Posts Tagged ‘strength’

Manipulating The Glycemic Index Diet – The Winning Edge ???

distance runners, Fitness, nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair, strength | Posted by admin September 13th, 2015

A high-carbohydrate training diet is a must for optimum sports performance because it produces the biggest stores of muscle glycogen. Unlike the fat stores in the body, which can release almost unlimited amounts of fatty acids, the carbohydrate stores are small. They are fully depleted after two or three hours of strenuous exercise. This depletion of carbohydrate stores is called “hitting the wall.” The blood glucose concentration begins to decline at this point. If exercise continues as the same rate, blood glucose may drop to levels that interfere with brain function and cause disorientation and unconsciousness.

All else being equal, the eventual winner is the person with the largest stores of muscle glycogen. It is important to maximize your muscle glycogen stores by ingesting a high-carbohydrate training diet and by carb loading in the days prior to the competition.

There are times when low G.I. foods provide an advantage and times when high G.I. are better. For best performance a serious athlete needs to learn which foods have high and low G.I. factors and when to eat them. Understanding the glycemic index and making the best food choices can give you an advantage.

Low-GI Foods: Before the Event
Low-GI foods have been proven to extend endurance when eaten alone one or two hours before prolonged strenuous exercise. Low-GI foods are best eaten about two hours before the big event –so that the meal will have left the stomach but will remain in the small intestine, slowly releasing glucose energy, for hours afterwards. The slow rate and steady stream of glucose trickles into the bloodstream during the event. Most importantly, the extra glucose will still be available toward the end of the exercise, when muscle stores are running close to empty. In this way, low-GI foods increase endurance and prolong the time before exhaustion hits.

When a pre-event meal of lentils (low GI value) was compared with one of potatoes (high GI value), cyclists were able to continue cycling at high intensity (65 percent of their maximum capacity) for twenty minutes longer when the meal had a low G value. Their blood-glucose and insulin levels were still above fasting levels at the end of exercise, indicating that carbohydrates were continuing to be absorbed from the small intestine even after ninety minutes of strenuous exercise.

In any sport context, it’s critical to select low-GI foods that do not cause gastrointestinal discomfort (stomach cramps, etc.). Some low-GI foods, such as legumes that are high in fiber or ingestible sugars, may produce symptoms in people not use to eating large amounts of them. There are plenty of low-fiber, low-GI choices, including pasta, noodles, and Basmati rice.

High- GI Foods: During and After the Event
While the pre-event meal should have a low GI value, scientific evidence indicates that there are times when high-GI foods are preferable. This includes during the event, after the event, and after normal training sessions. This is because high-GI foods are absorbed faster and stimulate more insulin, the hormone responsible for getting glucose back into the muscles for either immediate or future use.

During the event
High-GI foods should be used during events lasting longer than ninety minutes. This form of carbohydrate is rapidly released into the bloodstream and ensures that glucose is available for oxidation in the muscle cells. Liquid foods are usually tolerated better than solid foods, for endurance racing for example, because they are emptied more quickly from the stomach. Sports drinks are ideal during the race because they replace water and electrolytes as well. If you feel hungry for something solid during a race, try jelly beans (GI value of 80) or another form of high-glucose candy. Consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour during the event.

After the event (recovery)
In some competitive sports, athletes compete on consecutive days, and glycogen stores need to be at their maximum each time. Here it is important to restock the glycogen store in the muscles as quickly as possible after each day’s events. High-GI foods are best in this situation. Muscles are more sensitive to glucose in the bloodstream in the first hour after exercise, so a concerted effort should be made to get as many high-GI foods in as soon as possible.

Suggested foods include most of the sports drinks which replace water and electrolyte losses, or high-GI rice (e.g., jasmine), breads, and breakfast cereals such as cornflakes or rice krispies. Potatoes cooked without fat are good choice too but their high satiety means it is hard to eat lots of them.

Carbohydrate Loading For Training & Understanding
Why This Is Important…

It’s not just your pre- and post-event meals that influence your performance. Very active people need to eat much larger amounts of carbohydrates than inactive people. Consuming a high-carbohydrate diet every day will help you reach peak performance. When athletes fail to consume adequate carbohydrates each day, muscle and liver glycogen stores eventually become depleted. Dr. Ted Costill at the University of Texas showed that the gradual and chronic depletion of stored glycogen may decrease endurance and exercise performance. Intense workouts two to three times a day draw heavily on the athlete’s muscle glycogen stores. Athletes on low-carbohydrate diet will not perform their best because muscle stores of fuel are low.
If the diet provides inadequate amounts of carbohydrate, the reduction in muscle glycogen will be critical. An athlete training heavily should consume about 500 to 800 grams of carbohydrate a day (about two to three times normal) to help prevent carbohydrate depletion. Typically, American adults consume between 200 to 250 grams of carbohydrates each day.

Could a High-GI Diet Be Harmful to Athletes?

By virtue of their high activity levels, athletes have optimal insulin sensitivity. When they eat high-carbohydrate, high-GI foods, blood glucose and insulin levels rise far less in them than in the average person. This also provides the athlete with a bonus by not exposing their bodies to dangerous levels of blood glucose which produce disease in sedentary, insulin resistant individuals.

