This past week I've been in Kansas City for the ISSFAL international conference. ISSFAL stands for "International Society of the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids" and is one of the top organizations for determining the health effects of fatty acids (dietary fat) on every tissue of the body.
This conference was amazing and I'll be blogging on the summary once I get back home. For now though, I've been waiting for the past 24 hours for a flight to get me back as the tornados in Colorado really messed up everyone's flight plans.
One thing I'd like to tell you all now is that fish oil fats are pretty much the best thing that a human can take to prevent disease and keep mental health in line. It can prevent heart attacks, reverse depression and treat ADHD. So, if you're not taking your fish oil and eating ocean raised salmon, you're really doing your body a disjustice.
From this conference I also learned that the quality of fish oil REALLY does matter and was introduced to a few companies and products that have the purest fish oil on the market; instead of using chemicals and heat to extract the fish fat, these companies use carbon dioxide. I'll reveal those companies to you this weekend. Yes, Costco brand fish oil may be cheap, but when you're taking a lot of it, you really want to get a brand that actually doesn't cost much more but is lower in toxic chemicals... and I'm not talking about mercury here.
Until then, I'm clicking my heels together 3 times and hoping my next flight actually gets me home. No more airports for me. :)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
VPX Zero Impact Bars - Correction
A few weeks ago I posted that VPX Zero Impact Bars were my absolute favorite meal replacement bar.
I love them because they don't contain any alcohol sugars known to upset the GI tract (i.e. maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol) and their low-glycemic carbohydrates (meaning that they don't impact blood sugar or insulin levels as much as simple carbs) come from all natural sources like oats, pumpkin and sweet potato.
Although their total caloric value (about 440 cals) seems a bit high, you would get full from eating half a bar. So, you would only consume about 220 cals for your one serving.
These bars taste VERY good and don't make me want to run to the bathroom after eating them.
THANK YOU VPX.
Anyhow, after I posted about these bars a few weeks ago, someone pointed out that the Vitamin Shoppe website lists that the bars DO contain maltitol in their ingredient list. I was very confused by this, so I contacted the company and they told me that this is INCORRECT and NONE of their bars have any maltitol in them AT ALL. Vitamin Shoppe is mistaken and needs to correct their information.
I still love Vitamin Shoppe and do most of my shopping there, but this information about VPX bars is wrong. Check out the labels and you'll see what I mean.
So, keep enjoying the bars just like I do :) (the VPX Redline Princess is also one of the best tasting energy drinks I've ever tried)
I love them because they don't contain any alcohol sugars known to upset the GI tract (i.e. maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol) and their low-glycemic carbohydrates (meaning that they don't impact blood sugar or insulin levels as much as simple carbs) come from all natural sources like oats, pumpkin and sweet potato.
Although their total caloric value (about 440 cals) seems a bit high, you would get full from eating half a bar. So, you would only consume about 220 cals for your one serving.
These bars taste VERY good and don't make me want to run to the bathroom after eating them.
THANK YOU VPX.
Anyhow, after I posted about these bars a few weeks ago, someone pointed out that the Vitamin Shoppe website lists that the bars DO contain maltitol in their ingredient list. I was very confused by this, so I contacted the company and they told me that this is INCORRECT and NONE of their bars have any maltitol in them AT ALL. Vitamin Shoppe is mistaken and needs to correct their information.
I still love Vitamin Shoppe and do most of my shopping there, but this information about VPX bars is wrong. Check out the labels and you'll see what I mean.
So, keep enjoying the bars just like I do :) (the VPX Redline Princess is also one of the best tasting energy drinks I've ever tried)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
NSCA Elections and Bylaw Changes - Please vote YES for the bylaw changes
Dear Friends,
Right now the NSCA is holding a vote to determine the fate of its future. It's proposing to change the state of its organization by altering its current bylaws to prevent theivery, lies and injustice as much as it can.
To explain: the NSCA has a division called the Certification Commission, that, over the past 20 years has been operating as its own identity; it spends the NSCA money, without telling the NSCA what for, and then takes no responsibility for its own actions if it makes mistakes - it just sends the blame to the NSCA. This situation is causing a lot of distress among loyal and honest members of the NSCA and it's the NSCA's hope, that this can be changed so community can be restored. To learn more about why you should vote YES for the NSCA bylaw changes, please read the below information from Joel Cramer, PhD and current chair of the Research Committee - take it from someone who is in the "know" and deals with this right now.
http://friendsofnsca.blogspot.com/2008/05/truth-about-nsca-bylaw-changes-vote-yes.html
Please keep in mind that the points made my Joel are not "his" opinions alone, they are supported by others that have worked or currently work with the NSCA.
