Lean Muscle Mass Bodybuilding Routine For You To Follow

After a few years of fruitless weight training and diet I suddenly discovered the secret to building a powerful and muscular body without a lot of weight gain or taking steroids.

You see, once you reach your genetic limit in muscular bodyweight that's it - no more, and that's NOT a bad thing. For me personally a bodyweight of 185 pounds in lean condition was and is my limit. I am about 5' 10 1/2" tall. Sure, I once took my bodyweight past 200 pounds but why?

 I thought it would make me bigger for a contest. Guess what, after I dieted down I went into the contest weighing the same as I did in the previous contest. You know what else? Most people never even reach their genetic limit of muscular size and weight. Why? Because they never learned the proper way to eat and train.

The reason other guys in the gym would gain 20 to 40 pounds was the use of anabolic steroids. Guess what, I still defeated many of come contest time. Why, because they were preoccupied with size and weight when they should have been thinking about muscularity and balance.

 The ancient Greeks knew this. A balanced and muscular physique is much more appealing to the eye than a bloated and out-of-proportion physique. Besides that most of the steroid users burn out and eventually quit training all together. They never understood the science behind building muscle and health, proper weight training and diet.

Want visual proof? Just look at the retired bodybuilding and power-lifting champions of today. Most look like they never lifted a weight in their live, on top of that they have bad joints, tendon's, weak hearts and are very unhealthy.
 
Bodybuilding Champions from the 40's 50's and early 60's looked like physique champions well into their 60's and 70's and were still training till they passed away, most in their 80's or 90's. Can't say that about today's so called champions.
So...
Is it possible to build muscular size, muscular strength AND muscular balance all at the same time so you can look and feel like a Champion Bodybuilder??? YES!!!
Here's how!

You have to combine a program of powerlifting training with good bodybuilding movements that have been selected to compliment the lifts, and sculpt the developing muscle mass at the same time.

You should expect to be a bit tired and worn out form the following program if you're giving it all you've got. If you're serious about building a lean, balanced and muscular physique then you'll need to get serious about your diet, sleep and keeping a positive mental attitude.

Get Started With This 6-Week Program
Monday
Light stiff-leg deadlifts - 3 sets X 12 reps
Squat - 1 X 8, 1 X7, 1 X 6, 2 X 5 (Increase weight with each set)
Lying Laterals - 2 X 8, 2 X 6 (Increase weight for last two sets)
Light- medium bent-arm pullovers - 3 X 10 reps
Bench press - 1 X 10, 1 X 8, 1 X 5, 3 X 3-4 (weight increase after each set)
Situps - 3 sets of 50 reps
Note to you - You MUST work to using HEAVY weights in the squat and bench press or you're just wasting time and energy.
Wednesday
Regular-grip chins (no weight) - 3 X as many as you can do
Single arm rowing with heavy dumbbell - 3 X 10 each side
Prone hyper-extensions - 20 X 20 (no weight)
Deadlifts - 2 X 6, 2 X 4, 3 X 3-4, 1 X 1-2 (weight increase after each set)
Barbell curls - heavy - 4 X 6-8 (try and reach a new maximum weight for the last set unless your energy is low that day)
Leg raises - 3 sets of 20 no weight
Friday
SAME AS MONDAY WORKOUT, but add: barbell curls (same as Wednesday schedule)
I can hear you asking the questions right now!! "Dan, what about calf, triceps, and all the other exercises you didn't put in the routine?"

To build the ideal, most muscular body you need to adapt, change and grow.
The body adapts to everything, that's why people who do heavy manual labour only get so big, then stop growing. The workout I just gave you will keep you growing for 4 to 6 weeks. Then it's time to advance to a more customized Muscle Building Course.

"FREE" Muscle Building Reports! To build lean muscle.. http://Www.BodyBuildingWithoutSteroids.Com. Use my "FREE" muscle building reports to keep growing lean and muscular. Any questions, shoot me an email at MrMichigan@Bex.Net
Dan, Your health and bodybuilding coach.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dan_Przyojski/1502675

4 Reasons To Buy Your Bodybuilding Supplements From Your Local Independent Supplements Store

Bodybuilding supplements aren't just for bodybuilders - they're also designed to help powerlifters and anyone participating in sports, running, biking and swimming along with anyone lifting weights. But where should you be shopping for your bodybuilding supplements?

Generally speaking, as long as you live in a larger town or a city, you'll have the choice of department stores, drug stores, chain stores and independent bodybuilding supplement stores. In almost every case, your best bet is to patronize your local independent supplier, and here's why...

1) More Knowledgeable Specialist Staff - In drug stores, department stores and the like, supplements are one small area of their business. As a result, there's no pressure for their staff to be experts in fitness, exercise or nutrition, and there's no strong motivation for them to stay up on the latest research. You'll usually fare better in a supplements chain store, but they have to hire a lot more staff to cover all their stores and like most retail operations it's hit and miss as to whether you'll get a dedicated athlete or a general retail employee serving you.

By contrast, usually only someone dedicated to lifting weights, be they a powerlifter, powerbuilder or bodybuilder, will open a bodybuilding supplements store. Often they'll be a former or current fitness competitor themselves, or just love the sport. And since few employees are needed to run a single retail operation, they can usually staff it with just their friends whom they know are also into fitness.

 They each may or may not be certified personal trainers or nutrition specialists, but at least they'll have a fairly well-rounded knowledge of the purposes and uses of each of the supplements plus usually some anecdotal results from their own nutritional regime experiments and those of their friends.

2) They Only Carry The Best Brands - Department stores and drug stores get by selling a range of products and only need a small percentage of their profits to come from their supplements. A chain store can survive off of sales of other stores - if 95% of their corporate stores are showing a profit, they can either close the other 5% or keep them going because the chain is making a net profit overall. But your locally-owned independent store has to make their money from just that one location, making every single customer a more vital piece of their net profit picture.

 And in the world of retail supplements, that means the products they sell have to WORK - it's the only way to ensure customer retention. So while the others can afford to offer so-so products, your local store HAS to ensure they sell only first-quality bodybuilding supplements.

3) They Carry A Wider Selection Of Supplements - This one is a no-brainer: compare the size of your local store to the shelf space allotted to supplements in your local drug store or department store. No comparison, right? The popular supplement chain store will often have as big an area, but in most cases they're only allowed to order the products approved of by head office, which can often lead to bigger stocks of fewer products.

 Your local independent, however, can stock whatever they like and will usually carry everything they get much demand for, leading to a wider selection both of brands and of the myriad of bodybuilding supplements on the market today.

 As an example, they won't just offer whey protein but also whey protein isolate, casein protein, vegan proteins, etc. Or check out how many different pre-workout supplements they offer compared to your local department or drug store.

4) You're Helping To Support Your Local Economy - This is true no matter what you purchase, so it's not just limited to bodybuilding supplements - when you shop with local independent retailers the profits stay in your community. In this age of global corporations and free trade, every little bit helps when you choose to support your local businesses.

Bonus Tip For Competitive Athletes - If you hope to rise to the top of your sport over time, you already know the value of sponsorship. I can come in the form of free or discounted products, apparel, even cash to help defray the costs of traveling to competitions, etc.

 Getting sponsors isn't easy, but at least when you've built a relationship with a local supplements store you have a better chance of getting help than you would when competing with athletes nationally or world-wide for those few spots.

True, the level of sponsorship may be lower due to the economies of scale, but we all have to start somewhere, right? Try asking your local department store or retail store about how many athletes they sponsor, and ask your local supplements chain store how many athletes they sponsor in YOUR community - it won't take long for you to see your best opportunities will come from your local independent bodybuilding supplements store!
 

D. Champigny is well known in the fitness world - he's a published fitness photographer, certified personal trainer, fitness author and publisher of the popular Getting Back In Shape Blog. For more help from Champigny, add him to your circles on Google+ today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/D._Champigny/1221958

Whole Food Nutrition Vs Vitamins

Some big news about vitamins not working -- and even causing harm -- has been all over the airways recently, Whole Food Nutrition is the answer to this question by offering a new meaning of nutrition. Our present misunderstanding of vitamins has caused great confusion with the public. The consequences of this misunderstanding is serious.

Science having researched for so long the biochemistry of nutrition, we have became conscious of an incredible ability of each of the 10-100 trillion cells in our body to integrate, as in symphony, an unimaginably complex series of events that optimizes health and minimizes disease. Whole Food Nutrition, when provided by the right foods & dietary supplements, services this system with a nutrient program that both prevents future disease and treats a broad spectrum of illness, an effect that is far more effective and safe than the best of all pills and procedures could ever hope to do.

