Everybody probably knows what the #1 most important meal of the day is. It’s breakfast. That fact has been drilled into us since we were little. It sets your body’s tone and metabolism for the day. Fat loss is virtually impossible with out it.

Problem is a lot of people don’t know about this little fat loss secret I’m about to share with you. What you eat before a workout is one of the most important things you can do during the day for ultimate fat loss. Without a solid pre-workout nutrition regiment your post-workout meal will be a lot less effective.

The questions I get asked the most are ‘what’ and when’ to eat this meal. First off let’s talk about why you need to be eating this meal.

The pre-workout meal ensures that you will have adequate nutrition to make it through your workout. You should concentrate on getting fuel into your body. And the body’s best fuel source is carbohydrates. Most importantly you want to concentrate on complex or fibrous carbs, which are the carbs that give you sustained energy. What you are doing with these carbs is making sure that your glycogen levels (stored carbohydrates) are full, because when you workout your body pulls the carbs out of glycogen storage to be used as energy. So if you your levels are depleted, like when you wake up in the morning, and you skip the pre-workout meal then you have no glycogen to pull out. So the body will resort to pulling lean muscle tissue off your muscles to fuel the workout, which results in less muscle mass, decreased metabolism, and increased fat gain.

You also need to get a lean source of protein. Protein should be consumed with every meal regardless, to keep the protein (amino acid) stores up.

If you workout on an empty stomach your body doesn’t have any energy. You can’t give 100% intensity, and if you do you will most likely feel sick, light-headed, and nauseous. You will reach fatigue a lot quicker also.

When to eat this meal ideally would be at least 60 minutes before hand. And about 60-90 minutes is a good time range. This will give the body enough time to digest the meal and give the body a full dose of energy for the workout. If this is not possible, as in an early morning workout then 20-30 minutes should suffice, but the meal should be a lot lighter. Early morning workouts are ideal for a meal replacement shake, especially if you have trouble eating so early.

Now to the part you probably care, and want to know the most about—what to eat. The best carbohydrate source to eat before a workout would be oatmeal in milk, or some added whey protein if lactose intolerant. It supplies long lasting energy and is a good source of protein when combined with milk. Other things you could consider would be a bowl of cereal, peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat, fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and energy bars. But be careful with the bars, I only really recommend Lara Bars, Luna, Cliff Bars, and Prograde Cravers, other then that it pretty much is just eating a bunch of sugar and chemicals.

Good choices of protein would be whey protein shakes, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean cuts of steak, fish, or meal replacement shakes or bars.

The meal replacement shake I use is Prograde Lean. It’s definitely the best tasting one I’ve found. And the whey protein I use is Buy Bulk Whey. It’s a natural protein, which is good because you can mix it with almost anything and it will maintain its flavor. I add it to yogurt, pancakes, Gatorade, fruit juices, and a lot of different recipes.

Jason Yun, a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Sports Nutritionist, is the owner of Yun Strength and Fitness Systems, LLC and runs Yun Fitness Bootcamps in Columbus, OH and the Metabolism Makeover Nutrition Course. Please visit the website for more information about pre-workout nutrition supplements at: www.Yuntraining.com/lean.html and www.Yuntraining.com/whey.html

Popularity: 23% [?]

By: Rebecca Vitali

Everyone is thinking about diet this time of year. Time to think about bathing suit weather. To have a healthy diet, consume your food from the four basic food groups. Think about eating them in proper proportions and you will lose weight. If you are an average person, not too large or too small, you will most likely consume about 2000-2500 calories a day. The best proportions are 50% of your calories will be carbohydrates, 30% will come from fat (some fat is good for you) and 20% will come from lean proteins.

Carbohydrates are the main source of compounds needed for energy. Simple sugars, such as glucose and fructose, are rapidly broken down in the intestine and absorbed. Some processing starts the minute they hit your tongue. Complex carbohydrates – starches, such as those found in potatoes – take longer, but are also healthy in moderation.

Fats have a bad rap. Fats are chemically on par with carbohydrates. They contain fatty acids that are essential to health. When you consume Proteins they are lysed (split) in order to create amino acids. The amino acids are then recombined to make up the proteins used in muscles and other parts of the body.

Meat is a valid and healthy source of protein for almost everyone. About 3 ounces per meal is about right for the average sized person. A cup of pasta is a good source of carbohydrates. Two cups of leafy green vegetables supply fiber, minerals and vitamins.

