Proper Diet And Nutrition - You Are What You Eat

What have you been eating lately? Do you usually include vegetables and fruits in your regular diet? Or are you fond of cholesterol-rich and carbohydrate-filed kinds of food? No matter how old you are, you should take better care of yourself by eating right. Don't just begin eating right just because you are reaching middle age. Even if you are still very young, alive and kicking, don't think that you just have to eat anything edible. Make sure that only eat foods that have ample nutritional value.

It is a fact that the meals served at fast food chains have low nutritional values. There is actually no nutritional content to those oily, overly-fried burgers and fries. They will not be able to give you strong bones and muscles. What they can give you is unwanted fats and maybe even heart disease. For you to be able to avoid being overweight, getting a heart disease or diabetes, ditch these unhealthy foods now. If you like eating at fast food chains, break the habit. It is easier said than done, of course, but just think about how much your body will be better off without those junk. Make sure to eat fruits and vegetables everyday. Oh, you should not only watch what you eat, but what you drink as well. Don't drown yourself in sodas, fizzy drinks and those lattes or mocchachinos. Too much carbonated drink and caffeine is not good for the body. Drink as much water as you can everyday. You can never go wrong with fresh fruit juices, too. If you like meat, then you can turn to chicken and fish instead of eating too much beef and pork.

If you want to start eating right, there is no better time to start that now. Incorporate food with nutritional value into your daily menu. You will not have a hard time learning about different foods and what they can contribute to your health. Go online and research of food and nutrition. Now what do you think people would say if your diet consists of junk food? How do you think your own body will react if you don't eat the right kinds of food? Don't forget, you are what you eat.

Cancer Prevention Through Diet and Nutrition

In an attempt to keep anyone from wasting their time reading an article that does not apply to them we need to clearly define the subject of this article. If you are comfortable with waiting for a miracle drug to cure cancer, expecting that early detection through any number of exams at your physicians’ office followed by chemotherapy in an attempt to kill the now detectable cancer cells, then this article is not for you. If however, you would prefer to avoid cancer totally by preventing it before it starts, then please read on.

When addressing nutrition and the prevention of cancer one of the hottest topics in this arena at this time are antioxidants. The primary reason that antioxidants have received increasing attention is based on the very nature of cancer cells themselves, how they are started and more importantly how they can be eliminated before becoming detectable. For most forms of cancer, they get their start when your cell’s DNA becomes damage in some form. Keep in mind that your body is generating new cells on a daily basis and that these new cells are being created based on the blue print of how they should be constructed. That blue print is your DNA. When your DNA has become damaged or during the creation process of these new cells they come in contact with free radicals they are damaged. Unchecked that damage begins going through an uncontrolled growth and at some point this once damaged cells has now become a tumor.

While there is a lot of talk about antioxidants we really need to define what they are. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the damage caused by molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants are capable of stabilizing free radicals and therefore prevent some of the damage free radicals otherwise might cause. Free radicals are unstable molecules caused by incomplete electron shells which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron shells. There are a number of environmental factors, including tobacco smoke, over exposure to the sun, pollution, toxins in our water, pesticides used in the growing of our vegetables and various other factors can also lead to free radical formation. The most common form of free radicals is oxygen – that’s correct the simple act of breathing that is required to keep us alive is the most common cause of free radical production in our bodies. When oxygen molecules become electrically charged or "radicalized" it tries to steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to the DNA and other molecules. Over time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to various diseases including cancer. Antioxidants are often described as "mopping up" free radicals, meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radical from taking electrons from other molecules. Some examples of common antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, just to name a few. While not an antioxidant another very important mineral is Selenium, which is actually a component of antioxidant enzymes.