Therefore we are partnered with a company with a 40-year history; we have chosen to only sell products that create a real difference in the health and safety of those who purchase them - whether that was fire detectors that saved people's lives in the '70s, purifiers that cleaned people's air and water in the '80s or nutritional products and food-growing systems that enhance people's health and well-being today, but we'll get to that later.

I have read a very interesting interview with a Dr. Campbell, who is a professor emeritus at Cornell University and the co-author of the groundbreaking study: "The China Study". In my opinion I would say this study looks at the effects of whole food nutrition on health in comparison to vitamins. His background touts the authoring of more than 300 research papers, and he has received more than 70 grants over the years of peer-reviewed research funding, much of it from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Campbell's work is regarded by many as the definitive epidemiological examination of the relationship between diet and illness.

Dr. Campbell and his colleagues have started an online course in "plant based nutrition" developed by their non-profit organization, The T Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, which is operated by their partner, the arm of Cornell that does online courses.

 He has received several national and international "humanitarian of year," "visionary of the year," and "lifetime achievement in cancer research" awards in recent years and has been in demand at business conferences that are focused on the future of health care in this country.

From what I can tell the majority of his talks in the recent years have been at medical schools and medical school-sponsored conferences, which shows that there is considerable interest now being shown in this community who are and will be our primary health caretakers, now surround this up and coming topic of Whole Food Nutrition.

Although health and wellness has been a societal topic for many years it hasn't been all that successful, in that it did not fully answer the oft-asked question, "Why have people not heard of Whole Food Nutrition before?" In other words a plant based diet with it's correctly formulated supplements.

This is what drew me to The China Study and Dr. Campbell's book called "Whole". The China Study summarized the experimental research findings of Dr's 40+ years of professional research on diet and health and then made some dietary recommendations. But here in his book "Whole" the attempt now is to answer this question by offering a new meaning of nutrition.

 I suggest that Whole Food Nutrition is an amazing gift of nature that has long eluded our awareness and worse yet our supplements and health based choices for implementing the proper types of nutrition into our diets.

Proper nutrition meaning, when our bodies are provided with the right foods, Dr Campbell's asserts, that only, natural plant based diets with whole food supplementation would actually services our bodies immune system that both prevents future disease and treats a broad spectrum of diseases, and this is far more effective and safe than the best of all pills and procedures could ever hope to be.

Is the goal to live longer or live with more vitality? Survey's show that society is capable of accomplishing both, yet human nature is still making decisions to take more drugs instead of eating a better diet. And to any Dr, Scientist, Nutritionist, or mother... there is no comparison regarding which we should be choosing; a whole food diet will always win, studies show, and this with no side effects! So, is Dr Campbell saying vitamins are a bad thing? "All the reviews of recent years that have summarized the many studies on the effects of vitamins on long-term health show that they do not work to solve any of the serious problems that beset us.

" Other studies have also shown that vitamins do not lower rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. "In fact, people are more likely to suffer serious side effects from these supplements rather than getting benefits."

Dr Campbell goes on to express his personal opinion is that we don't need vitamins as there is now enough scientific research dispelling the once believed evidence of benefit. I even remember reading that he doesn't even take vitamins any more. He avoids them, especially vitamin D, as it is actually a hormone; Plus "I have unanswered questions about the way our vitamin D status is measured and the excessive claims made by the marketing people detours me."

Lets get back to the question: What is the ideal diet for health and vitality? As a lay person and former professional athlete, it is my experience that only a whole food plant-based diet without adding fat, sugar and salt will create the vitality society is dieing for? Along this same line of questioning, I was pleased to read that Dr Campbell suggests "lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and nuts in moderation -- of this I am confident." It has also been my experience that transitioning to this diet from the standard American diet high in fat and refined carbohydrates is initially, but this is likely due to my long time addiction to fat.

 I remembering some really smart guy once saying it takes at least 30 days to replace a habit... I would suggest in changing your dietary choices to be kind to your self, stay motivated and allow some time, perhaps a few weeks or a couple months, before your new taste preferences will emerge and the addictions fade away.

I agree with Ruth Hiedrich, triathlon competitor and cancer survivor, that "more doctors and patients need to know that it is animal protein and fat that initiates and promotes cancer as they are being thrown a "curve ball" with the idea that sugar is the culprit." Ruth's stage 4 breast cancer has been "in remission" for 33 years now and she has seen so many other benefits from being on a whole food, plant based diet for many years.

 She suggests this diet along with whole food supplementation is what enables her to still be doing her daily mini-triathlons at age 80!
Free radicals aren't free. I dare you to research more about whole food nutrition.

The only way to truly grasp whole food nutrition, prevention and optimum health is to experience Juice Plus+ Trio capsules and Complete+ (Protein Shakes) ~ Research Your Health Here! Pathways To Opitmum Health

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Black_Jr/878657

What? No More BBQ's, Ribs Or Roasts?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reconfirmed that red meat is bad for us. It is 'poisonous' to our bodies - it causes all sorts of cancers and should be 'avoided at all costs'. They are almost saying that ANY amount of red meat - beef, pork and especially processed versions - will cause our premature demise.
What?

I think we are intelligent enough to know that too much of anything is 'bad' for us - our mother's told us that. But, over the past years, we seem to have been inundated with new information that makes almost any food, in some way, bad for us.

It seems that the vegans are right - well almost right. Fruits and vegetables do contain nearly all the nutrients, proteins and minerals that we need. But, what quantities of these would we need to consume to get ALL those nutrients that our body needs? Why do we have dental structures that are designed to chew and breakdown meaty fibers?

I don't know about others, but I wonder why we were created with the ability to eat, chew, swallow, digest and metabolize non-plant materials. I always thought that we were omnivores by design. Even the Bible says that in the beginning, we had every plant at our disposal and they were good. Then, we had animals that were created for not only food, but clothing - and that was good.

So, where does that leave us? I believe we can and should have a variety of foods as we were designed to enjoy. It is also true that too much of anything is indeed bad for us - too much alcohol, too much pop, too much sugar, too much starch, too much fish, too much meat and more. Where do we balance the nutritional benefits (and maybe even any nutritional detriments), to the human desire to enjoy the culinary delights of this world?

Well, I believe we must look to substitutes. Most nutrients, minerals and proteins can be obtained from safer alternatives. There has been much written about supplementing 'real' food with proven nutritional supplements that in proper combination can produce health-positive effects without the detrimental effects of certain food groups such as red meats.

I love meat! I love having some steak at times, pork chops, ribs as well as chicken and fish. I don't think I really want to never again have a BBQ and I don't think I really want to never again have a hamburger.
I believe we can have some of nearly anything that is considered food fit for humans. Perhaps, we should do a review of our dietary intake of protein and see from where we are getting it. Then, look at the alternatives that will give us the same quantity and quality and substitute them for daily health.

There are many health and wellness products that are aimed specifically at areas of nutrition such as protein. You will benefit by using proven, effective and safe nutritional supplements to obtain the overall requirements of good nutrition for our bodies.

Yes, Virginia, you may have a BBQ and a pot roast and a chop - but just not every day.

Thank you for reading this article! If you found it interesting and would like to have more information about Protein Supplements and to find out about business opportunities in that field through the A1 Entrepreneur Team, please visit our website at: http://www.a1entrepreneurteam.com. We also invite you to keep up to date with us on our Facebook Page at: http://www.facebook/A1Team.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ian_Ridpath/2138023

Why You Need to Stop Drinking Diet Soda Right Now

Diet drinks have been around for more than 60 years. Although called "diet" drinks, these drinks were actually aimed at diabetics, and not people who were on a diet. That's the reason why the drink was advertised as sugar-free. Slowly but surely, the industry developed into the giant it is today. However, although it contains no sugar, there are other health risks that we should be taking into consideration.
It confuses your body:

 Although calorie-free, drinking more than one diet soda per day could lead to increased bodyweight. How? Two simple reasons: psychological and physiological. Just the thought that you're having a calorie-free drink will easily justify that 2nd cheeseburger. More than that, the artificial sweeteners used in the production of these drinks have been shown to have the same effect as natural sugar.

It increases your risk to develop type II diabetes: Studies show that drinking just one can of diet soda per day increases your chances to develop type II diabetes by a whopping 25%. Like that wasn't enough, the same can would increase your risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 36%. This syndrome is a clustering of 5 conditions: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, obesity, and high glucose levels. I don't know anyone who would risk having any of these conditions.

It may cause you a heart attack: If you're not afraid of diabetes or high blood pressure, know that the risk of cardiac problems such as heart attacks or strokes is more than 40% higher for diet soda drinkers, even when compared to normal soda drinkers.