Adapted from the Book: The New Glucose Revolution
Written by: Jennie Brand-Miller, PhD
Thomas M.S. Wolever, MD PhD
Stephen Colagiuri, MD
Kaye Foster-Powell, M Nutr & Diet

Nutrition & Sports: The Keys to Optimal Performance

performance, Recovery - Repair, strength | Posted by admin January 19th, 2015

All athletes strive to compete at the top of their game but, unbeknownst to many of them, their performance relies on their nutritional status.  Athletes with inadequate diets and unaware of  their specific metabolic rates may have insufficient fuel for workouts, nutrient deficiencies that can lead to illness or fatigue, a decrement in bone growth and maintenance, and may not reach their potential for muscle growth. All of these will be reflected in their performance, regardless of their determination.

Despite this recognition young athletes need to pay greater attention to their fuel consumption, recent research suggests that many youths struggle with energy balance, experiencing an energy deficit or surplus. We are all too familiar with this energy surplus, known as overweight or obesity, but that crisis is not the focus here.  The concern is many young athletes require greater amounts of nutrients but remain uninformed or unconcerned about their nutrition needs or simply feel powerless to improve their nutritional status. Young athletes need help to overcome these problems.

The number of young athletes in the United States is increasing and estimates are that approximately 30 to 45 million youths aged 6 to 18 participate in some form of athletics. These young athletes turn to coaches, parents, teammates, and health professionals for nutrition guidance. They can guide athletes to be leaner, stronger, and able to withstand the rigors of training and competition. They can offer superior advice because they are more cognizant of research findings and are equipped with clinical and counseling skills to aid in a young athlete’s quest for improvement. By helping athletes improve their diet, they can eliminate obstacles to better health and nutrition and thereby help athletes push their limits and reach their full potential.

Nutrition professionals can aid young athletes in their quest for victory by recognizing that children and adolescents generally need more calories and protein per pound of body weight than many adults. It is a well-known fact that children need this extra energy to grow, fully develop, and thrive. Nutrient needs further elevate and reach their peak during adolescence. Potential differences in nutrition needs between a typical child or adolescent and an athletic child or adolescent likely exist.  Not all nutitional needs and metabolic rates are alike.  New studies of energy balance in young athletes have been published, and conservative recommendations have been made. But self-reported diet records of young athletes often indicate that intake of energy, carbohydrate, and select micronutrients may be below recommended levels. They must be aware that these deficiencies exist and are especially apparent in athletes involved in sports that focus on body composition and appearance, but lack awareness for influences on strength and endurance.

Residual nutritional levels of macro & micronutrients can now be measured by new science based technology.  Measurements are based on an individual’s residual levels measured at the cellular level where cell replications occur and these data are compared in a moving average data base of more than 500,000 others.  This results in comparing and documenting an individuals residual storage levels inside their body. Adjustments in nutrition and supplementation can be made on an individual’s real needs based on their metabolic rates instead of assuming all athletes burn at the same rate. Welcome to the next generation of athletic training by benchmarking and addressing nutritional deficiences for optimizing training & performance.