A balanced meal can be made up of a serving of meat or other protein source, starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, corn or potatoes, and fruit. Easy on the butter or margarine, go light on cheese, sauces and anything high in sugar or fat.

Fat contains nine calories per gram, which is double than other energy sources. Thus, you need to keep those foods high in fat down to modest levels. That also helps control cholesterol levels.

Carbohydrates, on the other hand have just four calories per gram. Some of our favorites are fruits (strawberries, apples, pears), nuts (pistachios, macadamia, walnuts. Try to avoid fatty peanuts or cashews) and grains (they supply fiber and minerals).

Why is candy bad, unless consumed in very modest portions? Because they are designed to be high in fat, high in sugar with much lower amounts of helpful nutrients. Neither fat nor sugar are harmful in moderation. Indeed, they’re essential to good health. But when consumed in a form that contains an excessive proportion, they provide enormous calories and fewer other nutrients.

If you create a list of items that you consume daily, it will show you the amount of helpful nutrients broken down into how many calories each contains. There are numerous calculators that can help you put a little math into your diet plan. This information will aide you in reducing the other number you obsess over – what shows on your scale in morning.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

If you are considering supplements and life change options, explore Rebecca Vitali’s site to find out more information about topics such as Weight Loss and other Nutritional Facts You can get a unique content version of this article.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Most people have depleted energy reserves and describe their day as running on empty. Having enough energy to lead a happy and productive life is missing for most people.

Mental and emotional demands use energy. And every physical effort requires energy. As energy resources dwindle, they must be re-filled. But for many people, this doesn’t happen. Life is stressful and it drains our energy.

As we experience daily stresses, our hormonal system plays a large role and the adrenal gland is the orchestra leader in instructing the body’s parts what to do. The primary stress handling system is called the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. This system turns-on to deal with all the stress we experience. But, after it starts to rev up, it must go back to its resting position.

The Stress Response System Must Turn-On, Then Turn-Off

Unfortunately, for many people, it rarely turns off so it has no chance to recover and heal. The adrenal gland has two parts: the medulla which secretes adrenaline. This is the well-known fight-or-flight hormone. Quick acting, it prepares us to fight or flee from imminent danger.

The adrenal cortex secretes cortisol which acts more slowly and is the primary hormone involved in dealing with chronic stress, such as war. Medical studies of the chronic and extreme fatigue syndromes have implicated the HPA axis as being involved.

It was in the late 1800′s when the idea that a deficient release of cortisol may cause fatigue states. But, today there is little consensus among medical researchers about whether or not cortisol is involved in fatigue.

The primary reason for the lack of a definitive answer about adrenal fatigue syndrome is due to the wide range of variations in measuring adrenal output. People with adrenal insufficiency are at risk for adrenal crisis, usually caused by a major stress, such as severe infection or surgery.

Most People Suffer From Sub-Clinical (No Diagnosis) Fatigue

For most chronically fatigued persons, the medical investigation does not turn-up any specific dysfunction or cause. Only about 1-2% of chronically fatigued persons are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The lack of a diagnosis and the lack of support of the physician don’t make the condition any less real to the individual.

Recent studies have shown that the HPA axis is likely involved and that, in particular, there is a diminished contribution from the adrenal gland via its production of cortisol. Recent studies have shown that adrenal gland size is reduced by 50% in those diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

This evidence supports the idea that adrenal fatigue syndrome arises from a reduced cortisol output because of the reduced size of the adrenal gland. Adrenal gland reduced capacity is likely involved in all cases of chronic and extreme fatigue. From a medical point of view, this understanding has not led to the development of any effective therapies.

In the field of alternative medicine, however, nutritional supplementation plans, such as the use of DHEA, and more complex programs involving exercise, diet, vitamin/mineral complexes, and the judicious use of specific herbal formulations suggest that adrenal fatigue syndrome can be dealt with effectively.

Many people are now turning to alternative medicine because their doctors offer no effective strategies for dealing with fatigue and other medical conditions for which there are no effective treatments. This movement alarms medical doctors who make all kinds or outrageous statements about how dangerous it is to use “unproven” therapies. Patients often undertake alternative treatments and never inform their doctors.

Popularity: 27% [?]

You wouldnt think that it would be possible to lose weight while eating more, would you? It goes against just about everything we believe and everything we have been taught.