Please do what is right to protect the NSCA and the CSCS and CPT certifications by voting YES to the bylaw changes:
http://www.nsca-lift.org/elections/default.asp
Right now the NSCA is holding a vote to determine the fate of its future. It's proposing to change the state of its organization by altering its current bylaws to prevent theivery, lies and injustice as much as it can.
To explain: the NSCA has a division called the Certification Commission, that, over the past 20 years has been operating as its own identity; it spends the NSCA money, without telling the NSCA what for, and then takes no responsibility for its own actions if it makes mistakes - it just sends the blame to the NSCA. This situation is causing a lot of distress among loyal and honest members of the NSCA and it's the NSCA's hope, that this can be changed so community can be restored. To learn more about why you should vote YES for the NSCA bylaw changes, please read the below information from Joel Cramer, PhD and current chair of the Research Committee - take it from someone who is in the "know" and deals with this right now.
http://friendsofnsca.blogspot.com/2008/05/truth-about-nsca-bylaw-changes-vote-yes.html
Please keep in mind that the points made my Joel are not "his" opinions alone, they are supported by others that have worked or currently work with the NSCA.
Please do what is right to protect the NSCA and the CSCS and CPT certifications by voting YES to the bylaw changes:
http://www.nsca-lift.org/elections/default.asp
Thursday, May 1, 2008
FitnessRx June 2008 Issue: A Skinny Bitch is not what women really want
CONGRATULATIONS FITNESSRX!!!! Thank you for publishing one of the best issues of your magazine that I've read in a long time.
For those of you who have NO idea what I'm talking about, please head to your local newstands and pick up the June 2008 issue of FitnessRX for Women.
In this issue, the contributing writers along with the editorial staff go in depth about why being SKINNY (or working to be "SKINNY") is not a healthy or sensible choice for 99% of the women on this planet.
This issue was developed in response to the popular diet book that is clouding the rational thoughts of women everywhere: "Skinny Bitch" released Jan 2006 by Running Press. The premise behind this book is that all people are gluttons and fat-pigs (directly stated in the book) and to get skinny, you need to eat like a vegan (no animal products AT ALL).
In the feature article of FitnessRx June 2008, Dr Susan Kleiner, an expert in sports nutrition and weight loss, and author of The Good Mood Diet and Power Eating, gives her thoughts and critique of this so-called diet masterpiece. To quote her writing in the article titled, "Skinny Bitch: Is it Hip to be a Vegan?" (which I love):
In the world of diet and nutrition, while sensationalism may be what sells fast, it's science that gives you the results that last. It's too bad that Skinny Bitch, one of the latest fat books that promotes a vegan diet bases the recommendation on recycled diet fad myths and plain old bastardization of nuggets of true research data. ....
In terms of this book, I really tried to look past the nasty, repulsive language that must be aimed at women with very low self-esteem. Ignoring the message that you are a fat pig until you get skinny, and then you can be a skinny bitch; I tried to see if there was some sound advice to be gleaned from the book. At first, I thought there might be. The authors promote a vegan lifestyle, are clear that smoking and drinking are bad for you and want everyone to exercise. But when digestion is described as meat rotting in your intestines and that fruit should always be eaten alone or it won't be digested, the creative writing started to get to me. To top it off, the only "experts" quoted in the book are the authors' gurus, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond- the king and queen of farcical nutrition mythology.
Kleiner then goes on to not bash the book, but to show what benefits one can have by eating less meat (not NO meat), which in her opinion, promotes increased intake of fruits and vegetables. Again, to quote:
The problem is not really that meat is so bad for you, but that grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables are so good for you! If you always make meat and animal products the center of your diet, you just don't have enough room left to eat all the fabulous plant foods necessary to promote health and ward off disease.
Susan is a brilliant woman and her whole article is of great importance to read.
Later in the issue of the magazine, follows such articles as "Is Skinny Healthy?" by Dan Gwartney, MD and "Why She's no Skinny Bitch: How Kim Kardashian Trains to Keep Her Curves".
