Posts Tagged ‘nutrition’
Tuesday, April 4th, 2017
What are the health and safety issues to follow for a guitarist
For a guitarist, music is where his life is. Any discomfort or injuries can severely hider a guitarist’s impact of playing to the best of his capabilities. For maintaining proper health is a tough shot for a guitarist. As an example, in a general health guideline, it’s often narrated that punching things frequently is not a good idea. But as you know, a professional guitarist can’t help that.
Therefore, guitarists need to maintain some additional health care practices to ensure their health and professional efficiency. In this article, we have done something on that issue. After thorough research as a guitarist myself, I have listed down top health problems of a guitarist and how to get over them. Hope anyone with a guitar to play, will benefit from this article. (more…)
Tags: exercise, guitar, guitar injuries, healing, injury, injury prevention, massage, nutrition, therapy
Posted in Injuries, Medical | No Comments »
Monday, March 6th, 2017
6 Muscle Building Supplements
For those who workout endlessly in the gym looking to increase their strength along with their muscle mass, starting with the right workout routine and proper diet is the first step. After a while, even with the best conceived diet and exercise plans, many do find that they hit plateaus which is when they start to look towards dietary supplements.
There are a couple time-tested, scientifically sound muscle building supplements that can be used daily and a few that should be used in cycles. Protein supplements and BCAAs are two examples that can be used daily, while products like creatine and HMB are better used in spurts of 8-12 weeks before cycling off for the same amount of time. To find out more about these products, read on!
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Tags: amino acids, bcaa, build muscle, creatine, Diet, gain muscle, Guest Post, HMB, muscle gain, nutrition, Supplements
Posted in Supplements | 12 Comments »
Wednesday, March 1st, 2017
Commenting on a New York City initiative to curb the consumption of unhealthy beverages, New York City Health Commissioner Thomas A. Farley recently said:
“Sugary drinks shouldn’t be a part of our everyday diet.
Drinking beverages loaded with sugars increases the risk of obesity and associated problems, particularly diabetes but also heart disease, stroke, arthritis and cancer.”
The reality according to the health department is that on average, Americans now consume 200 to 300 more calories each day than 30 years ago. Nearly half of these extra calories come from sugar-sweetened drinks.
When health department researchers surveyed adult New Yorkers about their consumption of soda and other sweetened drinks, the findings showed that more than 2 million NY citizens drink at least one sugar-sweetened soda or other sweetened beverage each day, equaling as much as 250 calories a pop.
People often feel bad about stirring one or two tablespoons of sugar into their morning coffee, but they don’t blink an eyelash when chugging down a soda, iced tea, coffee, or sports drink with 16 teaspoons of sugar in one can.
Here are 10 ways you can avoid pouring body fat directly into your skin:
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Tags: Diet, fat, nutrition, sugar
Posted in Diet, News of the Day | 22 Comments »
Monday, February 13th, 2017
It’s happened.
Yet again.
It’s 5am, and you are standing in the light of your fridge, with a ladle in the Nutella jar, greedily chomping down any hope that you were going to eat well that day.
“Maybe tomorrow will be the day I lock down my nutrition,” you tell yourself.
“There, there—of course tomorrow will be the day,” the not-so-helpful you replies, the ladle craning towards your mouth, brimming with that sweet, sweet hazelnut spread.
If this feels familiar (and lawd knows it does for me), you aren’t alone.
We all struggle mightily with our nutrition at one point. Or many points. Or all the fuckin’ time.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. And before you laugh and shuffle off to another one of the 7 tabs you have open, you should consider starting a food diary.
Maybe you’ve thought about writing your food before.
Then you were like, “Nah, I ain’t got time for that.”
Or you snickered at the idea of keeping a “food diary.”
Sounds kinda prissy, right?
But really, put aside giving a baker’s hoot what others may or may not think for a moment.
If you want to feel metric butt-ton better, have higher and more consistent energy levels over the course of the day, and you know, beast at a 20% harder rate*, then start putting pen to paper and unleash this certified and proven weapon for kicking names and taking ass—err—in the kitchen.
* Anecdotal approximation. See a doctor if it lasts longer than 4 hours.
Here’s how a food journal will help you open a can of whoop-ass in the gym and in life: (more…)
Tags: diary, Diet, eat, eating, fat loss, food, food log, journal, lose fat, lose weight, nutrition, weight loss
Posted in Diet, Motivation, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Thursday, February 9th, 2017
Muscle gain is not just about what you do in the gym. Although you can’t just eat your way to a dream body, your nutrition can enhance and help you on your journey to a leaner and a more muscular body. If you want to gain muscle faster, add these five foods to your shopping basket.