Contact for us for details…

Super Foods for Health

anti-aging, Free Radicals, nutrition, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin May 17th, 2011
Your health is your wealth and it provides the infrastucture for maintaining strength and performance.  Everyone, especially athletes need to learn and understand the basics of optimal nutrition and how it is key to high performance and rapid recovery.  Muscles cells are injured and replaced constantly and optimal cell replications require optimal nutrients to be available at all times.  Superfoods are natural and they provide the fuel for health, strength and performance.  Learn to like them and make them part of your diet.
Cabbage
Absent from most American kitchens, this cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.
Why It’s Healthy:
One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it’s loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body’s production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. In fact, Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of these cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.
How to Eat It: Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for an even better sandwich topping or side salad, try an Asian-style slaw. Here’s what you’ll need.
4 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
Juice of two limes
1 Tbsp sriracha, an Asian chili sauce you can find in the international section of your grocery store
1 head napa cabbage, finely chopped or shredded
1/4 cup toasted peanuts
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Whisk together the oil, lime juice, and sriracha. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing to coat. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. The slaw will keep in your fridge for 2 days.
Beets
These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavor underneath their rugged exterior.
Why They’re Healthy: Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye’s powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments—called betacyanins—that give beets their color have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.
How to Eat Them: Fresh and raw, not from a jar. Heating beets actually decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet, and then grate it on the widest blade of a box grater. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. You can eat the leaves and stems, which are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Simply cut off the stems just below the point where the leaves start, and wash thoroughly. They’re now ready to be used in a salad. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon of olive oil, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.
Guava
Guava is an obscure tropical fruit that’s subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the center.
Why it’s Healthy: Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene—an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer—than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you’ll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There’s almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.
How to Eat It: Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It’s all edible—and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than you’d find in the flesh of an orange. You can score guava in the produce section of higher-end supermarkets or in Latin grocery stores.
Swiss Chard
Hidden in the leafy-greens cooler of your market, you’ll find this slightly bitter, salty vegetable, which is actually native to the Mediterranean.
Why It’s Healthy: A half cup of cooked Swiss chard provides a huge amount of both lutein and zeaxanthin, supplying 10 mg each. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers. That’s because both nutrients, which are actually pigments, appear to accumulate in your retinas, where they absorb the type of shortwave light rays that can damage your eyes. So the more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the better your internal eye protection will be.
How to Eat It: Chard goes great with grilled steaks and chicken, and it also works well as a bed for pan-seared fish. Wash and dry a bunch of Swiss chard, and then chop the leaves and stems into 1-inch pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok, and add two garlic cloves that you’ve peeled and lightly crushed. When the oil smokes lightly, add the chard. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the leaves wilt and the stems are tender. Remove the garlic cloves and season the chard with salt and pepper
Cinnamon
This old-world spice usually reaches most men’s stomachs only when it’s mixed with sugar and stuck to a roll.
Why It’s Healthy: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease. In fact, USDA researchers found that people with type-2 diabetes who consumed 1 g of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks (about 1/4 teaspoon each day) significantly reduced not only their blood sugar but also their triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Credit the spice’s active ingredients, methylhydroxychalcone polymers, which increase your cells’ ability to metabolize sugar by up to 20 times.
How to Eat It: You don’t need the fancy oils and extracts sold at vitamin stores; just sprinkle the stuff that’s in your spice rack (or in the shaker at Starbucks) into your coffee or on your oatmeal.
Purslane
Although the FDA classifies purslane as a broad-leaved weed, it’s a popular vegetable and herb in many other countries, including China, Mexico, and Greece.
Why It’s Healthy: Purslane has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The scientists also report that this herb has 10 to 20 times more melatonin—an antioxidant that may inhibit cancer growth—than any other fruit or vegetable tested.
How to Eat It: In a salad. Think of purslane as a great alternative or addition to lettuce: The leaves and stems are crisp, chewy, and succulent, and they have a mild lemony taste. Look for it at your local farmer’s market, or Chinese or Mexican market. It’s also available at some Whole Foods stores, as an individual leafy green or in premade salad mixes.
Pomegranate Juice
A popular drink for decades in the Middle East, pomegranate juice has become widely available only recently in the United States.
Why It’s Healthy: Israeli scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What’s more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.
How to Drink It:
Try 100 percent pomegranate juice from Pom Wonderful. It contains no added sugars, and because it’s so powerful, a small glassful is all you need. List of retailers, go to pomwonderful.com
Goji Berries
These raisin-size fruits are chewy and taste like a cross between a cranberry and a cherry. More important, these potent berries have been used as a medicinal food in Tibet for over 1,700 years.
Why They’re Healthy: Goji berries have one of the highest ORAC ratings—a method of gauging antioxidant power—of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers. And although modern scientists began to study this ancient berry only recently, they’ve found that the sugars that make goji berries sweet reduce insulin resistance—a risk factor of diabetes—in rats.
How to Eat Them: Mix dried or fresh goji berries with a cup of plain yogurt, sprinkle them on your oatmeal or cold cereal, or enjoy a handful by themselves. Find them at specialty supermarkets or at gojiberries.us.
Dried Plums
You may know these better by the moniker “prunes,” which are indelibly linked with nursing homes and bathroom habits. And that explains why, in an effort to revive this delicious fruit’s image, producers now market them under another name.
Why They’re Healthy: Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the “superoxide anion radical.” This nasty free radical causes structural damage to your cells, and such damage is thought to be one of the primary causes of cancer.
How to Eat Them: As an appetizer. Wrap a paper-thin slice of prosciutto around each dried plum and secure with a toothpick. Bake in a 400°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the prosciutto is crispy. Most of the fat will cook off, and you’ll be left with a decadent-tasting treat that’s sweet, savory, and healthy.
Pumpkin Seeds

These jack-o’-lantern waste products are the most nutritious part of the pumpkin.
Why They’re Healthy: Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium. That’s important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA.

How to Eat Them: Whole, shells and all. (The shells provide extra fiber.) Roasted pumpkin seeds contain 150 mg of magnesium per ounce; add them to your regular diet and you’ll easily hit your daily target of 420 mg. Look for them in the snack or health-food section of your grocery store, next to the peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

Antioxidants, Explained
The science is clear:
Plant foods are good for you. And the credit often goes to chemicals they produce called antioxidants. Just as the name suggests, antioxidants help protect your cells against oxidation. Think of oxidation as rust. This rust is caused by free radicals, which are unstable oxygen atoms that attack your cells, inducing DNA damage that leads to cancer. Thankfully, antioxidants help stabilize free radicals, which keeps the rogue atoms from harming your cells. So by eating more antioxidant-rich foods, you’ll boost the amount of the disease-fighting chemicals floating in your bloodstream. The result: Every bite fortifies your body with all-natural preventive medicine.

 

Reference:  Men’s Health Magazine & Eat This? Not That!  – May 2011

Glutathione: Levels for Health, Strength & Optimal Performance

anti-aging, Fitness, Free Radicals, nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin March 30th, 2011

Glutathione is the master anti-oxidant in the body which supports health, enhances tissue and muscle repair,increases strength & endurance and slows the aging of cells.

What can reducing the oxidative process on the body mean for the athlete?

Many world-class athletes are discovering the importance of glutathione, which when maintained, gives them the edge over the competition. Increased glutathione levels provides athletes with increased strength and endurance, decreased recovery time from injury, less pain and fatigue and possibly an increase in muscle-promoting activities. During workouts, athletes generate free radicals which in turn lead to muscle fatigue and poorer performance. Glutathione neutralizes these radicals and allows our bodies to recover faster. Recent research indicates that the body has a natural tendency toward many degenerative diseases and aging itself. Some believe how well the body can protect itself from damage and recover from oxidative damage can be determined by measuring the intracellular stores of Glutathione.