While diet and nutrition are beginning to get more attention we still have a long way to go, based on a number of statistics surrounding the average diet of more Americans. A simple search of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition will provide clinical research based on Diet, Nutrition and Cancer. While that may not be a big shock to you, you may be surprised to find that this particular entry has a copyright date from 1976. As a leading cause of death in the United States, one that is very preventable, one would expect to hear more about the impact of Diet, Nutrition and Exercise as it relates to the prevention of cancer. More often than not, if you pick up a newspaper or catch the news you are going to hear about the latest advances in chemotherapy, the newest drug for the treatment of cancer, the latest technology for improved mammograms and the list goes on. If you truly want to do something about the prevention of cancer you can’t wait on the news media and unfortunately not even your family physician to educate you on adopting a healthy lifestyle. Please don’t misunderstand that last comment as being a slam on doctors, because it is not. Every doctor that I know works extremely hard and puts in some very long hours.

Unfortunately, the way that our healthcare system is structured they do not get paid to educate you on a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, exercise or any of the things that you need to adopt as a comprehensive wellness program. The sad truth is that our healthcare system is setup to fix you after you’re broke, not to prevent you from getting to that point. It is truly up to YOU to take a proactive approach to learning what you need to know in order to adopt a overall healthy lifestyle/wellness program. It is important to note that a comprehensive wellness program leading to an overall healthy lifestyle is not something that you get to do for a week, a month or even just over the next year and then you’re done. This is a life long endeavor.

For those of you that are more of the do it yourself type people there are a large number of resources available to help you. From the internet to a staggering number of books that are published each year on the subject of healthy living, diet, nutrition, anti-aging. A very comprehensive guide to an overall healthy lifestyle that is very practical, pack with references to clinical research and an overall easy read is “The Metabolic Plan”, by Stephen Cherniske. The good news is that there is something for everyone. If you would prefer not to wade through mountains of information there are an increasing number of centers dedicated to Wellness, Healthy Lifestyles, and many of these facilities provide life coaches to help keep their clients accountable and on track. Even for the most dedicated person having an accountability partner of some type is a good idea to help during those stages of life where the motivation level just is not where it should be. Lastly, there are an increasing number of physicians that take a holistic approach to healing that includes a balanced approach which is one of the best approaches. In a perfect world our health would always be controllable through a balanced diet, good supplementation and exercise. However, the stark reality is that there are times that even our best efforts are not enough and we are forced to turn to a pharmaceutical to keep us in the game of life. In short all forms of healing have their place – there is not a one shoe fits all solution that will work for everyone, all the time.

Lastly, there are some well documented things that we can do to help prevent cancer.

- If you smoke – STOP

- Eating foods prepared with HIGH heat especially fried foods should be eliminated or reduced as much as possible.

- Increase the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Ideally 70% or more of your daily caloric intake should come from fruits and vegetables. If possible organically grown.

- Find a reputable supplements company grounded in science with products proven through strict clinical trials such as Univera LifeSciences. Even the best diet in the world is going to short on the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that we need in a comprehensive wellness/anti-aging program.

- Exercise – We were built by our maker to move. Keep moving and stay active. Does the term use it or loose it mean anything to you? The American Cancer Society has a great section on their website titled “The Complete Guide to Nutrition and Physical Activity”

- Reduce your exposure to chemicals and toxins. Use biodegradable products when cleaning as they are much less harmful to you and the environment.

Naturally Healthy Pregnancy

Perfect Pregnancy Nutrition Begins With All Natural Whole Foods For A Naturally Healthy Pregnancy

When searching for the best pregnancy nutrition, be aware that it is better to consume vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are attached to whole foods, not isolated. Whole food nutrients are much easier for the body to absorb, whereas isolated vitamins and minerals are often flushed out before the body can break them down to use for fuel. There are some excellent all natural, low carb, high fiber food formulas that provide perfect pregnancy nutrition in health drink concentrates. These concentrates make it easy for expectant mothers to get the nutrients they need for perfect pregnancy nutrition.

Some of the most valuable elements of perfect pregnancy nutrition include:

* calcium
* protein
* phosphorus
* potassium
* folic acid (folate) Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements
* Vitamins A, D, C, E and the entire B complex.

It is a nutrition fact that Calcium is an important mineral for everyone, especially children, adolescents, nursing mothers and expectant mothers who need perfect pregnancy nutrition. It's not easy to consume enough calcium every day without a health food vitamin or calcium supplement of some kind. It is especially challenging to get enough calcium from whole foods, like fruits and vegetables.