Meat – Beef and chicken
Protein is of course what your muscles are made of and it shouldn’t come as a surprise then that meat is good for muscle gain. Different meats are the easiest way to eat vast quantities of meat and protein isn’t the only thing going for them – meat also comes back with essential nutrients and vitamins.
The two best meats to opt for include beef and chicken. Lean beef is full of iron and zinc, which are essential for a healthy body. Furthermore, lean beef has a high level of amino acid, which will work together with insulin to promote and boost muscle growth.
You should also opt for chicken (if you’re also trying to cut, get rid of the skin) when looking for high quality protein. Chicken can help with bone health, which is a crucial part of muscle growth. Chicken can easily be spiced with different mixtures to make it taste delicious and ensure you’re not eating the same tasting food every day.
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Tags: bodybuilding, build muscle, Diet, eat, eating, food, gain muscle, muscle gain, nutrition
Posted in Bodybuilding, Diet, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2017
Whether you want to lose weight, become more fit, feel better, or even add on some weight and muscle, nutrition is key!
Exercise is important and should not be forgotten, but in order to lose and maintain your weight, up to 75% of that will come from proper nutrition, while the other 25% will come from exercise. This is frustrating, confusing, and sometimes infuriating to many because nutrition is a discipline filled with complicated and conflicting information.
Fortunately, nutrition and your “diet”, over time can become an easy and natural way of living, which is why a couple of my friends created the Fairburn it Off Nutrition & Fitness Plan. When you have a goal, a plan, and some motivation, progress falls right into place.
What is Fairburn it Off?
The Fairburn it Off Nutrition & Fitness Plan was created by husband and wife team David and Elyse Fairburn. Despite David being a certified nutritionist and Elyse being an instructor in the fitness world, they initially struggled themselves with trying to calculate the perfect amounts of food and succumbing to strict diets and several supplements. After finally taking a step back and using what they know and have experienced, they created a sustainable lifestyle nutrition plan to help people lose weight, maintain that weight loss, and not fall prey to some of the very pitfalls that the Fairburns experienced themselves.
The key to the plan is sustainability – the belief that when you simplify healthy living by making your lifestyle healthier and easier to maintain, that you will experience consistent and positive results. To accomplish this, the Fairburns plans were designed to help you better understand proper nutrition through eating clean, nutrient-packed, whole foods, while still maintaining fitness through both cardio and resistance training. Through sustainability and this balance between nutrition and fitness, you can see positive progress and build new and healthy habits.
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Tags: Diet, eating, exercise, fitness, health, healthy, Healthy Lifestyle, lifestyle, meal plans, meals, nutrition
Posted in Healthy Lifestyle, Product Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, January 16th, 2017
Introducing 4 Superfoods You May Have Never Heard About
When you pass through the produce aisles, you’ll pick up all the usual items — tomatoes, lettuce, apples, bananas, and other common fruits and vegetables. And then you might grab a bag of almonds or walnuts, too. We all know that these foods provide us with the range of nutrients our bodies crave.
Now if this sounds like you, I want to start off by saying, great job — the more fresh, whole foods you consume, the better. With that being said, if you want to take your health to the next level, you may need to step a little outside of your usual comfort zone.
Say hello to these superfoods, a fantastic way to boost your health throughout the new year! (more…)
Tags: berries, berry, Diet, eating, food, Fruit, green tea, health, healthy, honey, nutrition, super food, superfood, tea
Posted in Diet, Supplements | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 30th, 2016
If you are an athlete like most others, you never feel like you’ve maximized your potential, no matter your skill level. That is basically true for all athletes in all sports, including basketball. More practice means more skill, which in turn means better performance.
Probably you work hard practicing indoors and outdoors, shooting hoops at all angles and distances. With your basketball in-hand you probably travel great distances to play and practice with other skilled athletes who can help you improve your own skills. You’ve likely improved your ball handling skills, developed your shooting and passing ability, and you’re still working hard on the court to become a better rebounder.
But did you think about maintaining a diet plan to improve your performance by enhancing training, speeding recovery and decreasing illness?
Think about it again. Food and diet have huge impact on your body. Balanced diet is what you need to influence your health and athletic performance – including stamina and endurance. (more…)
Tags: basketball, competition, Diet, exercise, food, games, hydration, nutrition, Sports, water
Posted in Diet, Sports | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
Simultaneously lose fat and gain muscle. Can it be done?
Generally speaking, bodybuilders and certain athletes find themselves going through two training and dieting phases each year: bulking and cutting. For bodybuilders, bulking is a joyous time of the year as they get to basically eat a selection of nice tasting foods, which whilst being healthy for the most part, still are made up of slightly unhealthier choices, with plenty of cheat meals thrown in for good measure.