Dietary Choices are the Key

Tumeric:

Scientists have long been aware of the wide array of health benefits from the Indian spice turmeric, which is a source of the active phytochemical curcumin. This bioactive substance of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) contains “Curcuminoids” and Curcumin is the most important molecule. Research has shown its tremendous health benefit. Antioxidants have received increased attention, and it’s important to know what nutrients are antioxidants, and information about them. One such nutrient is curcumin.  Curcumin is a natural extract from the spice turmeric. Turmeric is derived from the plant Curcuma Longa, a member of the ginger family. Curcumin is employed mostly as an antioxidant; though it was traditionally used to promote stomach and joint comfort. The immune-balancing activity of curcumin has been demonstrated through multiple mechanisms to support normal COX-2 and NF-KappaB levels in the body. The neuroprotective properties of curcumin are among the most studied. Curcumin has been designated as a ‘strong candidate’ for the promotion of neurological health and cognitive function. Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and support the normal uptake of amyloid-beta in the brain. This supports the brain’s memory and learning abilities as we age. Another neuroprotective property of curcumin is its ability to promote normal levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the brain. This can help to maintain the health of neurological tissues. Curcumin supports the normal production of Phase II liver detoxification enzymes, including glutathione synthase, heme-oxygenase and catalase. The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile full of cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins, and enzymatically disassembles unwanted chemicals. This enzymatic process usually occurs in two steps referred to as phase I and phase II. They promote the body’s natural enzyme antioxidant defense systems and function as a powerful indirect antioxidant. These enzymes promote the body’s normal metabolism of harmful chemicals such as heavy metals, toxins and pollutants into less reactive molecules. Curcumin has also been shown to promote normal hepatic tissue repair.

Broccoli:

The health benefits and protective properties of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have been well documented over the past 25 years. Broccoli is a potent source of sulphoraphane glucosinolates. Sulforaphanes support the normal production of Phase II liver detoxification enzymes, including glutathione synthase, heme-oxygenase and catalase. Sulphoraphanes promote the body’s natural enzyme antioxidant defense systems and function as a powerful indirect antioxidant. Sulphoraphanes work to support gene transcription, which is the process by which genetic information is copied from DNA to RNA, resulting in a specific protein formation. Conclusively, sulphoraphanes work to support the body’s natural defense systems and to maintain elevated levels of glutathione.

Glutathione is the master antioxidant of the body. It is an important chemical that acts as a powerful antioxidant to preserve and protect the brain and other body tissues by protecting them from the damage of free radicals. It also acts to recycle vitamin C & E which also reduce free radicals. Since glutathione cannot be absorbed intact orally due to gastrointestinal degradation, sulphoraphanes may be the most effective way to increase endogenous glutathione concentration.

Selenium:

Selenium is a required cofactor for selenoproteins such as glutathione peroxidase.  Selenomethionine is incorporated directly into proteins because selenomethionine cannot be distinguished from methionine during the translation of mRNA into protein. This serves as a storage form of selenium and is liberated upon protein catabolism. Selenium accumulates in the prostate, promoting the health of the prostate. Selenium supports immune function by promoting normal growth and development of T helper cells.  Selenium is naturally found in walnuts, brazil nuts, seafood, tuna, beef, spaghetti, turkey, eggs, oatmeal, rice, noodles and several types of cheese.

Nutrition & Sports: The Keys to Optimal Performance

Fitness, nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin November 28th, 2010

All athletes strive to compete at the top of their game but, unbeknownst to many of them, their performance relies on their nutritional status.  Athletes with inadequate diets and unaware of  their specific metabolic rates may have insufficient fuel for workouts, nutrient deficiencies that can lead to illness or fatigue, a decrement in bone growth and maintenance, and may not reach their potential for muscle growth. All of these will be reflected in their performance, regardless of their determination.

Despite this recognition young athletes need to pay greater attention to their fuel consumption, recent research suggests that many youths struggle with energy balance, experiencing an energy deficit or surplus. We are all too familiar with this energy surplus, known as overweight or obesity, but that crisis is not the focus here.  The concern is many young athletes require greater amounts of nutrients but remain uninformed or unconcerned about their nutrition needs or simply feel powerless to improve their nutritional status. Young athletes need help to overcome these problems.

The number of young athletes in the United States is increasing and estimates are that approximately 30 to 45 million youths aged 6 to 18 participate in some form of athletics. These young athletes turn to coaches, parents, teammates, and health professionals for nutrition guidance. They can guide athletes to be leaner, stronger, and able to withstand the rigors of training and competition. They can offer superior advice because they are more cognizant of research findings and are equipped with clinical and counseling skills to aid in a young athlete’s quest for improvement. By helping athletes improve their diet, they can eliminate obstacles to better health and nutrition and thereby help athletes push their limits and reach their full potential.

Nutrition professionals can aid young athletes in their quest for victory by recognizing that children and adolescents generally need more calories and protein per pound of body weight than many adults. It is a well-known fact that children need this extra energy to grow, fully develop, and thrive. Nutrient needs further elevate and reach their peak during adolescence. Potential differences in nutrition needs between a typical child or adolescent and an athletic child or adolescent likely exist.  Not all nutitional needs and metabolic rates are alike.  New studies of energy balance in young athletes have been published, and conservative recommendations have been made. But self-reported diet records of young athletes often indicate that intake of energy, carbohydrate, and select micronutrients may be below recommended levels. They must be aware that these deficiencies exist and are especially apparent in athletes involved in sports that focus on body composition and appearance, but lack awareness for influences on strength and endurance.