You'll also notice that the cover boasts a beautiful model (Kim K) that has great hips and arms that actually look like they've got some meat on them rather than being sticks thinner than tooth picks.
Now, I'm not sure if I had ANYTHING to do with it, as last year I came down hard on FitnessRx for promoting ultra-skinny cover models, in my post, "Model, Role Model, Role Those Models in Blood. Get some flesh to stick so they look like us." But, whether or not I did, I'm glad to see real-world women with curves and healthy body fat being the role models that women look at when they pick up their favorite magazine.
THANK YOU AGAIN FITNESSRX
For those of you who have NO idea what I'm talking about, please head to your local newstands and pick up the June 2008 issue of FitnessRX for Women.
In this issue, the contributing writers along with the editorial staff go in depth about why being SKINNY (or working to be "SKINNY") is not a healthy or sensible choice for 99% of the women on this planet.
This issue was developed in response to the popular diet book that is clouding the rational thoughts of women everywhere: "Skinny Bitch" released Jan 2006 by Running Press. The premise behind this book is that all people are gluttons and fat-pigs (directly stated in the book) and to get skinny, you need to eat like a vegan (no animal products AT ALL).
In the feature article of FitnessRx June 2008, Dr Susan Kleiner, an expert in sports nutrition and weight loss, and author of The Good Mood Diet and Power Eating, gives her thoughts and critique of this so-called diet masterpiece. To quote her writing in the article titled, "Skinny Bitch: Is it Hip to be a Vegan?" (which I love):
In the world of diet and nutrition, while sensationalism may be what sells fast, it's science that gives you the results that last. It's too bad that Skinny Bitch, one of the latest fat books that promotes a vegan diet bases the recommendation on recycled diet fad myths and plain old bastardization of nuggets of true research data. ....
In terms of this book, I really tried to look past the nasty, repulsive language that must be aimed at women with very low self-esteem. Ignoring the message that you are a fat pig until you get skinny, and then you can be a skinny bitch; I tried to see if there was some sound advice to be gleaned from the book. At first, I thought there might be. The authors promote a vegan lifestyle, are clear that smoking and drinking are bad for you and want everyone to exercise. But when digestion is described as meat rotting in your intestines and that fruit should always be eaten alone or it won't be digested, the creative writing started to get to me. To top it off, the only "experts" quoted in the book are the authors' gurus, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond- the king and queen of farcical nutrition mythology.
Kleiner then goes on to not bash the book, but to show what benefits one can have by eating less meat (not NO meat), which in her opinion, promotes increased intake of fruits and vegetables. Again, to quote:
The problem is not really that meat is so bad for you, but that grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables are so good for you! If you always make meat and animal products the center of your diet, you just don't have enough room left to eat all the fabulous plant foods necessary to promote health and ward off disease.
Susan is a brilliant woman and her whole article is of great importance to read.
Later in the issue of the magazine, follows such articles as "Is Skinny Healthy?" by Dan Gwartney, MD and "Why She's no Skinny Bitch: How Kim Kardashian Trains to Keep Her Curves".
You'll also notice that the cover boasts a beautiful model (Kim K) that has great hips and arms that actually look like they've got some meat on them rather than being sticks thinner than tooth picks.
Now, I'm not sure if I had ANYTHING to do with it, as last year I came down hard on FitnessRx for promoting ultra-skinny cover models, in my post, "Model, Role Model, Role Those Models in Blood. Get some flesh to stick so they look like us." But, whether or not I did, I'm glad to see real-world women with curves and healthy body fat being the role models that women look at when they pick up their favorite magazine.
THANK YOU AGAIN FITNESSRX
Monday, April 28, 2008
Green tea may help your body recover quicker from weight training
I thought this was very interesting. From Nutraingredients.com. Another reason why drinking your daily green tea can help your recovery from hard workouts:
By Stephen Daniells
15-Apr-2008 - Antioxidant-rich green tea may counter the effects of resistance exercise by reducing the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, suggests a small trial from Brazil.
While the thought of athletes knocking back a cup of green tea after a workout may seem strange, it may signal a possibility for antioxidant-rich green tea extracts to be formulated in sports drinks, and supported by science like the new study from the May issue of the journal Nutrition.