When bulking, the idea is to build up a calorie surplus so that you basically consume more calories than you’re able to burn off.
This is primarily how muscle mass is grown. Whilst bulking however, it is important bodybuilders still keep an eye on their daily macros because if they consume too many calories, not only will they build muscle, they’ll also find themselves gaining a fair amount of fat in the process, and that is not ideal.
The second phase, they find themselves in, is one which is enjoyable, yet difficult and stressful at the same time – cutting, or fitness cutting as it is sometimes referred to as. At Project Swole we like to refer to this cutting phrase as a shred, as in Project Shred.
The idea behind fitness cutting is that they attempt to lose as much fat as possible, whilst maintaining or building as much lean muscle mass as possible. When fitness cutting, a bodybuilder’s primary goal is to become as lean, defined, vascular, and shredded as possible. If these sound like your goals, take a look at our handy fitness cutting guide outlining everything you need to know. (more…)
Tags: bodybuilder, bodybuilding, bulking, cutting, Diet, dieting, fat loss, food, gain muscle, lose fat, muscle gain, nutrition
Posted in Bodybuilding, Diet | No Comments »
Friday, July 22nd, 2016
The 4 Best Types of Whey Protein & Alternatives to Whey
It is pretty much widely accepted that to truly build a solid and lean physique, one must make sure they are receiving an adequate amount of protein in their diet. While a solid diet with meals rich in protein, fats, carbs and fiber is important many athletes and lifters choose to add a protein supplement following a workout, like one of these top 5 protein supplements here. For decades now, whey protein has been a mainstay choice of fitness professionals.
Whey is a by-product of cheese making, which is then dried and made into a powdered form. Typically being from cow’s milk, it contains 20% protein. By comparison human milk contains 40% protein. Whey is a huge source of branched chain amino acids, or BCAA’s, which stimulate protein synthesis in the body. It is for this reason that whey protein is so successful at building lean muscle mass.
After intense training and our bodies have burned up all our fuel is when our muscles need protein the most. By supplementing with a liquid protein source, like whey protein, you are ensuring that you will feed those broken down muscles, rather than them start to feed on themselves. Being in liquid form allows for greater absorption. And whey protein specifically is synthesized over a longer period of time, allowing your muscles to be fed for hours. Whey protein can be taken in four different forms: concentrate, isolate, hydrolysate, & casein. While each has its own benefits, they are all none-the-less extremely beneficial to building the physique you desire.
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Tags: casein, Diet, food, health, nutrition, protein, Supplements, whey, why protein
Posted in Diet, Nutrition Tip, Supplements | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 15th, 2016
When Fitness is the #1 Goal
If you truly want to become fit, there is more to it than just jogging or doing a few sit up every day. As a matter of fact, the food you eat can also cause you not to be fit. The best way to do this is to hire a personal trainer than will help you get a handle on your diet and what you need to know about nutrition in order to become healthier and fit while losing weight or just toning your body.
A personal trainer will not only help you learn about nutrition, but will start you on a fitness program that will fit your own personal goals. Some people without specialized diet requirements may need to hire a personal nutritionist as well, but many trainers, as I personally did, also receive certifications in sports nutrition and other nutritional disciplines in order to offer the most effective diet advice possible and in some cases even write personalized nutrition plans.
In the majority of cases, you will need to start out slow both with diet and exercise, especially if you have not exercised or followed a health eating plan in a very long time. The good news is that you can choose a private, semi-private or group training session so you can train along with a friend and not feel so alone. On the other hand, if you want to work alone with a trainer that can also be accomplished.
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Tags: Diet, exercise, fitness, massage, nutrition, personal trainer, personal training
Posted in Fitness Tips, Healthy Lifestyle, Motivation | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
An interesting fitness trend that I’ve seen popping up in since around 2010, is the idea of betting on yourself to lose weight. Say you want to lose 25 lbs in 6 months. You might bet $200 on the goal and when you accomplish it, you collect $400.
That’s a win-win situation, and will help to hold you more accountable for attaining your goals. Who wouldn’t want to lose weight and gain money, at the same time?!
Don’t get the wrong idea, this is not an industry full of gamblers and junkies – in fact it’s just the opposite! These websites and applications offer a social point for each individual to share his or her progress, they offer camaraderie and inspiration that you may never have had nor felt before. Diet betting communities allow you to connect with like minded folks who are committed to succeeding at the same goals as yourself.