It could lead to depression: A recent study shows that people who drink more than 4 cans of diet soda per day have a higher risk of depression than people who don't drink diet soda at all. The 30% risk increase is something to consider, especially when we're talking about a seemingly harmless drink.

It has zero nutritional value: Because it has zero calories, it also has zero nutritional value for your body. Think about it. If you're thirsty, you should be drinking water. And if you're all about the fizziness, you should give sparkling water a chance. Sure, the taste may not be the same, but the benefits of water over soda are undoubtable.

It will ruin your white smile: Both diet and normal sodas can be blamed for this. Studies show that there's not much difference between the teeth of a regular diet soda drinker and those of meth and cocaine users. The reasons diet soda ruins your teeth? Citric acid. Over time, citric acid damages your tooth enamel, so while you wouldn't have to worry right away, an extended period of soda drinking will definitely damage your teeth.

It could ruin your skin: The acidity in each diet soda is responsible for lowering your pH levels. While this may not sound like much, it's actually extremely important to your organism and your skin. Low pH levels cause accelerated aging, and are one of the main causes of acne. If you're still a teenager, it could spell disaster for your skin.

These are just 7 of the most important health risks caused by diet soda. Just because something tastes good, doesn't make it healthy. Choose wisely, especially when it could damage your health.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alina_Veja/2200337

5 Healthy Fats To Add To Your Diet

Healthy fats are beneficial for your health in may ways. From their antioxidant qualities to abilities to reduce disease risks, there are a number of healthy fats available. Some of these fats may not be well known but have many healthy benefits in addition to adding wonderful flavor to food.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Olive Oil is a monounsaturated fat, high in oleic acid that is a very important part of the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is rich in flavor and has many benefits including providing antioxidants and good fats to fight free radicals and facilitate skin healing and lower your risk of heart disease. Good-quality olive oil, such as extra virgin organic olive oil, contains important vitamins and nutrients and is loaded with antioxidants. This oil is also noted to be gentle on your digestive system, and may help in preventing gallstones and soothe ulcers.

How To Incorporate Olive Oil - Olive Oil is best as dressings for salads (can be infused with spices for flavor), for use on the skin and in low heat cooking.

Avocado Oil - Avocado Oil is 70% oleic acid which is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Some studies suggest that avocado oil may support everything from good cardiovascular function to healthy aging, better eye health, easier weight loss, healthier lipid profiles and lower risk for certain cancers. Avocado oil has a milder taste than olive oil and can be incorporated into many cooking dishes.

How To Incorporate Avocado Oil - Avocado Oil is great for cooking up to high temperatures as it has a high smoke point of 400 degrees F. It is also fantastic as an alternative to olive oil in dressings as well as directly on the skin.

Walnut Oil - Walnut Oil has a high concentration of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid. Walnut oil, with a rich nutty flavor, is also rich in manganese and copper as well as melatonin. It is a fantastic source for antioxidants, specifically ellagic acid. Walnut oil can help improve blood circulation, lower heart disease risk and help maintain hormone levels in addition to much more.

How To Incorporate Walnut Oil - Walnut oil is great to add in chicken salad, brushed on fish or chicken before grilling or even added to a dessert that warrants a delicious nutty flavor.

Coconut Oil - Coconut Oil has been in the forefront lately as a superfood and is the king of healthy oils. High in healthy saturated fats, MCT's, this oil has so many beneficial qualities. It has the ability to improve cholesterol levels, may lower risk of heart disease and is a natural antibacterial and antiviral. In addition, coconut oil is a great skin moisturizer and can also be used in natural body moisturizer and deodorant recipes.

How To Incorporate Coconut Oil - Coconut Oil has a high smoke point and can be used in higher temperature cooking. It does have a distinct flavor and may not be desirable for all cooking. Coconut oil it also great to use in dessert recipes and directly on your skin.

Grass-fed Butter - Grass-fed Butter is high in healthy saturated fats. In addition, high in Vitamin K2, grass-fed butter may help decalcify arteries. It is also loaded with an anti-inflammatory fatty acid called butyrate. Due to it's nutrient composition, it may reduce the risk of heart disease as grass-fed butter is higher in Vitamin K2 and omega-3 fatty acids. The delicious, smooth flavor of grass-fed butter makes it easy to incorporate into almost every dish.

How To Incorporate Grass-fed Butter - Grass-fed butter can be used in almost any cooking dish. It can be used in desserts, sautéing, stir-frying, grilling and baking.

Enjoy cooking and creating with these healthy fats. Please make sure to be aware of any allergies you may have to nuts or any other issue with fats that you may have. In addition, if using on the skin, try using a very small amount to test first for any irritations.

Margot Rutigliano is a freelance writer as well as the owner of Vita Vie Retreat. She has been a fitness trainer, wellness coach and healthy living adviser since 1999. Vita Vie Retreat is a fitness vacation offering healthy lifestyle transformation programs for men and women of all ages and fitness levels. For more information or to contact Ms. Rutigliano, please visit http://www.bvretreat.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Margot_Rutigliano/1080973

Sugar: Can't Quit? At Least Reduce It!

The client's food log was extreme. She tracked every bite she ate and calculated the calories in each item. In the log, she described every workout and the calories she had burned. She was working out several times a day.

The most extreme thing about her food log was that it included almost nothing but sugar: pastries, chocolate, malted milk Whoppers, fat-free muffins. All day.
Her health issues were fairly severe and varied: irregular menstrual cycles, endometriosis, breast engorgement and tenderness, chronic fatigue, and quite a bit more. None had been diagnosed as linked with her diet.
She didn't feel ready to quit sugar, but was, in her words, "willing to cut back."

I saw a drawback or two with that approach but was convinced that her health issues had a great deal to do with the sheer volume of sugar she was consuming all day long. Any improvement I could encourage her to take would have been... an improvement.

Cutting back on sugar involves basics that everyone knows: Skip desserts. Avoid sodas. Don't snack on cookies or other sugary foods. Don't add sugar to coffee or tea. And many more.
But environment matters. Especially at home, where what you have - or don't have - in your kitchen can make a huge difference. Knowing which foods to stop buying - and which ones to swap for them - is important.

The bad news is it requires Reading Labels.
It helps to know what to look for on those labels. Sugar can hide behind many names. Some are technically not sugar, but have virtually identical effects on insulin and brain chemistry. A few are simply different names for the same thing. Cane Sugar and Sugar Cane are, obviously, the same.

First, Know Your Enemy
Here are the names of sugars I'm currently aware of - but the list keeps growing as new sugars are created.
Agave, Alcohol, Barley Malt, Beet Sugar, Brown Sugar, Cane Juice, Cane Sugar
Corn Sweetener, Corn Syrup, Date Sugar, Dextrose, Erythritol, Fructose
Fruit Juice Concentrate, Glucose, Glycerin, Glycerol, Granulated Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Honey, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates (HSH)
Isomalt, Job's Tears, Lactitol, Lactose, Lycasin, Malted Barley, Malt Extract
Maltitol, Maltitol Syrup, Maltodextrin, Mannitol, Maple Sugar, Maple Syrup,
Molasses, Polydextrose, Powdered Sugar, Raisin Juice, Raisin Syrup,
Raw Sugar, Rice Syrup, Sorbitol, Succanat, Sucralose, Sucrose, Sugar, Sugar Cane
Turbinado Sugar, Unrefined Sugar, Xylitol

Why Use The Sugar List?
True, the first time or two that you shop using this list - and it's a good idea to take it with you to the grocery store at first - you might need to spend a little extra time reading all the labels.
After a couple of trips to the store, though, you'll know what you can buy and what to skip. At that point, shopping will be just as easy as it is now.

As for my Sugar Warrior client, she's been working on reducing sugars for a while now. Yes, during her process, some of my fears were justified. Eating little bits of sugar made her crave more sugar. That made it difficult for her to eliminate cravings. She still battles them. She still thinks of desserts as a viable option when she's stressed, and has to tell herself "no" each time.
The individual "no" doesn't always work.
But her health has been improving. Her energy has increased a lot. And that has provided enough encouragement and motivation to get her committed to quitting sugar altogether.
Nutrition geek that I am, that's what I live for - it is, after all, about helping the client get results.

If you want to quit sugar and would like to "do it right" from the start, please visit http://www.FoodAddictionSolutions.com and grab your free copy of "3 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Trying To Quit Sugar."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388

Eating Well Vs Eating Right

If you're an active business person, especially a small business owner or entrepreneur who wears many hats all day long, it is so important to eat right every day to keep your body satiated and brain mentally focused throughout the long work day. And this has nothing to do with your size (overweight or not); I know plenty of slim (dare I say 'skinny') people who eat like crap, and they feel it as well.