Residual nutritional levels of macro & micronutrients can now be measured by new science based technology.  Measurements are based on an individual’s residual levels measured at the cellular level where cell replications occur and these data are compared in a moving average data base of more than 500,000 others.  This results in comparing and documenting an individuals residual storage levels inside their body. Adjustments in nutrition and supplementation can be made on an individual’s real needs based on their metabolic rates instead of assuming all athletes burn at the same rate. Welcome to the next generation of athletic training by benchmarking and addressing nutritional deficiences for optimizing training & performance.

Contact for details.

Pancreatic cancer – daily diet of sugar?

nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin October 31st, 2010

(NaturalNews) New research published in the journal Nature reveals that pancreatic cancer can take up to 20 years to grow to the point where it is diagnosed by the practice of conventional medicine. This was determined by sequencing the DNA of cancer tumor cells from deceased patients. Because cancer mutations occur in growing tumors at a known rate, scientists were able to map the timing of the development of full-blown pancreatic cancer tumors.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute found:

• It takes an average of 11.7 years for one mutation in a pancreas cell to grow into a “mature” pancreatic tumor (which might show up on a medical scan).

• It can take another 6.8 years for the pancreatic tumor to spread and cause tumors to appear in other organs of the body.

How to grow and feed a cancer tumor

First of all, to grow a cancer tumor, you need to eat lots of sugar. Liquid sugars are the best (like soda?), but any form of refined sugar will do. You have to eat sugar daily if you really want to support cancer cell division and growth.

Next, you have to be vitamin D deficient most of the time.  That’s because vitamin D may halt the progress of 77 percent of all cancers (including pancreatic cancer), and when combined with other nutrients like selenium, may halt progress of even more.

By combining vitamin D and selenium nutrition with other anti-cancer nutrients such as fresh vegetable juice (on a daily basis), omega-3 fatty acids, a wide variety of fresh fruits (including citrus and berries), and even red wine (rich with resveratrol), you will create an internal biological environment in which cancer tumors cannot thrive.

This is especially true if you pursue a more alkaline diet that’s rich in vegetables and green foods rather than acidic substances such as sugar, fried foods and caffeine.

Combine all this with some regular exercise, good sleep, stress reduction habits and strict avoidance of cancer-causing chemicals, and you’ve got a recipe for blocking virtually all tumor growth in your body.

Cancer tumors simply cannot grow in an environment that’s rich in plant-based nutrients and life based on healthy, natural living.

So even if you have a wayward pancreatic cell that decides to mutate and try to become cancerous on its own, that cell will not have any long-term success in replicating inside your body because it’s surrounded by healthy cells and bathed in anti-cancer nutrients carried to it each day in your blood!

Remember, your cells rely entirely on nutrients delivered by your blood, and if your blood is delivering anti-cancer nutrients each day, then “bad” cells will never be allowed to replicate and become cancer tumors.

Obviously, the composition of your blood is determined by what you eat. If you eat junk food, your blood will be junk blood, and it will deliver junk to your cells (cancer cells love junk!). If you eat healthy foods, you will have healthy blood, and cancer tumors will shrivel up and actually lose their blood supply then die.

With this in mind, your life and health are not a rehearsal.  Nutrition is the key to your health, strength and performance.  Learn what combination of nutritional foods support your health at the cellular level, then learn to like them.  In all cases, refined sugars need to be limited as much as possible.

If you’ve been pursuing a lifestyle of junk foods, processed foods, fried foods, excessive animal products and sun avoidance, then you are probably growing cancer tumors in your body right now. Almost as if you were trying to!

So you might be on year 10 of the 20-year cancer diagnosis plan. There’s no way to know because solid cancer tumors usually don’t show up in diagnostic tests when they’re only 10 years old. But if you’ve been following a cancer-promoting lifestyle, you can rest assured you have micro tumors in your body that are just waiting for more sugar and less vitamin D in your blood in order to divide and grow even more.

Consider yourself informed… Preventing cancer is its cure.

Adapted from Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

Water: How much needed for health & optimal athletic performance?

Fitness, nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin June 27th, 2010

Water is absolutely critical to our body which comprises about 75% water; the brain has 85%, blood 90%, lungs 90%, muscles 75%, kidney 82% and even bones has 22%.  Basically, we are made of water!

Water dissolves the many valuable nutrients, minerals, and chemicals in the biological processes and transports them to different parts of our body. The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. Water is just as important in the transport of waste and toxins out of our bodies. Without the replenishment of fresh water, our body will fail to function, start to waste away, and finally collapse. An adult loses about 2.5 liters water every day through perspiration, breathing, and elimination (urine and feces), and when the body loses 5% of its total water volume, symptoms of dehydration such as thirst, reduced mental concentration, blurred vision, muscle cramps, unexplained tiredness, irritation, dark urine, will begin to show up.

The consequence of consuming insufficient water can be devastating to our body. The cells will start to draw water from the bloodstream instead, causing the heart to work harder. At the same time, when the kidneys fail to cleanse the blood effectively due to inadequate water, the liver and other organs will have to work harder, putting them under extra stress. Continuous water loss over time will speed up aging but increase risks of diseases and health issues such as constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nosebleeds, urinary tract infection, coughs, sneezing, sinus pressure, and headaches.