Before you gamble WITH your life, gamble FOR your life. Winners on average lose about ten pounds and double their initial investment. Over 40% of participants usually win something and always lose at least a little weight.
There are even incentives for participants to stay healthy. In some cases you become disqualified if you lose too much weight. Dangerous weight loss behavior is flagged for losing, for example, more than 12% of their body mass in 4 weeks.
(more…)
Tags: betting, community, Diet, fitness, gambling, inspiration, money, nutrition
Posted in Contests, Diet, Motivation, Tools | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 24th, 2013
Are you in the market to gain muscle?
Building some hardcore muscle—without gaining fat along with it—is easier than you might think.
Here are some tips to start building muscle today.
Pump Up With Protein
Because muscle fibers are made up of many different proteins, protein is the #1 necessary ingredient to build muscle.
One study found participants who ate 20 grams protein every 3 hours significantly increased muscle building potential, compared with those who ate 40 g every 6 hours. [1] So, eating good amounts of protein throughout the day feeds muscles and keeps them raring to go.
The ideal daily protein intake is about 1 g protein per pound body weight. [2] So, a 200-pound man should eat about 200 g protein a day. Of course, this differs depending on individual needs.
The best high protein foods to eat are chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, eggs, beans, nuts, milk, and cheese. [2]
Many bodybuilders also use protein supplements, which provide a heavy dose of pure protein. Whey protein powder is generally the best choice because it has high protein content and lots of muscle-building branched chain amino acids. [3]
Be careful, though. Protein shouldn’t make up more than 30% of your caloric intake. Too much protein increases risk of kidney problems, dehydration, and other issues. [4]
(more…)
Tags: bodybuilder, bodybuilding, build muscle, building muscle, Diet, exercise, fitness, gain muscle, muscle gain, nutrition, workout
Posted in Bodybuilding, Diet, Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 17th, 2013
Take Your B’s to Build Huge Bis
Few people know the 8 B vitamins by name, but were you aware that they all contribute to the body’s ability to build muscle? They are often referred to as the vitamins that provide immune support and while this is helpful when training hard which can place a stress on the immune system, their role extends far beyond this.
Each plays a role in the metabolism, which is the processing of the foods we eat to ensure the release of energy needed to power muscle function, but also helps to support the nervous system to make co-ordinated movement possible. Here we take a look at each in turn, considering their importance and where they can be sourced from the diet, as well as how else you might be able to top up your intake of these essential nutrients.
Vitamin B1
Also known as thiamine, this vitamin is needed for the production of ATP, the substance which the body uses for energy release to enable muscle contraction to occur during weight training. It’s therefore no surprise that tiredness can be a sign that you aren’t getting enough of this micronutrient, which can interfere with the effort you are able to put into training.
Thiamine also controls the movement of electrolytes across cell membranes, which is needed for the nerves and the muscles that they control to function. The richest sources of this B vitamin are meats, brewer’s yeast, whole grains or cereals that have been fortified with b vitamins; in many countries it is mandatory that refined flour and white rice have thiamine added to them, as the processing removes the majority of this vitamin.
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Tags: build muscle, Diet, food, health, muscle gains, nutrients, nutrition, vitamin b, vitamins
Posted in Diet, Healthy Lifestyle, Nutrition Tip | 6 Comments »
Friday, August 30th, 2013
I read a blog post about how Tori Spelling recently lost weight simply by eating a balanced diet. This kind of ticked me off. Not because she is successful using this method, but because a common sense approach like this is news.
I have written about the “evil” diets before, you know the ones that tell you to eat no carbs, or no fat, or all protein and fat… or better yet, only eat this food that we happen to sell. I am not a fan of these, largely because as soon as they are over, the weight comes back on.
The best approach to diet and exercise is the simple one. I love the K.I.S.S. theory of Keep It Super Simple. The bottom line is to always maintain balance. The very second that we lose our balance, we go crashing face first to the floor.
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Tags: Diet, exercise, fat loss, K.I.S.S., lose fat, lose weight, nutrition, simple, weight loss
Posted in Diet, Exercise | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, August 7th, 2013
Should you eat Gluten
One of the hottest topics in the nutrition world in the last 3-5 years has been gluten-free diet. As usual, the media and a general population acting like sheeple have once again blown something out of proportion.
People are needlessly following a gluten free diet just because they heard about it in the media or read about it on the Internet. Some of these people have even lost weight. But why? Most likely because they cut down on carbs altogether, or at least started eating healthier carbs.