 Regardless of your weight, you will function better, for longer, and be more productive every day if you eat 'right' all day long. Having said that, eating 'well' and eating 'right' are two different things. Let me explain what I mean by this.

Eating 'well' means the obvious-choosing lean meats and poultry, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, milk and dairy. Everyone knows that eating 'well' means choosing an apple over a bag of potato chips for a snack; or choosing grilled chicken over extra-crispy fried chicken for dinner. However, let me give you two scenarios where, even if you eat ONLY from the 'well' foods, you don't do yourself any favors:

(1) If, on a daily basis, you eat too much of these "well' items, more than your body needs, you will wreak havoc with your digestive system. Shoveling it in all day long without any rhyme or reason affects your hormones and insulin response and, in the end, prevents you from having good sleep. Additionally, this kind of eating pattern will definitely lead to weight gain because you're taking in more fuel than your body is burning all day.

(2) If, on a daily basis, you eat too little, going very long hours without eating these 'well' items; or, relegating yourself to one meal a day with the rationale "I'm too busy to eat" or "I'm not hungry," then, even when you do eat any of the 'well' foods, you're eating at a time when your blood sugar is very low, and your metabolism is very slow (and the longer you go without eating, the lower your blood sugar drops and the slower your metabolism gets). In response, your blood sugar quickly spikes. The higher and faster it spikes, the lower it drops.

You might respond by ignoring it and force yourself to push through the crash and be fatigued; or you might choose another 'well' food; or you might go for a quicker-fixer-upper and choose a food item that you normally wouldn't in order to get a rapid energy surge. This kind of eating pattern sets you up for hypoglycemia, for one thing; for another, if you habitually allow too many hours to elapse in between eating, when you do eat your metabolism is in a slow mode, and you will eventually gain weight from less food.
So, the above are two examples of how choosing the right kinds of foods can work against you.

 As I said, I know plenty of people who are slim, who have unbelievably terrible eating habits, and they feel it... and oftentimes they look it. I also know very overweight people who do not partake of high-fat, high-sugar so-called junk foods. But they eat too much of what's 'good' for them, more than their bodies need, and those excess calories are stored as fat.
Now, let's talk about eating 'right.'

Eating right means:
you eat from the 'well' foods;
you use portion control;
you plan in advance for the next work day;
you pack for the next work day;
you eat breakfast, then grab-and-go with what you packed the night before;
you eat every 2-3 hours to keep your blood sugar stable;
you drink water throughout the day to keep your body (and brain) hydrated.

If you're a good business person, you certainly don't 'wing it' at the office each day. You cannot achieve or maintain success at anything by winging it. If there's something you want to achieve--success with a new project or service; planning a corporate event; achieving a revenue benchmark in the next quarter-you don't fly by the seat of your pants, do you? Of course not. You begin with the end in mind.

 You want that 'thing' to be a success. You come up with a plan. You itemize the steps necessary to complete that plan. And then you follow through.
GOAL + PLAN + FOLLOW-THROUGH = SUCCESS
The same must be done if you want to eat RIGHT.

So, look at your schedule for the next day. See where you have to be, when. Plan ahead what you will eat, and at what time. And, when it comes to your snacks during the work day, there's a difference between a healthy snack and dessert! Always ask yourself, What can I eat as a snack during the work day that will sustain me for the longest time, that my body will more slowly digest and process?... and the answer is NOT a doughnut or a package of licorice, but fruits, veggies, and whole grains; or a protein, such as a hard boiled egg; a bean dip with some veggies, just to name a few. As the above graphic shows, look at which 400 calories takes up more space in your stomach and that is what keeps you fuller longer!

Write your planned day down. Example:
6:30 Breakfast Whole grain English Muffin, 2 TBS light cream cheese, coffee
9:00 Snack - Apple
11:00 Snack - Yogurt
1:00 Lunch - 3 cups salad, 5 oz. can tuna, 2 TBS lite dressing, 5 Melba toast
3:30 Snack - 2 clementines
5:00 Snack (while on the commute home) - 1 cup mini carrots
7:00 Dinner - 5 oz. fish, 1 cup sauteed broccoli, 1/2 cup rice
9:00 Snack - 1/2 cup vanilla low-fat ice cream, 1/2 cup blueberries
I want to stress that the above scenario is just a sample. Given your age, height and weight; adult or child; medical issues; etc., your day might need to be planned differently

. You might perhaps need or prefer protein at breakfast. The sample above is to show you that (a) you should always have a plan; and (b) you should not let too much time elapse in between a meal or a snack.
Picture your fireplace at home. You throw a bunch of logs into it.

 You see a nice, crackling fire going. You let 2-3 hours pass, you return, and you see the fire much smaller, but still burning; it hasn't died out yet. What happens if you throw another few logs into the fireplace at that time? Right! The fire starts up again.

As you can see in the planned day above, you are throwing a 'log' into your fireplace (stomach) every few hours. Before the last 'log' is completely burned out, the next log is coming down. So, just as with your real fireplace at home, if you want to have a nice fire going in the hearth all day long, you never let it burn completely out. Similarly, if there's always a 'log' in your stomach, it always has something to burn... and so it will. And in that scenario, the food you're eating is being converted to glucose in a nice, steady manner all day long-never too high, never too low... always just 'right.'

... and the more "right" days you can string together, the better you will feel, the more productive you will be, and the more you will achieve.

Weight No More Diet Center, Inc. has been providing private weight loss and diet/lifestyle counseling for over 25 years. We must be doing something right!

Visit us at http://www.weightnomoredietcenter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lori_Boxer/2169327

0 Comme

The Secret to Adding Muscle

Growing up in a small town in Nebraska, at a very early age I became obsessed with big muscles. I would watch cartoons with characters that had 22 inch arms and bulging pectorals. I began to buy all the action figures and started drawing these characters for hours on end. I never knew people in real life could look like this.

Lifting for sports in high school was very beneficial to becoming a better athlete. I gained some muscle along the way. However, I was still a skinny kid. It wasn't until after high school I realized there is a huge difference between lifting for athletics and strength, and then there is being a bodybuilder.

I have come the simple conclusion of what the, "Secret" is. It is to Decide you want to add muscle. If we break down the word, "Decide" we get, "Cide". As in homicide or genocide. Cide comes the Latin language, and it means to, "cut off." So once I made a decision I wanted to add muscle. I had no other choice but to do just that. All the complex how to's didn't matter.

 I didn't understand how to train for optimal muscle growth, or how to eat to add lean quality muscle. So I was no longer pushing myself towards my goal, my goal was pulling me to it.

I have done 3 years of research trying to understand what is optimal for muscle growth. There are many great methods that will work. There is high rep, low rep, drop sets, super sets, and the new age of cross fit. So what actually works? The answer... they all do! You just have to pick one then DECIDE to stick with it!
After all my research I have come to find one of my favorite methods to build muscle.

 Slow and controlled, higher rep to force blood into the muscle tissue. Don't get me wrong... I am still a guy with a bit of an ego that likes to add the weight and have some fun here and there.

Imagine your muscle cells as a balloon. If we can expand those cells by pumping blood into them... muscles will have to get bigger. This is what I have come to find works best for me. With proper food and supplementation, its impossible not to grow. Remember... nothing comes over night. Just decide you want to build muscle and everything else will follow.

If you want to learn more... come check out http://bodybuildersforchrist.com/sh/
Thanks for the support! God bless!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brett_Claussen/2185013

How To Measure Your Bodybuilding Progress To Make Gains

Why some weight trainers fail to make progress!
Friend's,
The reason we lift weights is to grow muscle and become stronger - Period! There is no other physiological reason or logic.

So why do so many fail at making real progress? Here is one of the reasons I have noticed.
Choice distraction: Yes, the curse of so many choices. Back in the days before modern muscle-building, the want to-be-bodybuilder had few choices of modes of training methods. There were barbells, dumbbells, benches and a few different simple cable machines.

 So a weight trainer just kept training with the basic weight lifting tools using the basic exercises and you know what happened? They grew muscle!

They didn't worry about a special machine to use, nor did they fret about the speed or cadence of the reps they were performing and they sure as heck couldn't have cared less about the workout clothing they were wearing. There was a time when workout clothing was not a fashion and definitely was not a passion.
So what the heck happened?

Here's what happened!! Building muscle went mainstream and lost its soul. Yes, corporate enterprises took over and turned the passion into fashion. The result was watered down training methods and the focus was shifted to supplements, clothing, fancy machines and methods of diet and training that don't produce long-term results!

Did you know that when Mike Katz trained for the Mr. Universe he trained in a two car garage? Did you know that he was also a full-time teacher at a high school at that time? And he was also one of the LAST DRUG FREE competitor's.