Researchers from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and the Center of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Sports of Santa Catarina State University studied the effects of daily green tea consumption for seven days in athletes undertaking resistance training, which can increase the production of free radicals beyond the tissues' antioxidant defense capacity, and causing oxidative stress.
"This study suggests that green tea intake may offer a protective effect against oxidative damaged induced by resistance exercise."
Study details
Panza and co-workers recruited 14 healthy men aged between 19 and 30 to consume either water or green tea three times per day for seven days. The average polyphenol content of the tea was 771.0 micrograms per mL, while the average intake of green tea polyphenols was calculated to be 4.6 micrograms per day.
After seven days of consuming the beverages, the volunteers were required to perform a bench press exercise (four sets, 10 to 4 repetitions). The researchers analysed blood samples and calculated the total antioxidant capacity according to the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay, and levels of reduced glutathione and lipid hydroperoxide.
According to the results, consumption of green tea was associated with a 64 per cent reduction in the levels of lipid hydroperoxide after exercise, while blood levels of polyphenols were approximately 27 per cent high before and after exercise. Moreover, post-exercise levels of glutathione, a protein that is important in protecting the body from oxidative (free radical) damage, were approximately 37 per cent higher in the green tea group.
"There is evidence that supplementation with antioxidants may decrease the oxidation of blood GSH after exercise," stated the researchers. "Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that dietary strategies, such as daily GT intake, may also benefit the glutathione system of athletes by elevating blood GSH levels before and after effort."
Consumption of green tea also provided pre-exercise benefits, with the pre-exercise FRAP value about 21 per cent higher compared with the control group."
Consumption of green tea, a beverage rich in polyphenols, may offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by exercise, and dietary guidance for sports participants should be emphasised," concluded the researchers.
Panza and co-workers also noted that future studies should elucidate the time course and recovery periods associated with green tea consumption, while other studies "should corroborate our findings using other polyphenol-rich foods and beverages, thus widening the dietary strategies applied to training."
Source: Nutrition (Elsevier)May 2008, Volume 24, Issue 5, Pages 433-442"Consumption of green tea favorably affects oxidative stress markers in weight-trained men"Authors: V.S. Pereira Panza, E. Wazlawik, G.R. Schutz, L. Comin, K.C. Hecht, E.L. da Silva
By Stephen Daniells
15-Apr-2008 - Antioxidant-rich green tea may counter the effects of resistance exercise by reducing the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, suggests a small trial from Brazil.
While the thought of athletes knocking back a cup of green tea after a workout may seem strange, it may signal a possibility for antioxidant-rich green tea extracts to be formulated in sports drinks, and supported by science like the new study from the May issue of the journal Nutrition.
Researchers from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, and the Center of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Sports of Santa Catarina State University studied the effects of daily green tea consumption for seven days in athletes undertaking resistance training, which can increase the production of free radicals beyond the tissues' antioxidant defense capacity, and causing oxidative stress.
"This study suggests that green tea intake may offer a protective effect against oxidative damaged induced by resistance exercise."
Study details
Panza and co-workers recruited 14 healthy men aged between 19 and 30 to consume either water or green tea three times per day for seven days. The average polyphenol content of the tea was 771.0 micrograms per mL, while the average intake of green tea polyphenols was calculated to be 4.6 micrograms per day.
After seven days of consuming the beverages, the volunteers were required to perform a bench press exercise (four sets, 10 to 4 repetitions). The researchers analysed blood samples and calculated the total antioxidant capacity according to the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay, and levels of reduced glutathione and lipid hydroperoxide.
According to the results, consumption of green tea was associated with a 64 per cent reduction in the levels of lipid hydroperoxide after exercise, while blood levels of polyphenols were approximately 27 per cent high before and after exercise. Moreover, post-exercise levels of glutathione, a protein that is important in protecting the body from oxidative (free radical) damage, were approximately 37 per cent higher in the green tea group.
"There is evidence that supplementation with antioxidants may decrease the oxidation of blood GSH after exercise," stated the researchers. "Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that dietary strategies, such as daily GT intake, may also benefit the glutathione system of athletes by elevating blood GSH levels before and after effort."
Consumption of green tea also provided pre-exercise benefits, with the pre-exercise FRAP value about 21 per cent higher compared with the control group."
