficiently, but research also shows that they work in the brain to protect and maintain nerve cells and brain function. Increasing levels of B complex vitamins brought noticeable improvement in mood, memory and mental energy for those studied over time.
The nutrition and mental health studies also noted that what was good for the heart was also good for the mind. Reducing bad fats and increasing Omega 3 fatty acids like those found in fish had a positive effect on the brain as well. Omega 3's contain DHA and EPA two fatty acids that help create healthy nerve cells and promote mood and function. There have been studies using Omega 3's to treat depression with positive results.
In addition to eating less fatty foods, increasing Omega 3's and B vitamins, mental nutrition and health experts also recommend adding some nutritional supplements to the mix. These supplements contain various natural extracts and compounds that the body needs to produce neurotransmitters and other brain chemicals necessary for proper communication between nerve cells as well as regulating things like mood.
For example, 5-HTP is a substance the body uses to create serotonin. Serotonin, is a brain chemical that is responsible for mood, appetite, sleep functions, etc. People fighting depression and insomnia often have issues with their serotonin levels. A supplement with 5-HTP can help the body to increase the level of serotonin in the brain and alleviate the symptoms of depression and sleeplessness.
Another substance recommended by nutrition and mental health research is SAM-e. SAM-e has been used in Europe and other countries for years to treat depression and other mental issues but has only recently begun to see use in the US. SAM-e is used by the brain to create a variety of brain chemicals and neurotransmitters. Studies done on SAM-e showed that some people started responding to it in literally hours, noticing positive effects. SAM-e may also be helpful to people who can't take prozac or who don't respond well to the drug.
There are other compounds too like L-Tyrosine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, choline, etc. that are helpful. However, we don't have time or space to go into all of them here. The important things is that there are natural substances out there that nutrition experts are now offering their patients in light of recent research. These substances can have a profound impact on lifting depression, anxiety and reducing stress. As with anything it is important to find a health provider who is familiar and comfortable with these things that can help you decide what might help you and what might interact with any medicines you are taking. Aside from that, making some simple adjustments in the food you eat and taking a daily supplement may be just what you need to get to a better place mentally.



Thursday 5 January 2012

Three Reasons You Should Choose Weight Loss Hypnosis To Lose Weight


Hypnosis is growing in popularity as a way to treat many different conditions. Stress, smoking cessation, emotional issues, low self esteem, fear of public speaking and the list goes on and on. One of the most successful uses of hypnosis is for weight loss. In this article, we will explore why it is gaining in popularity and the reasons you should consider it for your weight control goals.

There are three specific reasons you should choose weight loss hypnosis over other weight loss programs.

1. Any weight loss program, regardless of what it is, requires you to be successful in the mind first before you can bring that success into physical reality. A good hypnotist will teach and enable you with self hypnosis so you can always see yourself as successful and remain in a positive frame of mind concerning your weight control.

The mind is like a muscle and it takes exercise to become stronger in order to build discipline and consistency.

2. Hypnosis is inexpensive in comparison to all other methods. Consider the price for a gastric bypass surgery for instance, or even special foods or diet drugs your doctor may prescribe.

The prices for some of the various weight loss programs make the fees of a hypnotist seem like nickels in comparison. Plus you are still going to have to deal with the mind and the motivation factor. Motivation comes and goes in waves like emotions or feelings. There are times we feel super motivated to accomplish all our goals, eat nutritious foods, work out and improve ourselves. Then there are times you can hit an emotional wall where you feel unmotivated and dive for the first piece of chocolate or apple pie that crosses your path.

Why would you not want to train and discipline your mind to become motivated consistently day in and day out so that five years down the road we do not have to spend another pile of money on another program? Hypnosis is the catalyst to get us on track. It's your motivation ally and a good hypnotist will teach you self hypnosis so you can stay on track and power yourself through the trials and tribulations of life for the long run.

Self hypnosis is free and can be completed within minutes per day. Using a hypnotist to start the process is far cheaper then all other methods in comparison. Hypnosis utilizes the tools that are already in you since all hypnosis is self hypnosis. Hypnotists are basically a guide to help you utilize your own inner resources and your own inner resources are free. They exist for a specific reason, to help you succeed not only with your weight control, but with life.

3. Safety is perhaps the most important reason of all. We all know the damage that certain dietetic drugs can do in the long run and we all know the side affects of mind altering chemicals. Unfortunately, you can find a doctor to give you almost any weight loss drug you desire within a week, and the long term consequences of using these is no more healthy than being overweight in the first place.

Weight loss surgeries use anesthesia and/or various pain medications just to perform the surgery. Anesthesia has a long and well documented track record of being very unhealthy for your heart. Drugs and medications are hard on your body, unhealthy for your emotional well being and can be habit forming as well.

With hypnosis you can effectively bypass these dangerous side effects and utilize your internal gifts that have already been given to you in a safe, affective, and completely natural way. With hypnosis you can utilize these inner tools to develop consistent discipline that will not only help you lose weight permanently but will help you take those same gifts and apply them to all other areas of your life.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5846093