So what does this have to do with you?
Ask yourself these questions:
· Do I change my workout routine every few weeks?
· When I'm working out do I care if my shirt and shorts match?
· Do I keep looking (and buying) supplements that I think will make my muscles bigger and stronger?
· Do I consume energy drinks to help me train harder?
· Am I always on a diet?
· Do I mostly eat chicken breast, vegetables and rice or potato's?
Well if you answered yes to most of these questions your most likely caught up in the corporate buyer's side of bodybuilding or fitness.

The roots of bodybuilding are founded on a few simple principles. Here they are:
1. The real muscle builder uses free weights to near exclusion
2. Training sessions are centered on core compound multi-joint exercises
3. Training sessions are intense
4. Training sessions are short
5. Shocked and traumatized muscles need to be rested before training them again
6. Perfect technique of exercise must be used for every set and rep
The most important aspect for anyone doing any kind of weight training is to remember this: The profound purpose of resistance training is two-fold, 1. trigger muscle growth and 2. increase strength levels. Nothing else should be sought or expected.

Effective muscle and strength building is a raw, brutal undertaking and anyone who tells you different either doesn't know what they are talking about or are trying to sell you a product!

"FREE" Books for you! "My Amazing Secrets To Lean Muscle In 12-Weeks" AND "Sleeve Splitting Biceps? In 15 Days!" Hurry LIMITED TIME for "FREE" books - grab them Now at http://www.milobodybuilding.com Dan Przyojski N.F.P.T. Certified Trainer - Mr. Toledo and Masters Mr. Michigan

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dan_Przyojski/1502675

The 8 Foods That Build Muscle and Maximize Your Body-Building Efforts

Once you have committed to a health and fitness regimen you need to know the best foods to include in your diet. For those who just want to lose a few pounds the answer is simple enough, you can reach your goal by eating healthy foods, eliminating most sugars and fats and reducing your daily calorie count.

If you want to build bulk and develop stronger muscles for your body then you will have to target eight foods that offer your body some other factors besides just some reduced calories. It is going to be easy to add lean muscle to your frame once you understand why these 8 select foods are so important.
Essential 8 Foods for Maximizing Muscular Development

• Eggs
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Kale
• Spinach
• Fish Oil
• Seafood
• Bran Brown Rice Quinoa

Power Up with Protein for Maximum Muscles
Protein is one of the most important "building blocks" necessary for the development of powerful body muscles. You should choose foods that contain large amounts of protein to help you acquire larger muscle mass.

These include foods such as eggs and legumes.
The protein in an egg is divided between the yolk and the egg white. Most serious body builders will eat all of an egg, while those who need to lose a few pounds will concentrate on eating just the egg white.
Nuts are another important source of protein, vitamins and minerals. If you want to build body muscle naturally then add peanut butter, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans and pistachio nuts to your diet.

*You can also include healthy lean meat choices such as turkey, beef, chicken and pork. These are the kinds of foods that will all give your body the protein that it needs to create stronger muscles. One interesting point to remember is that your body eliminates excess protein instead of storing it for future use.

Leafy Greens
Eat large amounts of leafy green veggies such as kale and spinach. These vegetables will contribute iron, essential vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. For healthy, strong muscle tissue you should include several servings of these leafy greens in your daily diet.

Fish Oil - Fresh Seafood
Fish oil, seafood and some choice fresh water fish can help you boost your protein intake. You will also give you body a supply of important Omega3-fatty acids that promote a stronger cardiovascular system. Look for wild salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, shrimp and "oily fish" when you are developing a muscle-building dietary plan.

Whole Grains Offer a Healthy Explosion of Work-out Energy
You should also be adding whole grain food products to your diet. Bran, brown rice and quinoa can provide you with sources of long-lasting energy without overloading your system with sugars, starches and unnecessary carbohydrates.

Balance your Meals with other Healthy Food Choices
Your body will still need a regular supply of carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits and veggies. While these do not contribute directly to the building of muscle tissue these food groups will still contribute essential elements that your body requires. All of these components are necessary to meet the nutritional demands of a rigorous muscle-building regimen.

When you want to eat foods to build muscle tissue do not overlook the nutritional value of tomatoes, potatoes, corn and beans. These are all foods that contain little fat, few calories and still deliver a potent punch of healthy vitamins and minerals that will help you develop larger, stronger muscles.

Olive oil, butter, cheese and yogurt should also be considered for inclusion in your muscle-building diet. These are food items that promote better health and vitality. You can also use these food choices to provide your body with some much needed energy before and after those weight-lifting routines.
Summary
Once you have determined which are your favorite foods that build muscle you can structure healthy meals each day of the week. Then you will be able to get the most out of those amazing work-outs and impress others with your rapid muscle development.

For more info for muscle building tips please visit: www.fitnessmx.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_JJ/2113853

Set A Weight Loss One Week Goal To NOT Eat Out

As you likely know, eating out generally presents you with either too large of a portion size which naturally means you'll take in an excessive amount of food, or what's chosen will be unhealthy thus translating into far too many calories for a single meal.

If weight loss is a top priority, then one of the most important habits you need to develop is to prepare most if not all food you consume at home. The reason why this is one of the most important habits to develop is because not only will you be in complete control over what ingredients are used for the meal, but you have direct control over the portion you serve yourself therefore you can have total control the amount of calories you consume at one sitting.

This is the problem everyone faces when going out to eat. We have no control over the amount of food that is served. Even when a salad is ordered, often times that one simple option which most people assume to be "healthy" can easily surpass the 1,000 calorie mark all due to what's added and the portion size served.

Therefore if you want to challenge yourself a little bit, set a one week goal to not eat out one single time. That means no fast food, no restaurants, and definitely not ordering home pizza delivery. Does that sound like it would be an easy thing to accomplish or something you know will be rather difficult?

If you are thinking that sounds a bit tough, likely that means you are eating out far too frequently so this can possibly be an eye-opening moment that would be a great thing to experience. Think of it this way, with this one week goal challenge not only will eating at home give you an advantage that can possibly lead to weight loss, but you will be saving a lot of money in the long run if you continue to stick with this healthy habit.

For example, eating at a sit-down restaurant complete with hosts and waiters, you will generally pay between $10-$18 for a meal with a simple fountain beverage. Naturally the price will be much more if appetizers, alcohol, and desserts are added to the tab, but for simplicity sake, let's just take an average of around $14 for a meal.

Now keep in mind, that's $14 for a single meal likely with no leftovers afterwards which means for breakfast or lunch the next day you will need to look elsewhere for your next round of food.

Do you realize how much actual food can be bought from the supermarket for $14? I recently wrote an article showing exactly how with $20 it's rather easy to make 10+ portion sizes (or meals) meaning that each serving totals a mere $2.

If you were to eat out at this $14 per plate restaurant 10 total times, you get an overall amount of $140 not including tips! Are you starting to see the advantage not only for the health of your body to prepare food at home, but also for your pocketbook?

These 10 meals alone would have saved you $120. And keep in mind, the average meal price amount used for the restaurant example is relatively low since "extras" in the form of appetizers, alcoholic beverages, and desserts are often added to these sessions.

To have an immediate impact on your weight loss endeavor, challenge yourself with a one week goal not to eat out. Focus on preparing all your meals at home taking into consideration packing leftovers in plastic travel containers to take with you to work so lunch is already taken care of. This right here can be one of the best healthy eating tips since eating out at work can often be very detrimental to a weight loss mission.

It's choices like these that are going to make a huge difference in your efforts. Be willing to try something new and stick with it. You will delight in the results you achieve and realize that eating out is rarely going to be something positive for your waistline.

Gregory L. Gomez, a LAUSD teacher who's also on journey to develop a healthy life in an effort to lose weight and get in shape. Follow his progress on http://HealthyChoicesInLife.com as he strives to lose nearly 100 pounds by eating healthy and maintaining a consistent exercise routine. Get a FREE monthly Healthy Choices Newsletter along with a Healthy Eating eBook just for stopping by at http://healthychoicesinlife.com/programs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gregory_L_Gomez/1195268

Juice Recipes For Health - List Of Fruits And Vegetables You Must Try

The health benefits of raw and fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be matched. Equipped with a high quality juicer, you can reap all the benefits and have a fun time trying out the different fruits and vegetables that make healthy delicious juices. You can play around with mixing the fruits and vegetables to come up with unique juice recipes for health. Here is a list of some of the easiest to juice, but nutrient packed fruits and vegetables you should consider trying.

Fruits
Apples - They are great in reducing cholesterol, boosting the immune system and cleansing the digestive system. You can use the apples with any other fruit or vegetable because they soften bitterness or very strong tastes.