So, how much water should you drink a day? How much water is enough for you? The minimum amount of water you need depends on our body weight. As a general guide, for two pounds of body weight, an ounce of water is required.  So, if you are 60kg (1 kg is 2.54 lbs), you should drink about 2 liters of water every day.

Specifics of Understanding:

  • Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. Several approaches attempt to approximate water needs for the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate.
  • Replacement approach.  The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day.  You lose close to an additional liter of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements.  Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids.
  • Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.  Another approach to water intake is the “8 x 8 rule” — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, “drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day,” as all fluids count toward the daily total.  Though the approach isn’t supported by scientific evidence, many people use this basic rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
  • Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. Even apart from the above approaches, if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. Factors that influence water needs: You may need to modify your total fluid intake depending on how active you are, the climate you live in, your health status, and if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
  • Exercise. If you exercise or engage in any activity that makes you sweat, you need to drink extra water to compensate for the fluid loss. An extra 400 to 600 milliliters (about 1.5 to 2.5 cups) of water should suffice for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise lasting more than an hour (for example, running a marathon) requires more fluid intake. How much additional fluid you need depends on how much you sweat during exercise, the duration of your exercise and the type of activity you’re engaged in? During long bouts of intense exercise, it’s best to use a sports drink that contains sodium, as this will help replace sodium lost in sweat and reduce the chances of developing hyponatremia, which can be life-threatening. Also, continue to replace fluids after you’re finished exercising.
  • Environment. Hot or humid weather will make you sweat and requires additional intake of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause your skin to lose moisture during wintertime. Further, altitudes greater than 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) may trigger increased urination and more rapid breathing, which use up more of your fluid reserves.
  • Illnesses or health conditions. Signs of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional fluids. In these cases you should drink more water and may even need oral rehydration solutions, such as Gatorade or Poweraid supplements.  Also, you may need increased fluid intake if you develop certain conditions, including bladder infections or urinary tract stones. On the other hand, some conditions such as heart failure and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal diseases may impair excretion of water and even require that you limit your fluid intake.
  • Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid are used especially when nursing. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breast-feed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.
  • Other sources.  Although it’s a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don’t need to rely only on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes from water and beverages of all kinds. For example: many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent to 100 percent water by weight. Beverages such as milk and juice also are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is one of your best hydration source because it’s calorie-free, inexpensive and naturally available.
  • When to hydrate?   It’s generally not a good idea to use thirst alone as a guide for when to drink. By the time you become thirsty, it’s possible to already be slightly dehydrated. Further, be aware that as you get older your body is less able to sense dehydration and send your brain signals of thirst. Excessive thirst and increased urination can be signs of a more serious medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you experience either. To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy adult can consider the following: Drink a glass of water with each meal and between each meal. Hydrate before, during and after exercise. Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic drinks at social gatherings. If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly clean or replace the bottle often to avoid disease and infections.

 

Drinking too much water?

  • Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who consume an average American diet. If you’re concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that’s best for you.

 

Staying safely hydrated

Resources:  The Mayo Clinic &
Ruth Tan, Health & Nutritional Analyst

Vitamin D – Its Role in Health & Optimal Athletic Performance

Fitness, nutrition, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin May 24th, 2010

There are a pandemic number of people who are vitamin D deficient.  This has become evident due to increased discovery and sharing of documentation from clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and educational journals.  The end results from an alarming and growing number due to lack of sunshine exposure and inadequate supply of vitamin D from daily food intake.   This added to obesity trends, an aging population, and improved skin products that block formation of vitamin D3.  Until recently, vitamin D was understood to be solely related to bone mineralization and calcium utilization in the body.   Further studies have revealed vitamin D to play a leading role in many additional cell processes.  More than 36 cell types and 10 extra renal organs have been discovered to possess the vitamin D receptor, or VDR. Insufficient vitamin D is related to reduced immunological conditions, cancers of the breast, colon, pancreas, and prostate as well as heart diseases, type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cognitive impairment, and all cause mortality.  This impressive collection of medical conditions accounts for more than 60% of all deaths in the Western World.

What is Vitamin D?

A fat soluble pro-hormone, vitamin D is a seco-steroid which exists in two forms:  vitamin D2 & vitamin D3.  Vitamin D2 is obtained from yeast and plant material, vitamin D3 is produced endogenously in the skin by the photo-chemical conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Vitamin D circulates in the body bound to the vitamin D binding protein, or VDBP.  Both vitamin D2 and D3 are converted to the biomarker 25-hydoxyvitamin [D (25(OH)D] in the liver and undergoes further hydroxylation in the kidneys to the bio-active form of the hormone 1,25(OH)2D.

The Frequency of vitamin D Deficiency:

The March 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism points towards an overwhelming 59% of people that are vitamin D insufficient.  This was based on a cross-sectional study designed to establish a relationship between serum 25(OH)D and the degree of fat penetration in muscle.  These results have been duplicated as well in several independent studies of people from all over the United States in recent months.

