Why is potassium important and what are the best sources to find them in?

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Potassium is an electrolyte which regulates the ph balance of the fluid in your body with most of it being found inside the cells of your body and a small amount being found in the blood. Potassium makes proteins from amino acids, prevents cramping, metabolizes carbohydrates, aids in muscle contraction, and aids in muscle growth.

The minimum daily amount you should consume is 3,500 mg and should be increased if you are an athletic individual. You should consume twice the amount of potassium as you do sodium.

Ideally you want to consume foods with a high low ratio of potassium to sodium, as sodium will retain water in the body. Good sources of potassium with low levels of sodium include bananas, nuts, broccoli, apples, salmon, flounder, baked potato with skin, figs, boiled soy beans, sardines, wholemeal pasta, etc.

Some of the best sources to consume would be:

Bananas at 400 mg of potassium and 1 mg of sodium

Baked potato w/ skin at 600 mg of potassium and 12 mg of sodium

Boiled plantain at 500 mg of potassium and 4 mg of sodium

Apricots at 1380 mg of potassium and 15 mg of sodium

What are Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) ?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

EFA’s are the good fats that the body needs for multiple purposes such as movement of oxygen through the blood, helps lower your LDL’s (Low Density Lipoprotein), supports the cardiovascular system, immune system, nervous system, and reproductive system. They are necessary for strong organs and tissues by aiding in cell membranes development, strength and function.

There are a few different kinds. There are Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. Omega 3 and 6 are fatty acids that the body can not produce on its own and has to be taken in by either supplements or foods. Omega 9 is an essential but not an EFA technically, because the body can produce a limited amount on its own.

Omega 3’s are used for cell formation making them flexible, and improving circulation and oxygen uptake. Low levels of Omega 3’s will result in blood clotting, decreased immune function, poor vision, decreased memory, decreased mental function, irregular heartbeats, learning inabilities. You can find Omega 3’s in flaxseed oil, tuna, anchovies, dark green leafy vegetables, avocadoes, sesame seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.

Omega 6’s are beneficial for PMS, rheumatoid arthritis, some skin disorders, and also aids in the treatment for cancer. You can find Omega 6’s in flaxseeds, hempseeds, pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, pistachio nuts, olive oil, evening primrose oil, chicken, etc.

Omega 9’s aids in cancer treatments, lowers heart attack risk, lowers arteriosclerosis. You can find Omega 9’s in nuts such as peanuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts. Also can be found in avocados, and olive oil.

What is the difference between whey and casein protein and when should I use them?

Sunday, August 9, 2009

There is a significant difference between whey and casein protein. Whey protein is a fast digesting protein whereas casein is a slow digesting protein. Whey usually peaks in its release of amino acids and protein synthesis in about forty minutes with a total digestion at about an hour. Whereas casein protein will peak in its release of blood amino acids and protein synthesis in about four hours and can take up to seven hours for full digestion.

The ideal times to use whey proteins are first thing in the morning and right after your work out. You would want to take a whey protein shake first thing when in the morning when you wake up because your body has been feeding all night long and is completely depleted of all vitamins and nutrients. Since whey is digested quickly it will bring the body back up into a normal level. You would then want to eat a breakfast meal within 30 – 60 minutes of the shake. You would also want to take a whey protein shake immediately after your workout because you have just used up all of the body’s stored energy in order to handle the workload of your weight training program. Quick tip – make sure that your whey protein also has glutamine and amino acids in it for quality gains. Like breakfast, you would want to eat a solid meal within 30-60 minutes of your workout.

Since casein protein is a slow digesting protein you would want to take this before you went to sleep. This will give a sustained release of protein and vitamins throughout the night when you are sleeping preventing the body to feed off of your muscle that you have worked so hard to gain. This is really the only time that you would want to take a casein protein.

However, since everyone has a different lifestyle and schedule and not everyone can get every meal in, you could take a shake to help ensure that you are getting your protein and amino acids in. You would want to take it like this: 50/50 whey and casein blend. The whey is fast digesting fueling your body right away and the casein is slowly digesting giving a sustained release for a couple of hours. The casein protein is also thicker giving you a sense of satiety and not leaving you with hunger pains. Now this is not to be done on a regular basis as a meal replacement, as solid food is the best source of proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats, and carbohydrates. You want to try to get your solid meals in as often as you can.