Pineapples - They have antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making them amazing additions to your juice recipe. They also boost protein digestion and help in dissolving blood clots.

Papaya - Papaya juice can be very beneficial to those who have digestion problems because it has enzymes that break down protein. The fruit also replenishes Vitamin C in the body and aids cancer protection. Consider using the fruit for blender smoothies, or drinks because it doesn't crush well in a juicer.

Berries - They have antioxidants that are great for general health. You can choose blackcurrants and blueberries to deal with urinary infections and diarrhea, raspberries for menstrual cramps and strawberries to boost cardiovascular health.

Vegetables
Tomatoes - They have high amounts of lycopene, making them great for the heart and also in lowering the risk of cancer. They are easy to blend with different vegetables and they are not as acidic in their raw form.

Cabbage - The juice can be very helpful for ulcers, but you might consider making it using other produce because cabbage juice is not that pleasant in taste. The juice balances estrogen, regulates metabolism and fights cancer making it worth appearing on this list.

Broccoli - It is packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C. It lowers the risk of cancers such as breast, colon and lung cancer. It is best eaten raw, but if you can't stand it, then juice it and you won't taste it but you will reap the full benefits. The juice can actually be mixed with tomato juice to regulate blood sugar and insulin thanks to the chlorophyll.

Carrots - They make very delicious and sweet juice and have lots of nutrients to promote good health. The high beta carotene content of carrots makes them good for artery protection, brain, skin, immunity, infections and cancer. Consider mixing the juice with apple juice or combining the two when juicing to balance it out and make drinking more enjoyable.

Other fruits and vegetables that you should consider juicing to get healthier are sweet potatoes, cranberries, spinach, melons, kale peppers, parsley, citrus fruits, dandelion greens and wheatgrass. They are all packed with plenty of healthy minerals and nutrients that will boost your general health and keep you looking younger and beautiful as the days go by.

Juicing has so many benefits and with such a long list of healthy fruits and vegetables you can be sure to come up with juice recipes for health you can truly enjoy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jovia_D'Souza/2007086

A Guide on Natural Solutions For Life

The Natural Solution for a Healthy life
Himalayan precious stone salt is far better than conventional iodized salt. It has been used since ancient times and is scientifically proven to be best for health. It is naturally pure healthy salt and non-toxic in nature. It is far better than ordinary table and sea NACL due to these properties. Indeed, the Himalayan valuable asset is a natural solution for a healthy life.
Advantages of Natural Himalayan Salt

• Advancing the expanded assimilation limits of nourishment components inside the intestinal tract of human body
• Supporting vascular health
• Supporting solid respiratory capacity
• Bringing down rate of sinus issues, and advancing general sinus
• Diminishing spasms
• Expanding bone quality
• Actually advancing sound rest designs
• Making a solid charisma
• Advances kidney and nerve bladder working when contrasted with regular synthetically treated salt
• sack of Himalayan Crystal Salt

Table salt: "The Health Destroyer"
It is a common opinion that basic table NACL contains chemicals and even sugar! Salt is essential in all forms.
Comparison with other salts
Table salt is made out of 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals like iodine and sponges, and sugar. Regular one is dried at more than 1,200° Fahrenheit, a procedure which destroys a large portion of the common compound structures.

The table and cooking NACL is found in many homes, hotels, restaurants and arbitrary plants is non-healthy. It lacks essential minerals and contains harmful chemicals. Preparing salt transforms it into sodium chloride, an unnatural element the human body really sees as a dangerous trespasser! The body can't discard it in a characteristic, solid manner which can prompt bothering of the tissues, water maintenance and hypertension.

Diseases dues to common salt
Studies demonstrate that for every gram of table salt that you can't digest, your body will use more than twenty times the measure of cell water to kill the sodium chloride in synthetically treated salt. This can prompt cellulite, ailment, joint inflammation, gout, and also kidney and gallbladder stones. The normal American devours 5,000 mg of sodium chloride a day; the issue is serious and should be addressed logically and scientifically.

Conclusion
The natural solution for a healthy life comes from a healthy source that is, natural salt. This is the simplest and effective way to improve your fitness and make your dreams of living a healthy life come true. The usage is simple and quite effective. It is scientifically proven and tested.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kashif_Ali/203368

Cheap BodybuildingFoods

"You have to eat big to get big"
You hear that phrase chucked around a lot because it's true. Bad news is that food is expensive, especially high protein foods. Anyone seriously into training will find they are spending far more on foods than any supplements yet most never think about how much they're really spending and would think nothing of picking up the odd packaged meal from their local supermarket for lunch most days.

Let's say you wake up and have half a dozen free range eggs bought from Tesco, couple of hours later you might have some high quality complex protein, followed by a chicken sandwich bought from the local shop, maybe another shake after workout, then a nice meal with steak and potatoes for dinner topped up with some cottage cheese before bed.

All fairly basic stuff and nothing really that flash. But if you buy this from your local supermarket and don't choose wisely, this diet could cost in excess of £300/month (that's only just over £10 a day, or £1.65 a meal if you eat 6 meals a day).

So here are a few tips that could cut your food bill in half when the time comes to save some pennies. It might be a bit bland but the amount you can save is substantial.

Top Tips:
Use Protein Shakes - Protein shakes, at least basic whey, is cheaper than solid food, fact. If you're trying to save money then unflavoured whey is the way to go. This along could save you 50p plus 3 servings a day. That's £30/month saved right there.

Buy in Bulk - This is important. It's going to be expensive at first but you can save a packet. Places like Makro, Costco and Westin Gourmet can work out considerably cheaper than the standard supermarkets like Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's.

Keep it Simple - Don't buy pre-cooked meat and other meals. That Rustler burger that you got for £1.50 that seemed like a good idea is likely to be twice as expensive as if you made it yourself, plus it's probably going to be a whole lot worse due to all of the preservatives and E numbers added, and it won't taste as good either!

Use Protein Shakes
Whole foods are generally considered to be superior to protein powders but in reality the differences, as long as you don't have a big deficiency in something, will be marginal and you'll be able to progress either way, even with basic whey concentrate as long as it's consumed regularly.

5kg of whey could set you back £40 but will give you 80 servings containing 50g protein. So that's 50p a serving. If you wanted the same from protein content from chicken you'd be looking at least 50% extra, and that's without adding any flavourings to the chicken.

Buy in Bulk
Obviously you can't, or at least probably wouldn't want to live off shakes the whole time. Not only would it not be good for your health, you probably wouldn't smell too good either! So for solid food, try to buy in bulk as there are big savings to be had.

 A box of eggs at a supermarket costs many times more than what you could pick them up for in places like Makro. Last time I checked a box of 60 medium eggs in Makro, set you back less than £5 and even free range eggs are a fraction of the cost of supermarkets.

That's a great source of cheap protein.
Chicken and other meats are also great value, and generally of a higher quality too. For example 5kg of chicken breasts currently costs less than £20, or £17 if you get them frozen. Fish is cheap too costing around £20 for 3kg of white fish.

Carb sources are much cheaper than protein but there's still savings to be had. A big bag of basmati rice and oats can be picked up at half the price of the supermarkets and you can buy giant bottles of olive oil too so that should take care of fats!

Keep it Simple
You pay a hefty premium for anything that's already precooked, pre-flavoured or similar. Companies make money by increasing its perceived value more than the actual value. So if you want to add flavouring, buy the flavouring in bulk too and you'll save a packet by cooking it yourself.

Buying all of the food in bulk means that it's going to take up more room in your fridge/freezer and also cost a fair bit initially so that means you may have to be a bit more limited with your food choices. After all, not many have space to store 10kg chicken, 5kg steak, 5kg fish, 5kg sausages, 10kg basmati rice and a box of 6 dozen eggs at once! So you might have to go through periods of eating one or two types of meat at a time, but you can turn the same food into different meals to keep things interesting.

Buying frozen is often a good move and in the case of veg, will actually be more nutrient dense than the fresh variety anyway. Big value bags are usually the ones to go for unless you have very specific requirements.
Follow all of the tips above and you could cut your food bill right down. It's possible to get a diet with 3500 clean calories and 300g protein each day for less than £5.

Content posted by Simon Dadd on Testosterone Muscle Bodybuilding Forum. For more information on bodybuilding diet and nutrition, please take a look at the specific forum on Testosterone Muscle.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Simon_Dadd/1301350

The Worst Nutrition Advice You Can Follow

What is the Worst Nutrition Advice You Can Follow?
Over the years, we encounter TONS of nutrition and workout fads, quick fix diets, cleanses and weight loss "secrets." The FDA is always there to come out with updated guidelines about how many calories we should be eating and protecting us from deadly carcinogens in our food.