However, once you can see how our bodies process food, and how this is controlled by our brains, the subject gets a lot easier to grasp.

There are a lot of false ideas about why we put on weight, why we keep it on, and what we can do to lose it again. And most weight-loss vendors have a poor understanding of the root causes of the body’s storage of fat.

Food has always been seen as the issue for dieters, and how to get by with less of it. But it’s not correct to say that food is our problem. Neither is eating less the answer.

How many people would believe that you can change your body in 11 days – losing 9 pounds in the process? Very few – it would be a radical concept to most.

Yet, this has been achieved and documented. The methods used have been tried and tested, and are being used by people around the world.

In its simplest form, the system is built around the fat that when we eat, out brain produces 2 types of hormones. One of these controls the burning of fat and the other, the storing of fat.

And the production of these hormones can be controlled ” more of the fat-burning type can be produced, less of the fat storage type, by consuming certain specific foods.

It’s a very clever system – controlling our fat-processing hormones through food. By eating certain foods (and in the correct order), you can “signal” those fat-burning hormones to work for you.

It’s important, for the system to work as it was designed, that you eat more than 3 meals a day, according to the pattern. This is a critical part of it.

Its a very effective dieting system, and it works faster than most systems that are available now. It works better than any low-carb or low-fat diet, and a lot less stressful.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Can you say that the food we eat can lead us to a long and healthy life? Not all foods are the same so choosing what food to eat can determine whether you can increase life expectancy and improve the quality of your life.

Need vitality, energy and good health? Here are the top ten super foods.

1. Oatmeal – This food can lower your blood cholesterol as well as keep your blood sugar constant. It is growing in popularity as such. It does not matter how you prepare it, it can provide you with fiber that your body needs and keep hunger at bay.

2. Beans – If they give you gas, take measures before you eat them. Soaking them first can help. Beans of all kinds (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, Northern) are high in protein. This is plant protein so it [carries|contains very little fat, calories, carbs. If fiber is a problem in your diet, eating a healthy portion of beans each day can make your digestive system healthy.

3. Allium foods – This class of foods includes garlic, onions, leeks and shallots. Garlic is known for lowering cholesterol. Allium vegetables help guard the body against the risk of cancer and many other ailments. They also help prevent blood clots and lower blood pressure levelslower blood pressure and prevent blood clots. Eating these power packed vegetables in their natural state especially garlic increases their health benefits.

4. Fruits – Fruits are filled with antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A. Antioxidants fight free radical damage in the body and reduce cancer risk. Berries such as blueberries, acai, and grapes have the highest amount of antioxidants. But choose an array of fruits in a wide variety of colors for maximum health. The antioxidants in fruit supercharges the immune system to fight the effects of aging in the body.

5. Flax seed – They contain healthful omega-3 fatty acids just like salmon. Aside from that omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids can also be found in flaxseed. These seeds can help fight heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. Ground flax is also a major ingredient in the budwig diet to fight cancer.

6. Salmon – Just like flax seeds, salmon is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It reduces diseases of the heart and atherosclerosis. Salmon contain good fat that is proven to improve health in adults as well as children. Its protein can help build muscle tissue when eaten after an exercise.

7. Nuts and seeds – Nuts are high in fat but those fats are the friendly kind. Peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and pistachios are all providers of good fats and protein. Crush them into a fine powder and use as a covering instead of higher carb bread crumbs. Nuts help to bring down cholesterol levels. Eat them right out of the shell with no additives for best results.

8. Peppers – Peppers come in different colors. They contain fat soluble antioxidants (beta-carotene) as well as water soluble antioxidants like vitamin C. Its taste can range from mild sweet to very hot. Capsaicin is a substance that can be found in all pepper varieties. Notable properties of capsaicin are: anti-inflammatory, lower the risk of cancer, lower the risk of heart disease, and a pain reliever.

9. Yogurt – The fat free variety can give more health benefits to you. It is high in protein, vitamin B, and calcium. You can take yogurt as a calcium source if you do not drink milk. Your digestive system can also benefit from this food because it contains live friendly bacteria.

10. Acai – This is probably the berry which contain the highest amount of antioxidants. This food can also increase your energy. Acai berry juice, drinks and supplements can be purchased from health food supplies.

Start eating the right foods and you are on your way to a healthier and better you.

Popularity: 19% [?]