What is the metabolism? Is it possible to speed it up?

Your metabolism is a collection of chemical reactions in your body that break down the food consumed and utilize it for several of the body’s necessary functions. The metabolism will break down carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals all to be used within the body for mental function, growth, weight loss, etc.

Your metabolism is responsible for your body’s weight loss. Some people genetically have a faster or slower metabolism than others. People with faster metabolism can break down sugars foods faster than others thus keeping them slimmer than those with slower metabolisms. However as we age our metabolism will slow down resulting in weight loss. Your metabolism is governed by your endocrine and nervous systems.

There are two processes that work hand in hand with one another that make up the metabolism. They are catabolism and anabolism. Catabolism is considered the “destructive metabolism” and is responsible for breaking down the various kinds of foods, vitamins, sugars, fats, carbohydrates that you consume. The catabolism process is what creates the energy for the body to use for various functions such as heating the body, energy for all muscles (even the heart), and mental function.

Anabolism is considered your “constructive metabolism.” Unlike catabolism, anabolism stores the energy for a later use rather than to be used right away. It also promotes growth in cells and support of tissues. Without anabolism the cells would decay resulting in failing organs and tissues.

In order to use your metabolism for fat burning you need to keep It sparking and working fast. The way to do this is to eat more meals frequently. Now this doesn’t mean to eat large portions at every meal. You want to keep your portions small and eat 5 - 6 times a day. The reason why this works for fat loss is that by consuming smaller more frequent meals you are always keeping the metabolism working. When you consume 1 – 2 meals a day the metabolism will slow down to in an attempt to balance out the nutrient deployment until the next meal is consumed.

With a combination of eating clean healthier foods 5-6 times a day and a healthy exercise program you will start shedding off the unwanted fat in no time.

When Is The Best Time For My Cardio Training?

Sunday, August 2, 2009

So let’s clear up the confusion of when is the best time to do your cardio training. Most people who come in to the gym tell me all the time that they do their cardio first then their workout, but they are not seeing any results and are getting frustrated. Well you are going to kick yourself in the rear after I tell you how simple this is. Let me first explain where your body gets its energy sources from and how to better understand how carbohydrates are used within the body. There are many functions for carbs, and one of them is for energy. Here is a brief explanation.

The consumption of carbohydrates is stored into the body in a few ways. It is converted into glycogen and stored in the liver, converted from glycogen to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) in the muscles, and any extra excess of carbs are then converted and stored into the body as fat. So when you first perform any exercise you are running off of the ATP in the muscles and the glycogen stores in the liver. Once these are depleted then the body will use the fat as the energy source.

There are two optimal times that you would want to do your cardio training. Your ideal time of day to do your cardio would be first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up on an empty stomach. Why? Because at this time of day your glycogen levels are very low due to them being used up after your last meal while you are sleeping to sustain the body’s nutritional needs. So now that you are about to perform an energy intense cardio session the body needs an energy source and it will be primarily using the fat as that source since the glycogen was almost if not fully depleted during your sleep.

Your second optimal time to do your cardio session, if you are not available to perform it first thing in the morning, would be immediately after your work out. Why? For the same reasons stated above. Even though you have been eating during the day and have filled your body with carbohydrates, fats, and proteins you will be using this build up of bodily energy during your workout to aid you in the lifting of the weights that you will be performing. As you are exercising you are depleting the build of stored energy leaving only the fat as a last source of energy.

So just know that if you are one of those types that come in the gym after breakfast or full day’s worth of eating and you just jump onto the cardio machines and do about 30 – 45 minutes, you may want to stay on there for another 30 minutes. Depending on your intensity level of cardio training and the amount of food you have eaten during the day, it may take you anywhere from 20-45 minutes to deplete those glycogen levels and really utilize the fat as a primary source of energy. You will still burn fat while you use the glycogen levels but it is pretty balanced and not focused on fat.

So you want to make sure that you are performing good intense exercises to deplete those levels first or come in first thing when you wake up from a good nights rest when your levels are low and optimal for fat expenditure. I have all of my clients do a minimum of 30 minutes cardio training right after we are done training to burn away the fat and help keep their metabolism high.