 Most of the time, these guidelines generally do a good job of keeping us on the right path thanks to years of research by educated individuals. But do they ever get it wrong? IS there a piece of nutrition advice that is absolutely detrimental to our health and transformation goals? The answer is a RESOUNDING YES!

The worst nutrition advice you can follow is to avoid fat. For many years, people were so concerned about getting fat, they were convinced that eating fat would make them fat. While OVEREATING fat can make you fat, that could be said about any of the macronutrients.

The risk lies within the fact that fat is over twice as calorie-dense as carbohydrate and protein. 1g of fat contains 9 calories, whereas 1g of carb and protein contains only 4 calories. This doesn't make fat the enemy. This just means that high fat foods contain more calories.

With that said, there are several different types of fat. Some need to be avoided at all costs, while your body requires others to function optimally. Believe it or not, certain types of fat can actually HELP BURN FAT! Other types of fat can raise cholesterol and wreak havoc on your body. So the question shouldn't be whether or not you should avoid fat. It should be which type of fat do I need and how much?

What are the Different Types of Fat?
1. Trans or trans-unsaturated fatty acids - The result of a partial hydrogenation. Trans fats are often found in margarine, packaged foods and fried fast foods. Due to their chemical makeup, they cause a raise in LDL (bad choleterol) and triglycerides which leads to an increased risk for coronary heart disease. Trans fat should be avoided at all costs in your diet.

2. Saturated - Saturated fats have developed a bad reputation over the last couple decades due to a fear of raising LDL and lowering HDL (good cholesterol).

However, recent studies show that saturated fats actually raise HDL. They also raise Large LDL, which are not associated with heart disease.

Avoiding saturated fats means you're missing out on some of the most nutritious foods on the planet such as eggs and many proteins. Foods that boast "Low Fat" and "Fat Free" often take out saturated fat and replace it with sugar. If your goal is weight loss, this is a CRUCIAL mistake and one of the biggest reasons obesity has become such a problem in the last few decades. Saturated fat should be consumed appropriately for your macronutrient ratio.

3. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated - These types of fat are very healthy and have been found to lower bad cholesterol (Harvard says so!).

They're very common in diets like the Mediterranean diet (which explains why people in the Mediterranean have a lower rate of heart disease despite a higher fat diet).

Polyunsaturated fats are essential fatty acids, meaning our bodies require them but cannot produce them. Diets higher in Poly- and Monounsaturated fats and lower in sugar have been proven to be effective for weight loss.
 Some common foods with these great fats are cooking oils, olive oil, nuts, avocados and fish.
Avoiding fat is a crucial mistake for anyone, whether you're trying to lose weight or build lean muscle.

 Higher fat foods are often very nutritionally dense, such as eggs, fish and nuts. In addition to that, fat makes food taste delicious! This is why low fat and fat free foods often add extra sugars.

 Next time you reach for that "heart healthy," fat free food, remember the WORST nutrition advice you can follow is to avoid fat.

Grab some foods high in healthy fats and enjoy the savory flavor of a nutritionally packed food!
I'd love to hear your thoughts about fat consumption. Do you count macros? If so, what's your ideal ratio? If not, how do you track your fat consumption?

For a FREE, killer 4 week fat loss workout, visit my blog at http://www.yorkpersonaltraining.com!
Follow me on Twitter for some special tips and workouts!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ryan_M_York/1895880

The Three Aspects of Bodybuilding

When most people think about bodybuilding, they tend to think about big guys in the gym "pumping iron" but it is far more than that. We can roughly describe it as using resistance training and other exercises to improve the health and appearance of the body.

 It is popular among a wide variety of people, ranging from recent moms trying to get back into shape, octogenarians and beyond working on maintaining or recovering their muscle mass, and yes, big and not so big guys and gals at the gym pumping iron.

In reality, there are three parts to bodybuilding. Only one part is exercise, which we will discuss below.
Equally important to exercise is rest. Rest is when the muscles grow. For example, even a competitive bodybuilder may only work each group of muscles such as the legs, back, shoulders, etc. twice a week or less.

Muscles do not grow in the gym, but when resting and recovering. Too much resistance or other exercise leads to overtraining and a lack of progress. Bodybuilders often may need more sleep than others and I know when I work out heavily I tend to sleep extremely well.

Nutrition is also critical, and for some people, more important than exercise. For example, I have a big and bulky body type typically known as an endomorph. I gain muscle very easily, however I also gain fat very easily if I do not eat well. Nutrition is absolutely critical for anyone with a body type like mine, more so than exercise.

There are many types of diets that work for bodybuilders regardless of how serious they are, and one key trait of a successful diet is that it has to be practical. Too many people think they can eat ultra healthy for ever, for example surviving on tuna fish, broiled chicken, and steamed vegetables.

The result is usually massive cheating, whereas a more reasonable diet, although less than perfect, would work better.

When it comes to exercise, we have two types: anaerobic, typically lifting free weights or using machines, and aerobic. Both are important although many bodybuilders only concentrate on anaerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises, also known as cardio, are important for keeping body fat low as well as for general fitness.

Aerobic exercises include running, walking, bicycling, team sports like soccer and hockey, hiking and far more. Often bodybuilders simply think of the treadmill, exercise bike, and similar, and hence hate aerobics. It is important to find one or more forms of aerobic exercise you enjoy.

More and more people are bodybuilding as the medical community is documenting the health benefits for people of almost all ages, including very old. Remember, it includes exercise, rest, and nutrition.

For much more on bodybuilding, nutrition, and more, go to http://www.bodybuildingfoodcalculator.com/ and also go to Bodybuilding Nutrition. Remember, it makes you feel good, look good, and it is good for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sam_Proterone/1769783

Disadvantages of Using Body Building Supplements

There are many disadvantages associated with body building supplements which most users are not aware of. The various kinds of side effects in most cases lead to detrimental health effects. In order to win medals at sporting competitions, many athletes use performance enhancing drugs, but they do not realize that these drugs have a long term adverse effect on their health.

Before using any kind of muscle building supplements, it is important to understand all the risks, benefits and other unknowns regarding the product. Most muscle building supplements contain steroid that mainly affects the functions of the body. Supplements can be classified as natural or chemical and the chemical supplements are the ones which have major side effects.

If a person is willing to use muscle building supplements, he should consult a dietician or a trainer first. Different individuals have different nutritional requirements and the various kinds of supplements available in the market today cannot be suitable for everyone.

Body building products have different composition of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and proteins and therefore, a person should only take products as per his body requirement. Many body building supplements helps to build big muscles fast, but at the same time cause many detrimental effects to the body that in most cases has also been proven fatal.

Many supplements are protein based and consuming protein in high content can cause damage to the kidneys and slow down muscle building process. Other supplements contain artificial ingredients and can shut down the healthy procedures of life as well. There are numerous drawbacks of body building supplements and individuals need to be careful when using them.

This article is written by Koen B. He owns a number of websites and enjoys sharing information about his websites with readers. Not only does this author specialize in a large range of topics, you can also checkout his newest website on cat litter reviews  which also explains information about freshstep cat litter

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Koen_B/485979

The Secret Ingredients of Bodybuilding Supplement Gakic

After the successful launch and campaigning of company Muscletech for the new supposed breakthrough supplement Gakic, many questions have been asked as to the products effectiveness, potential side effects and in particular ingredients.

When a supplement promises a benefit so dramatic people inevitably want to know how. In this article I will attempt to discuss the ingredients of Gakic in the hope of demonstrating why the guys at Muscletech might just be more than great marketers.

Firstly to lay it out for you the ingredients of Gakic as stated in the products documentation are:
First and foremost glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium (shortened to Gakic). With the additional ingredients being:

Dextrose, maltodextrin, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium gluconate, polyvinylprrolidone, natural and artificial flavors (modified food starch, corn syrup solids, gum acacia, silicon dioxide), acesulfame-potassium, sucralose, fd&c red no. 40.

Without getting too complicated with the science of things, I will try to briefly explain how and why these ingredients are effective in performing the suggested tasks.

The benefit of Gakic is stated to be that it helps the body to remove and prevent the build up of fatigue toxins such as Ammonia that cause the body to lose strength and eventually fail towards the end of the workout.
Gakic's main ingredient works as such: The compound glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium as a ketone group has no Ammonia in it as ketone compounds usually do.

For this reason when it enters the body and the muscle cells, it scavenges for Ammonia particles with which it can react neutrally to become more chemically stable.

 What that means is that this compound glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium is pre-disposed to remove in this manner traces of Ammonia from the muscle cells. The acid when enters the body is converted to leucine that carries out the function above as well as glycine and arginine which then are responsible for moving the removed Ammonia through the uric acid system to be eliminated from the body.