Consumption of green tea, a beverage rich in polyphenols, may offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by exercise, and dietary guidance for sports participants should be emphasised," concluded the researchers.
Panza and co-workers also noted that future studies should elucidate the time course and recovery periods associated with green tea consumption, while other studies "should corroborate our findings using other polyphenol-rich foods and beverages, thus widening the dietary strategies applied to training."
Source: Nutrition (Elsevier)May 2008, Volume 24, Issue 5, Pages 433-442"Consumption of green tea favorably affects oxidative stress markers in weight-trained men"Authors: V.S. Pereira Panza, E. Wazlawik, G.R. Schutz, L. Comin, K.C. Hecht, E.L. da Silva
Friday, April 25, 2008
Mr Protein.com, a new place to get your supplements at a great price!
I'm one of those people who LOVE their supplements (mostly protein and vitamins), and I've just discovered a new place to get inexpensive whey protein in addition to a many other great items all online. The site is Mr Protein and is based on the West Coast. Here's the information from their site:
Welcome to MrProtein.Com! The West Coast's Premier online retailer where you'll find quality, selection and always the lowest prices as well as the fastest West Coast service.
Look no further because if it's not on the site now, we can get it. Its that simple. With our own warehouse we can access just about any supplement you need, regardless if you see it or not. This is YOUR home, your place for info on the hottest new Bodybuilding and Nutritional Supplements on the market as well as info on how to live that California Bodybuilding lifestyle anywhere in the United States.
Don't play the shipping game; MrProtein.Com guarantees the lowest prices on the web and is committed to customer service, getting your products to you quickly and always FREE SHIPPING!
So, if you're a supplement fan like me and know the benefit of shopping online, I highly recommend Mr Protein to meet your needs.
Welcome to MrProtein.Com! The West Coast's Premier online retailer where you'll find quality, selection and always the lowest prices as well as the fastest West Coast service.
Look no further because if it's not on the site now, we can get it. Its that simple. With our own warehouse we can access just about any supplement you need, regardless if you see it or not. This is YOUR home, your place for info on the hottest new Bodybuilding and Nutritional Supplements on the market as well as info on how to live that California Bodybuilding lifestyle anywhere in the United States.
Don't play the shipping game; MrProtein.Com guarantees the lowest prices on the web and is committed to customer service, getting your products to you quickly and always FREE SHIPPING!
So, if you're a supplement fan like me and know the benefit of shopping online, I highly recommend Mr Protein to meet your needs.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Review of Perfect Body Diet in Toronto Star (Canada)
A friend of mine, Vivian, recently tipped me off to an excellent review of Women's Health Perfect Body Diet in the Toronto Star newspaper, a printing out of Canada (my home country). The review was very positive and if you'd like to read it, please go here.
Thanks to Vivian, here's the take away at the end:
EXPERT VERDICT: "This is a well-rounded, nutritionally sound diet plan that is definitely geared to women, especially those who have some nutrition and fitness knowledge. Since the diet is lower in calories and lower in carbohydrates, most people will lose weight."
OUR VERDICT: Best for those who are familiar with the nutrition and fitness world and who have less than 25 pounds to lose. This will take some dedication to fruits and veggies and requires regular dates with the treadmill!
To get your own copy of PBD, you can visit your local bookstore, go online, OR, my mother in Canada told me it's also at Costco! :)
Then, to get your own supply of the purest, most convienient glucomannan, to help you stay full and stick with your diet plan, visit www.yourperfectmannan.com.
Thanks Vivian!
Thanks to Vivian, here's the take away at the end:
EXPERT VERDICT: "This is a well-rounded, nutritionally sound diet plan that is definitely geared to women, especially those who have some nutrition and fitness knowledge. Since the diet is lower in calories and lower in carbohydrates, most people will lose weight."
OUR VERDICT: Best for those who are familiar with the nutrition and fitness world and who have less than 25 pounds to lose. This will take some dedication to fruits and veggies and requires regular dates with the treadmill!
To get your own copy of PBD, you can visit your local bookstore, go online, OR, my mother in Canada told me it's also at Costco! :)
Then, to get your own supply of the purest, most convienient glucomannan, to help you stay full and stick with your diet plan, visit www.yourperfectmannan.com.
Thanks Vivian!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
ROTATING_4+copy.gif)