Some of the more familiar sources of calcium in whole foods are

* Broccoli
* Yogurt
* Cheese
* Milk
* Beans

Dandelion is a natural source of calcium from whole food and alfalfa has a high level of calcium with natural enzymes and chlorophyll, but these are a little harder to include in a daily diet for proper pregnancy nutrition. However, you can find a concentrated whole food calcium supplement that includes dandelion and alfalfa along with other whole food calcium sources.

If you are inclined to take a calcium supplement, not only is it important for perfect pregnancy nutrition that the calcium originates from whole food sources, it is equally important that Vitamin D2 is present. Vitamin D2 is crucial to aid the body in absorbing calcium. Vitamin D2 is a necessary component to work with the calcium for improved bone strength and density. In one particular natural whole food calcium supplement, 3 types of calcium are included with different absorption characteristics, and Vitamin D2 is present to enhance the absorption of calcium.

Folate, also called Folic Acid and Vitamin B9 is another essential nutrient for perfect pregnancy nutrition. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps the body create healthy new cells. That is why folate is very important for pregnancy nutrition as hopeful mothers create new life. Moms who include sufficient folic acid in their diets are taking positive steps toward preventing birth defects, especially of the baby's brain or spine.

Everyone has heard the stories about pregnant women who can't control their mood swings. Plenty of medical research points to a deficiency of folic acid for fostering depression and other psychiatric disorders. In the book, "Food, Your Miracle Medicine" (Copyright 1993), Jean Carper states, "That folic acid can act as an antidepressant is no secret among scientists". The book goes on to point out that McGill University's Dr. Young found "accumulating evidence that folic acid deficiency can contribute to depressed mood", and that eliminating the deficiency often cures the depression.

For proper pregnancy nutrition, a woman needs about 800 mcg of folic acid daily. Nursing mothers can back that down to about 500 mcg. This level may not be easy for some to reach, as it requires up to six servings of foods such as spinach, beans or asparagus, every day. If a pregnant woman is not getting enough folate from whole foods, then a health food vitamin should be investigated.

Foods with folic acid in them include:

* Leafy, green vegetables
* Fruits
* Beans
* Peas
* Nuts

Some enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. Again, it is important to be sure that the folate is attached to a natural whole food complex of B vitamins. You can find very effective whole foods, health drink concentrates and other pregnancy nutrition on the Internet that you will not find in retail stores. Just be sure to search for a natural health food vitamin for pregnancy nutrition. When you search, you will find folic acid along with other essential vitamins and minerals for perfect pregnancy nutrition.

Powerful Nutrition

Powerful Nutrition For Athletes Enhances Performance With The Right Kinds Of All Natural Foods

To find the best nutrition for athletes available today, you should be aware that many of the all natural foods in our grocery stores are devoid of real nutrition. The artificial fertilizers used over the past century have created artificially enhanced plants that are lacking a density of nutrients needed to provide optimum nutrition for athletes. Farmers can grow big green plants and bright red tomatoes that look good, but as the soil is depleted year after year, so are the nutrients. No amount of artificial fertilizer can recreate what nature made for us.

The filming of a recent documentary about global change featured scientists who drilled holes in the Arctic in search of what was under the ice. Digging down thousands of feet these scientists discovered what they believe is soil that has been preserved under ice for thousands of years. This soil from ages past was so loaded with nutrients it can be surmised that the inhabitants of that time possibly lived on robust vegetables that were hundreds of times more nutrient dense than the food we eat today. Imagine if we had all natural foods like fruits and vegetables providing that kind of nutrition for athletes today.

One obvious reason for the lower levels of nutrients in today’s fruits and vegetables is that the oxygen levels in our atmosphere were much higher centuries ago before the air was filled with carbon monoxide. That fact alone may help you understand why the all natural foods in stores now are just not that effective for athletes, even if they look healthy. You will find better nutrition for athletes in advanced, nutrient dense, concentrated formulas that are not found in stores.