Further to that the glycine and arginine have further effects. The glycine is also said to give the effect of an insulin stimulator while the arginine is able to increase blood flow to the area effected by the toxins allowing the leucine to ravage even more of the toxins it seeks to eliminate.

This being the function of the main ingredient, the other ingredients of Gakic serve to enhance the extent to which the muscle cells can absorb the substance and hence take their effect.

As you can see the process Gakic undergoes in the body is a complex one. It is mainly for this reason that scientists and users of the product alike seem to be touting its benefits. As for the question of will it work for you, it is up to you to decide.

Gary Stephens is a writer on bodybuilding supplements and currently runs an informational website providing the real information on bodybuilding supplement Gakic [http://www.gakicreview.com], including Gakic Review For more information please see

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gary_Stephens/44898

History of Body Building - Where Did it All Start?

Starting in the 1980's people have become significantly more aware of the importance of their health and physique. They spend huge amounts of money on the creation of a perfect body. Statistics show that body building supplements sell like crazy, personal trainers are making good money and gyms pop up everywhere.

But where did it all start? The history of body building as a sport starts approximately a century ago. Eugene Sandow gets the honor of having invented the sport. The father of body building invited spectators to watch his muscular body.

 Displays of strength and agility became the center of his stage performance and he showed the ultimate Grecian physique. Soon he became very popular and used his fame to build various businesses and started marketing body building products. The first exercise equipment for the masses bears his name. Sandow's name is also connected with 'The Great Competition', the first ever body building contest, held in London. You could say it was the early version of the Mr. Olympia.

Ironically, World War II gave body building a boost. Men had to defend themselves and their families and their behavior became more aggressive. They wanted to stand up against the enemy and began to build a bigger and stronger physique. More time was spent on improving training techniques, better nutrition and the first effective and more user friendly training equipment was built.

Body building became an organized sport and leading organizations like the IFB, International Federation of Body Building, were founded in these days. The popularity of the sport hasn't stopped growing since then. The famous Arnold Schwarzenegger gave the sport a real boost. In the 1990's female body building made it's entrance and now has its own Ms. Olympia competition.

It is possible to build bigger muscles, also for some one who tried and failed before. If you want advice from a former skinny guy and now leading fitness athlete then head over to http://www.workoutsforbigmuscles.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kurt_Naulaerts/43404

Bodybuilding - Discipline And Endurance Married Together

Bodybuilding is getting more and more popular as it is a sport that requires both discipline and physical endurance. People involved in bodybuilding either do it as a way of getting in better mental and physical shape.

 More serious bodybuilder will aim at participating in bodybuilding competitions and are always striving to get to the top level in their category.

When involved in bodybuilding, a person has to watch her diet to ensure she is getting the proper amount of proteins and nutrients to build her muscle mass.

A current misconception is that bodybuilders have to avoid carbohydrates. In fact, they eat them to help release energy in a steady stream rather than in spurts.

Carbohydrates are also known to help the body recuperate from the training regiment. Some bodybuilders choose to eat quick digesting sugars after their workouts. It is believed this process helps recover the glycogen in the muscles.

Diet and nutrition are essential elements in bodybuilding. It is recommended to do extensive research in this area or hire a trainer before getting involved in bodybuilding. Nutrition can play a major role and account for a big part of a successful bodybuilding program.

For people involved in competition bodybuilding, their training will be focused on acquiring an overall balanced, strong and healthy body.

Bodybuilding competitions are now judged by a panel who considers way more than just the size of the candidate's muscles.

In a competition, the total scores of different factors are combined to determine the overall points. The winner at the end of the competition is the one with the most points.

 Natural bodybuilding gathers people who trained without any use of external supplements. It is much more intense and difficult that traditional bodybuilding.

It requires harder workouts and a stricter diet. There are also stricter qualifying guidelines, but the winners as well as competitors in these competitions know they did all the work themselves without any supplements.

Natural bodybuilding is gaining in popularity as there is a trend towards more natural training is all sports.
Teen Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding for men has been a competitive sport since the 1800's. Women started participating in bodybuilding competitions around the mid 1900's. In recent years, teenagers have demonstrated a growing interest in bodybuilding.

An added benefit to the physical ones is that teenagers involved in a bodybuilding program learn about discipline and good nutrition. They also acquire a lifestyle that will be beneficial for the rest of their life.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nathalie_Fiset/20773

Teen Bodybuilding - The Latest Upcoming Trend Is Teen Bodybuilding

Following their role models in movies and sports teenage people also start showing interest in bodybuilding activities. Toady bodybuilding is a separate category that constitutes the young teenagers who show interest in bodybuilding.

To encourage these people bodybuilding organisations have started to conduct separate competitions for teen bodybuilders. The present celebrity bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lee Priest and Jay Cutler started participating in competitions while they were in their teenage.

The work out of the teen bodybuilders consists of weight exercises such as pull ups, chin ups, push ups, dips and hyperextensions. To start with the exercise, a teenager should first make sure whether his body is strong enough to endure the strong and rigorous weight exercises involved in the process.

If you are a teenager who is interested in bodybuilding, as the first step try to understand the four basic concepts involved in the bodybuilding process. Nutrition, supplementation, the effectiveness of lifting the weight and the overall recovery are the four basic concepts of a teen bodybuilding just like that of an adult bodybuilder.

The process of teen bodybuilding consists of two stages. The first stage that is known as bulk up stage is meant to increase the muscle mass and body fat of the person undergoing the weight exercise or bodybuilding.

The second phase of a bodybuilding is known as contest preparation. At contest preparation more attention will be given to maintain as much muscle as is possible. To increase muscle definition the excess fat in the body should be reduced by following a proper diet suitable for body development.

A teenager undergoing teen bodybuilding should be extra cautious about what he is eating every day. The food that he takes should compliment the muscle development of the body. The bulk up stage of bodybuilding may require five to six meals per day to build more muscle mass in the body.

At the same time he should be careful to avoid foods that are too fatty from his daily diet.
Increasing the level of protein intake can be suggested as a best method to increase the muscle growth for a bodybuilder. Experts suggest taking one gram of protein per pound of the body weight a teen bodybuilder like to reach.

He can also take supplements to enhance the muscle growth. Every one who wants to be a bodybuilder should follow an effective weight exercise to tone up the developed muscles in his body. For that he could seek the assistance of an expert trainer.

For your free course teaching you exactly how to succeed with bodybuilding using simple and effective bodybuilding nutrition and workout simply go to http://bodybuilding-guru.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_B_Stevens/121025

The Side Effects of Bodybuilding Supplements

Many body builders turn to discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time.

 In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective. However, both brand name and discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

One of the most popular bodybuilding supplements is creatine. Creatine monohydrate is used to increase muscle fullness and body mass.

 It also helps in shortening the recovery time after an intense workout. Creatine can cause your muscles to retain water, which can lead to dehydration in some people. Also, there might be up to a five pound weight gain during the first week.

 There are no major known side effects of taking creatine, but some people experience gas, bloating or diarrhea during the first few weeks of use.

Glutamine is taken by those who are doing frequent intense workouts. It is an amino acid that occurs naturally in your muscles, and it also works to help maintain your immune system. It can become depleted through diet or hard workouts, and a supplement can help to keep up immune response. There have been no reported side effects.

Andro supplements have received a lot of negative press as androstenedione is banned at the Olympics. However, andro supplements are not illegal and many believe they help build muscle mass and strength. Andro supplements cause an increase in female sex hormones.

 When taken by men, it can cause breast growth as well as a decreased sex drive. It also increases the risk of heart disease.

Caffeine is used to burn fat in a way that discourages fatigue. It can increase concentration and some feel it helps with motivation.

It also has an effect on muscle contraction. It can be easy to take too much caffeine because many people also drink soda, coffee, or eat chocolate while taking the supplements. If too much caffeine is consumed, side effects include heart palpitations, nervousness, irritability, dehydration and diarrhea.

As with any type of medication or vitamin, you should make yourself aware of the possible side effects of the drug to determine whether the benefits of taking it outweigh any negative outcomes.

 While many supplements do not have any side effects, some have side effects which should make you think twice before purchasing them. All it takes is a little bit of research and you should be able to take supplements without having to worry about any unwanted results.

Natalie Aranda writes about health. Many body builders turn to discount bodybuilding supplements in order to achieve more noticeable results in a shorter amount of time. In addition, supplements can help to maintain energy levels so that workouts can be longer and more effective.

 However, both brand name and discount supplements can cause side effects, which should be considered before starting a supplement regimen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Natalie_Aranda/44417