Adverse Outcomes of Vitamin D Insufficiency:

Presence of 1,25(OH)2D and vitamin D receptors (VDR) in a wide variety of tissues ranging from pancreas, colon, brain, liver, muscle, skin and lung  speaks of its newly found broad involvement in the functionality of bodily systems.  Published literature over several years indicates that the non-bone mineralization effects of vitamin D are autocrine, not endocrine.  Thus, implying these functions are not based or derived for the amount of circulating 1,25(OH)2D in the body, but rather due to the intracellular synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D by these tissues.  Studies also indicate that the levels of 1,25(OH)2D required for these non-calcemic functions are higher than the levels of normal serum 1,25(OH)2D. 

Epidemiological evidences have linked deprived levels of vitamin D conditions to osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, obesity, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, type I diabetes and several cancers.  Vitamin is also effective in maintaining low susceptibility to infections including pulmonary diseases.

Conclusion:

Vitamin D has been shown to have an extensive area of biological influence due to the discovery of VDR and its conversion in several body tissues.  Health, strength and athletic performance can be optimized by measuring the residual levels of vitamin D at the cellular level to determine the degree of insufficiencies in order to adjust diets and nutritional supplements which directly influences athletic strength and recovery time.

Contact us for information on measuring residual vitamins & minerals by functional intracellular analysis at the cellular level – which is directly proportional to the body stores . . .

Reference:  Ray J, Meike W. D-Light: Vitamin D and Good Health. MLO. 2010;42(5):32-38

Vitamin D – Maintains Health & Athletic Performance . . .

Fitness, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin April 16th, 2010

Vitamin D is an often overlooked nutritional element in athletic achievement, a sleeper nutrient, says John Anderson, a professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of North Carolina regarding Vitamin D and athletic performance. Vitamin D once was thought to be primarily involved in bone development. But a growing body of research suggests that it’s vital in multiple different bodily functions, including allowing body cells to utilize calcium (which is essential for cell metabolism), muscle fibers to develop and grow normally, and the immune system to function properly. Almost every cell in the body has receptors for Vitamin D, Anderson says.  It can up-regulate and down-regulate hundreds, maybe even thousands of genes.   D. Enette Larson-Meyer, an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Wyoming says we’re only at the start of understanding how important it is.

But many of us, it seems, no matter how active and scrupulous we are about health, don’t get enough Vitamin D. Nowadays, many people aren’t going outside very much and most of us assiduously apply sunscreen and take other precautions when we do.

Meanwhile, dietary sources of Vitamin D are meager. Cod-liver oil provides a whopping dose. But a glass of fortified milk provides a fraction of what scientists now think we need per day. A study published online in the journal Pediatrics in 2009 concluded that more than 60 percent of American children, or almost 51 million kids, have insufficient levels of Vitamin D and another 9 percent, or 7.6 million children, are clinically deficient, a serious condition. Cases of childhood rickets, a bone disease caused by lack of Vitamin D, have been rising in the U.S. in recent years.

Although few studies have looked closely at the issue of Vitamin D and athletic performance, those that have are suggestive. A series of strange but evocative studies undertaken decades ago in Russia and Germany, for instance, hint that the Eastern Bloc nations may have depended in part on sunlamps and Vitamin D to produce their preternaturally well-muscled and world-beating athletes. In one of the studies, four Russian sprinters were doused with artificial, ultraviolet light. Another group wasn’t. Both trained identically for the 100-meter dash. The control group lowered their sprint times by 1.7 percent. The radiated runners, by comparison, improved by an impressive 7.4 percent.

More recently, when researchers tested the vertical jumping ability of a small group of adolescent athletes, Larson-Meyer says, they found that those who had the lowest levels of Vitamin D tended not to jump as high, intimating that too little of the nutrient may impair muscle power. Low levels might also contribute to sports injuries, in part because Vitamin D is so important for bone and muscle health. In a Creighton University study of female naval recruits, stress fractures were reduced significantly after the women started taking supplements of Vitamin D and calcium.

Recent studies have shown that, among athletes who train outside year-round, maximal oxygen intake tends to be highest in late summer. The athletes, in other words, are fittest in August, when ultraviolet radiation from the sun is near its zenith. They often then experience an abrupt drop in maximal oxygen intake, beginning as early as September, even though they continue to train just as hard. This decline coincides with the autumnal lengthening of the angle of sunlight. Less ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth and, apparently, sports performance suffers.

Can Vitamin D Improve Athletic Performance?

The active form of vitamin D is a steroid (actually a secosteroid) in the same way that testosterone is a steroid. It is also a hormone (hormone: Greek, meaning: to set in motion) in the same way that growth hormone is a hormone. Steroid hormones are substances made from cholesterol that circulate in the body and work at distant sites by setting in motion genetic protein transcription. That is, both vitamin D and testosterone set in motion your genome, the stuff of life. While testosterone is a sex steroid hormone, vitamin D is a pleomorphic steroid hormone.

If you are vitamin D deficient, the medical literature indicates that the right amount of vitamin D will make you faster, stronger, improve your balance and timing, etc. How much it will improve your athletic ability depends on how deficient you are to begin with. How good an athlete you will be depends on your innate ability, training, and dedication?

However, peak athletic performance also depends upon the neuromuscular cells in your body and brain having unfettered access to the steroid hormone, activated vitamin D. How much activated vitamin D is available to your brain, muscle, and nerves depends on the amount of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in your residual stores. In turn, how much 25-hydroxyvitamin D is in your residual stores depends on how much vitamin D you put in your mouth or how often you expose your skin to UVB light?