Look for concentrated, all natural food formulas and health drinks that are made with real whole foods. These whole food ingredients, when concentrated so that small amounts provide the nutrients of many plants combined, create powerful nutrition for athletes.

Additionally, try to find out how the formulas are processed. In most cases, powder formulas will be more valuable nutrition for athletes than bottled liquids. This is because of the lack of live enzymes in nutritional products that have already been activated by liquids. Live enzymes found in raw, whole foods are the important catalysts for nutrients such as vitamins and minerals to open the doors to your cells where they can provide energy for you. Generally speaking, products that are processed at lower temperatures maintain the complex of whole food ingredients better than those that have been heated or pasteurized. Pasteurization is necessary to kill bacteria in liquids such as milk, but it also destroys enzymes. That’s why raw milk is better for calcium absorption than pasteurized milk.

When you put in a good workout, you want to know that your efforts aren’t being sabotaged by a lack of the right nutrition for athletes. You want quick recovery times and you want to feel good when you’re giving it your all, but knowing which all natural foods to choose for optimum performance is essential.

You can settle for less at the store, but it won’t get you the results that you will feel with today’s more advanced, concentrated formulas. Search the Internet for natural nutrition for athletes to find the highest quality all natural foods and health drinks being made today.

The Nutritional Supplement

The Nutritional Supplement - Healthy Eyesight Connection

Have you ever walked out of the optometrist’s office with a new prescription for glasses and contacts, only to be utterly amazed at what you can actually and suddenly see? You notice all the details you never noticed before, the colors, the textures, even how sharp and in focus everything is.

It is admittedly a neat surprise. But did you know that there are nutritional supplements that specifically support wonderful healthy eyes and possibly prevent debilitating diseases of the eye, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma. There are nutrients that can stop or relieve some of these more common vision problems that we can experience, especially as we age.

The eye is a delicate organ and the components that it contains, such as the lens, retina and macula are prone to free-radical attack. They can be protected with the super-powerful antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E. If you have a history of cataracts, macular diseases, glaucoma, or other age-related eye problems in your family, you should definitely read on as we give a run-down on the specific vitamin and mineral supplements that could aid in preserving your ever-so-precious eyesight. And if you smoke, have poor nutrition generally, or your eyes are not adequately protected from extensive exposure to sunlight, that goes double.

We will start with the powerhouse antioxidants.

Besides doing so many extremely positive things for your body, Vitamin C will gobble up the free radicals as they attempt to attack the sensitive parts of your eyes. The lucky people who have not had trouble with cataracts are simply 60% more likely to have sufficient levels in their systems compared to the unlucky ones with cataract problems. It's the anti-oxidant powers at work. This clouding of the lens that can lead to blindness is something you can protect yourself against. Since our levels of Vitamin C decline as we age, bless your healthy eyes with a supplement of Vitamin C. How about just an extra 250 mg per day?

Several vitamins work in combination with each other to protect your eyes, especially the lens. Another awesome supplement to consider is Vitamin A, which can also be known as Retinol, and can really benefit your night vision. It is involved in forming and maintaining the skin cells that make up your eyes, as well as your mouth, nose, throat, lungs, digestive and urinary tract. The extremely delicate blood vessels in your eyes can be easily damaged by free radicals. An adequate supply of Vitamin E can help prevent this damage, and protect your lens as well. If you have low levels of Vitamin E, you are simply more likely to develop eye problems, such as cataracts. It is a no-brainer to easily cut your risk in half by supplementing with extra Vitamin E. Who needs cataracts?

Your eyes have a natural supply of zinc in them, and most of it is centered in the retina. Well guess where the eye disease macular degeneration is centered – the retina! So it follows that if you do not have enough zinc in your system, serious eye problems, or blindness can happen. Zinc supplements have been shown to reduce or prevent the vision loss of macular degeneration.

Luteine is another front-line defender of healthy eyes, and is well-known for its benefits to preserve vision, and especially important if your eyes are exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun repeatedly or for long periods of time. It is an anti-oxidant as well, and is another protector of the sensitive cells of the macula, which is the part of the eye responsible for good sharp vision. You may want to consider supplementing with luteine.