But the question is, do YOU need to be a on gluten free diet? And the answer is, probably not. Here’s why
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Tags: carbohydrates, carbs, celiac, Diet, dieting, eating, food, gluten, healthy, nutrition
Posted in Diet, Medical, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Thursday, August 1st, 2013
Top 5 Effective Healthy Eating Plans Review
Finding the right diet plan can be very challenging because there are plenty of diet plans to choose from. However, as long as you know the things to consider in choosing the best healthy diet plan, you can ensure that it will help you in losing weight. An effective and safe diet plan should be scientifically evaluated as well as recommended by the health and wellness authorities.
It is important to choose diet plan that helps the dieter not only in losing weight but also lead healthier life. Thus, you should know the top 5 diet plans that you can consider in losing weight.
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Tags: Diet, dietary, dieting, eat, eating, eating plan, food, health, healthy, nutrition
Posted in Diet, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Sunday, July 28th, 2013
When it comes to consuming our calories on a daily basis, one forgotten area is in the beverage area. The amount of calories that we drink on a daily basis might shock most. In fact, this was a rather hot topic recently in the media after a poll that was done in jolly ol’ England.
In one can of Coke Classic, your looking at 143 calories. 108 calories in a tall non-fat latte at your favorite coffee shop. These are just a couple of examples of modest size drinks.
Now lets talk meal replacement shakes. I just do not get the concept of these. You drink a shake that has 300+ calories in order to skip a meal. Why not just have a proper meal/snack of roughly the same calories. You will feel fuller because you have actual food in your stomach.
Of course there is a time and a place for a well-constructed protein shake made with either water or skim milk. Usually a shake like this will net you 20+ grams of protein, some vitamins and other nutrients, and usually can be kept around 200 calories. A nice shot of aminos in this way, will aid in recovery and help keep excess calories off your mid-section.
Then there is the whole argument that it is far better to get your nutrients from real, whole foods than from a drink. Anything that is in that shake was put there by a person. That is usually a clue that you want to avoid it. On the flip side, the nutrients in a proper meal were put there by Mother Nature. How did that old commercial go? “Don’t fool with Mother Nature.”
So there you go; a few good reasons to try to get your calories in your food, and not so much in your drink. That is unless you’re into blending together multiple fruits and veggies into a whole-foods smoothie. Now there’s a drink I can fully support.
Cheers!
Tags: drinks, food, meals, nutrition, shakes
Posted in Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
Monday, July 15th, 2013
How to Construct a Muscle Building Diet
Aside from opting for the right weight lifting strategies, what you consume before and after a workout is the most important piece of the muscle growth puzzle.
Get this: you can lift as hard you can, sweat as much as you can and spending endless hours in the gym, but as long as you don’t provide your body with the right stuff—diet-wise—your hard work will be futile.
Therefore, if you don’t want to compromise your hard effort and really seek to pile on the muscles faster and more efficiently, here are the diet guidelines you need to live by.
It starts with protein
Yes you know it. Every gym-rat out there is well aware of the importance of protein in muscle growth and proper recovery. If you’re protein-deficient, you won’t achieve any muscle growth no matter how committed you’re or how hard you push yourself in the gym.
Most studies and experts recommend shooting for at least 2g per kilo of bodyweight of protein. This amount may vary from one gym-rat to the next. But the harder you lift and push yourself in the gym, the more protein you’re going to need.
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Tags: build muscle, Diet, eating, food, muscle, muscle building, nutrition
Posted in Bodybuilding, Diet, Nutrition Tip | 1 Comment »
Friday, June 14th, 2013
Surprising Things You Probably Don’t Know About Calories
We are a calorie-obsessed country. We obsess about how many calories we consume on a daily basis and then we turn around an eat way too many of them. We know so much about calories and how they affect our body weight, but most of us don’t really know all that much. In fact, only about 12 percent of people in the USA can estimate how many calories they consume each day! Here are some facts about calories and how they work that just might surprise you!
Gym Machines Can’t Actually Accurately Measure Calories
Most people who work out hard at the gym have a mentality that they must sweat for their food. These people know that in order to lose weight they must work off all of the calories they have eaten in a day. This is great mentality to have, but you shouldn’t base what you can eat on how many calories you burned off on the treadmill.
Many people feel like they worked hard so they can eat whatever they want afterwards. This, sadly, is just not true. Don’t expect your gym’s workout machines to accurately predict how many calories you have burned off either.
You need to pay serious attention to how many calories you consume both before and after your workout, and you need to pay attention to how you are consuming those calories. For example, if you walk two miles on a treadmill, you might think you have done well and deserve a snack. But a very small handful of chips can quickly undo all of that work!
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Tags: calories, Diet, eating, fitness, food, meals, nutrition
Posted in Diet, Nutrition Tip | No Comments »
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