References: 

The New York Times, Health – Fitness & Nutrition, 09/23/2009
Vitamin D Council: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

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Importance of Magnesium – Prevents Health Risks

nutrition, performance | Posted by admin November 6th, 2009

Most people are aware of the importance of getting enough calcium, which remains a widespread problem. Most people don’t know there are other common micronutrient deficiencies that need to be addressed. Magnesium is one of those important micronutrients that doesn’t seem to get much attention, but plays a huge role in the body promoting health & performance.

Unfortunately the diets of all Americans are likely to be deficient and they don’t even know it. Sources estimate that nearly 70 percent of Americans get inadequate doses of magnesium every day and do not consume the daily recommended amounts of Magnesium. Studies have also shown food alone can’t meet the minimal Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) micronutrient requirements for preventing nutrient-deficiency diseases. For several years experts have suggested that the availability of magnesium in the soil has significantly decreased and it is difficult to get the amount of magnesium needed to function at an optimal level. This, in combination with diets low in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, has led to a general deficiency in the population.

Magnesium is used for more than 300 bodily functions and assists in energy production, maintains healthy bone density and aids the electrical conduction of the heart. Magnesium belongs in a category of minerals called electrolytes because they conduct electrical signals in the body. It is needed in energy metabolism, glucose utilization, protein synthesis, fatty acid synthesis and breakdown, muscle contraction, all ATPase functions, for almost all hormonal reactions, and in the maintenance of cellular ionic balance. It is found in all of the body’s cells, although it is mostly concentrated in the bones, muscles, and soft tissues. Magnesium also affects calcium’s role in homeostasis through two mechanisms.

Magnesium deficiency results in altered cardiovascular function, including electrocardiographic abnormalities, impaired carbohydrate metabolism, with insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion, and high blood pressure. Even a mild deficiency causes sensitiveness to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness and cramps in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers.

In active adults and athletes low magnesium levels can acutely contribute to early fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps & an irregular heartbeat during exercise. Magnesium as well as zinc, chromium and selenium are excreted in the sweat or as part of the process of metabolic acceleration. Heavy sweat loss can interfere with the important functions for which magnesium and other electrolytes are responsible. Also, the rate of magnesium loss is increased in conditions of high humidity and high temperature. An important consideration for athletes is the rate of magnesium loss that occurs during heavy physical activity. Heavy exercise makes you lose magnesium in the urine and scientific evidence suggests this is why long distance runners may suddenly drop dead with heart arrhythmias.

In a very tightly controlled three-month US study carried out last year, the effects of magnesium depletion on exercise performance in 10 women were observed. In the first month, the women received a magnesium-deficient diet (112mgs per day), which was supplemented with 200mgs per day of magnesium to bring the total magnesium content up to the RDA of 310mgs per day. In the second month, the supplement was withdrawn to make the diet magnesium-deficient, but in the third month it was reintroduced to replenish magnesium levels.

At the end of each month, the women were asked to cycle at increasing intensities until they reached 80% of their maximum heart rate, at which time a large number of measurements were taken, including blood tests, ECG and respiratory gas analysis.

The researchers found that, for a given workload, peak oxygen uptake, total and cumulative net oxygen utilization and heart rate all increased significantly during the period of magnesium restriction, with the amount of the increase directly related to the extent of magnesium depletion. In plain English, a magnesium deficiency reduced metabolic efficiency, increasing the oxygen consumption and heart rate required to perform work – exactly what an athlete doesn’t want!

No serious athlete or trainer can afford to overlook the benefits that magnesium brings to athletic performance and the recovery process. Research suggests that even a small shortfall in magnesium can lead to greatly reduced performance and stamina. Many athletic medical specialists believe that magnesium is the single most important mineral to sports nutrition. Not only does it help optimize an athlete’s performance, but it speeds up recovery from fatigue and injuries.

Optimal muscle contraction and relaxation is the foundation of an athlete’s performance. Proper magnesium levels are required for muscles to relax fully following a contraction. Some doctors believe that injuries to hamstring muscles can be partially avoided through intake of magnesium and stated that a shortened hamstring is a result of lack of available magnesium.

The first step is to eat more magnesium rich foods, especially beans, nuts and vegetables. The more active a person is the greater the need to make sure there is a variety of balanced micronutrient-enriched foods into their diet. The challenge is to eat large amounts of magnesium-rich foods on a consistent basis. Often this proves difficult and unrealistic, as an athlete’s requirement of magnesium intake far surpasses that of an average person. Micronutrient supplementation still may be needed to be incorporated into their wellness program as a preventative protocol for preventing these observed deficiencies.

Another important step is to have your levels checked. The residual level of magnesium in the cells is what’s important. The body does all it can to keep the blood levels normal, so if there is a body deficit, it will be found within the cells. Work with a practitioner that will check your RBC-magnesium level (the level of magnesium in red blood cells) or provide an FIA (functional intracellular analysis) for your body’s residual nutrient levels that will benchmark your cell level status to find the amount of supplements needed to achieve normal levels. Recommended intake for endurance athletes is 500 to 800 mg daily.

There is virtually no one that cannot benefit greatly from increasing daily magnesium intake. In terms of health and longevity magnesium is essential. For the professional athlete it means the difference between winning and losing, and in some cases, living and dying.

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