And, finally, let’s not forget bilberry. You may never have heard of this Scandinavian plant that is very similar to blueberries and very high in healthful flavenoids. Supplementing with bilberry could be your best hedge against night blindness. If you really can’t see well in dim light, or your eyes suffer from glare, you need to give this a try. It could make a big difference.

More than 25 million people live with vision problems, vision loss and blindness. Treatments can be expensive, risky or not effective at all. Good healthy vision is one of the most priceless gifts you have, so bless your vision all you can by educating yourself on the vitamins and minerals that can relieve, slow down or even prevent serious eye diseases and vision loss. To maintain and promote your own healthy vision is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

5 Ways To Make Protein Benefit You

Imagine this ... What if you could –

Increase the rate of your metabolism.

Burn more stored body fat.

Maintain more muscle mass by eating protein rich foods.

Calculate the correct amount of protein needed for your body.

Learn about the best food sources of protein.

As you are looking for ideas, here is proven nutrition information about how protein can benefit you.

1. Are you aware that protein increases the rate of metabolism of your body because it is Thermogenic? - because it takes more calories to process protein rich foods and nutritional supplements.

“Thermogenic” refers to the normal Thermogenesis process your body goes through in digesting and using the food you eat and the burning of calories and fat from that food. i.e. - producing energy from the food you eat.

The body requires more calories to process or digest protein than it does to digest fat or carbohydrates. Thus your metabolism is raised by consuming protein rich foods.

Here is a good resource for more information about Thermogenesis: http://www.mpcoffee.com/thermogenesis.htm

2. Increase the rate at which your fat cells are able to burn stored fat!

You'll probably disagree with this, however...

Soy protein also contributes to the body's ability to burn fat because as you eat more protein your metabolism is raised and it enables your body to burn stored fat instead of storing more fat.

Dr. Robert Atkins - author of the Atkins diet, as well as Dr.'s Michael Eades and Mary Dan Eades - authors of the "Protein Power" books, all talk about the proven power of protein and the importance of soy protein in particular.

More about soy protein in a little bit...

3. Maintain muscle mass by eating plenty of protein rich foods.

Realize that by eating more protein rich foods, you will maintain muscle mass and more muscle mass means you will:

• raise your metabolism
• burn more fat

Understand that your muscle tissue needs protein to maintain itself and when your body does not get enough protein, one of the first places it will get protein is from your muscle tissue.

Let's also remember that one of the most important muscles in the body is your heart. You don't want to damage that muscle do you?

Remember, muscle is protein and protein is Thermogenic - When you do not eat enough or get enough nutrition, the body goes into a "starvation mode" and it will hang on to what it's got. That means it will hang onto fat stores as long as it can.

Since the body does not know when it will get more food or nutrition it is going to hang on to all the fat it has and begin to burn the protein found in your muscle tissue.

Eating less is not the best way to go because it starts to LOWER your metabolism and take away your ability to burn stored fat.

4. Are you feeling hungry when changing your eating habits to a more healthy lifestyle?

Maybe you are not getting enough Protein. You might be wondering just how much protein do I need?

Dr.'s recommend that you get nearly your body weight in grams of Protein. The average woman needs about 100 grams of protein every day. The average man needs about 150 grams of protein every day.

This is an average person who is moderately active. The more active you are the more protein you will need for your active lifestyle.

This is especially important if you are a person who works out several times a week. Protein and calorie intake are a concern when you are an active person who burns many calories (and potentially muscle) during a workout session.

Because it may be difficult to get enough protein without over eating, here are some suggestions to increase your protein intake while on your program.

Have you ever considered integrating a high protein (and preferably low carb) meal replacement shake into your daily diet? Whether you need to lose weight or not, nearly everyone can use more nutrition and protein in their daily diet.

Depending on your favorite shake mix, it could be anywhere from 9 to 18 grams of protein per shake and it will be loaded with vitamins and minerals your body needs.

Here is a suggested "Power Protein Shake" recipe:

Add 1/2 cup cold water and 3 Tbls of a High Protein low carb shake mix, to a blender.

Using the lowest speed blend the water and shake mixes together.

Then add 3 ice cubes, a banana or your favorite fruit and blend on a high speed for a special "Power Protein shake"!

More protein, fewer carbohydrates and calories than a regular shake mix made with milk or soy beverage are the benefits of the "Power Shake".

The "Power Shake" also helps to keep you feeling fuller and satisfied the during the day and will help you eat less while maintaining the benefits of a protein shake!

Another way to give your body more protein is to eat a High Protein Low Carb power bar which may have 8 - 15 grams of hunger fighting protein. These power bars always make a great snack.

Use this in combination with the Shake mix and your normal meal(s) to get all the protein your body needs each day!

5. Do you know what one of the best sources of protein is? Many people say beef or meat in general.

These are great sources of protein, however are you aware that one of the best sources of protein is Soy Protein?

We won't have the time to go into all the benefits of soy protein here, however there are some important points to highlight.

Plant-based Proteins, like those found in soy, have been proven to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and elevate good HDL cholesterol. This contributes to less build up of bad cholesterol and helps prevent heart disease and clogged arteries.

This in turn helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Products which contain soy protein may be able to carry the FDA approved "Heart Smart" symbol which means - "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease"

Animal Proteins vs. Plant-based Proteins -

Animal Proteins like meat and dairy, can be loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. This type of protein can elevate the LDL (bad) Cholesterol when it remains in your diet for long periods of time.

Over the years, high LDL cholesterol in the blood combined with elevated homocysteine levels can lead to heart disease and clogged arteries. This in turn can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

So, try to replace high fat animal proteins with better cuts of meat - preferrably grass fed beef and plant-based proteins like soy.

Also, replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats like those in olive oil will help you avoid the negative health effects associated with high LDL cholesterol and saturated fats.

I know that reading this article has inspired you to take action.

When you follow these 5 tips, you may find that you can give your metabolism a boost and burn more stored fat because protein is thermogenic.

And because of this fact you can maintain more of your muscle mass by burning the protein you take in from food and supplements instead of burning the protein of your muscles.

Finally you will do your body well by taking in more high quality animal based protein and especially more soy protein which is good for your heart and circulatory system.

Training Efforts by Neglecting Basic Nutrition

Are you Sabotaging your Training Efforts by Neglecting Basic Nutrition?

If you regularly train using cardiovascular workouts and a weight resistance routine while taking nutritional supplements but are not paying attention to basic nutrition than you are essentially throwing away a good portion of the benefits you are gaining from your workouts.

Basic nutrition is absolutely essential to making the most of your sports training.

Food calories supply energy and nutrients to the body during exercise. Without proper basic nutrition you loss energy more quickly resulting in a less intense workout. While simple sugars are used up almost immediately, complex sugars or complex carbohydrates provide prolonged energy to the muscles during exercise. Protein is composed of amino acids which support growing muscles. In fact, basic nutritional deficits can cause you to lose hard earned muscle to muscle tissue breakdown or catabolism.

According to Joel Marion, prior Body for Life 2001 Grand Champion, not only are the foods you eat important but proper timing in relation to workouts plays a vital role in maximizing your performance, optimizing fat loss, and minimizing muscle loss. The intensity of your workout is directly related to the amount of calories and fat you burn. You can not be at full intensity if you are suffering from lack of proper nutrition.

In addition, intense exercise can increase muscle loss in people who are not meeting their caloric needs.(1)

There are six nutrients needed on a daily basis. These include: water, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. There are three types of calories including: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates are converted to sugars during exercise. Complex carbohydrates are what your body needs to perform at optimum levels. Fats also fuel the body for exercise. Saturated fat is what you should strive to avoid while monounsaturated fat is the least detrimental to the body. Protein helps build and maintain muscle mass.

Foods high in protein include chicken, egg whites, lean beef, beans and skim milk.

It is recommended that your daily diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 20% protein. If you exercise regularly you may want to increase your carbohydrates and protein intake while slightly decreasing your fats.

To improve your nutrition you should try to consume five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, drink eight glasses of water (more if you are consuming a lot of proteins and complex carbohydrates), eliminate junk food and unnecessary fat like in whole milk, and consume only lean meats. If you want to maximize your work outs while eliminating unnecessary muscle breakdown, it is recommended that you consume a nutritional supplement before and after workouts to restore glycogen and creatine levels, decrease muscle tissue catabolism, and encourage muscle tissue growth.

American Sports Nutrition And Performance

American sportsmen and women often end up winning many international competitions. They appear to be slightly bigger, more powerful and are extremely durable. The common perception is that their secret is lots of exercise and conditioning. Just as important howeveris their diet that gives them that extra edge.

What else is commonly found in this american version of sports nutrition? I will elaborate a bit on their diet and nutritional approach so that you can have further strength and energy subject yourself to physical exertion.

Would you like to greatly improve your performance and build up your muscle strength? Try the creatine that is an important ingredient in American sports nutrition.

This will give you better energy to work longer and harder and help you achieve as high a level as possible. Creatine can also help you recover quickly. This supplement will do the trick for any sportsman who trains weight lifting or any other activity requiring quick bursts of energy, like sprinting for example. You may be able to do more before you become fatigued.

Your body makes use of this fascinating nitrogenous organic acid into adenosine triphosphate (or atp), which is the energy of our cells, and stores it into the mitichondria of each muscle cell giving it reserved energy. All muscle contraction is powered by atp, so we are able to do more because of the accumulated atp. This can forward your physical power and lean muscle gain.

The supplement you are looking for for is 100% pure pharmaceutical grade creatinh monohydrate. A dosage of about 1000 grams is sufficient in most cases. Creatine does not contain any additive and filters, and this chemical is found naturally in many foods so it is basically safe. it has no influence on hormonal levels either.

Whether your final cause is for championship athletic performance, increased lean muscle or lenghtened endurance, creatine will be right for you. As an added bonus it has cardio protective qualities. Creatine from American sports nutrition is the best way to supplement a sound diet and active lifestyle.

Getting your protein

Very important as well is the American sports nutrition whey protein. It is a high quality, lactose free and predigested protein. This nutritional supplement is a potentnatural source of high potency essential amino acids.

If you are looking for improved muscle strength, look no further than american whey. The ion-exchanged whey protein in this supplement is what your body prefers naturally.

American whey protein also low on calories, tastes great, and is easy to mix with rice, milk and water. It also comes in many interesting delicious flavors.

There are many contemporary diets on the market similar to American sports nutrition that offers protein as the corner stone of their nutritional diet. Some of these are the American whey wild berry, American whey creamy vanilla extreme and the American whey double dutch chocolate .

The only difference is in the dosage when using them but the results are very similar. Certain types of thes require a lot ofquantities for the supplement to do it's job. And it also needs to be taken in frequently, when possible you would follow the diet everyday.

As you may have noticed, in the American sports nutrition established way, the main nutrient focused upon are proteins.

So is found in proteins that make them so vital in the nutrition of Americans? Proteins are the main body builder nutrient. Protein is responsible for the assembly of muscle cells. Protein also contributes to the muscle contraction or in controlling the muscles.

As a frame of reference on protein content, the average American consumed 75 grams of protein every day from eating fats and oils. This is the equivalent of 0.1 percent of the days total protein intake.

If you want to have larger, leaner and more functional muscles, you should really bunker up on proteins in front and after your practise session. This is the reason protein is so influential not only to athletes but to everyday people as well.

As a curiosity, protein also contributes to the height of a person. If you desire to be as tall as some americans are, you must include much protein in your diet or at least use the supplements that Are discussed in this article.

Ultimately, we must keep in mind that it is not only a question about the nutrition we get but it is the manner we get it and when we get it. There are optimal times when the nutrients we get will amplify our performance and boost our energy. American sports nutrition takes into consideration these optimum times in order for our body can make good of it and help us be healthy and build our muscles.

Health Nutrition Diet Fitness

Health Nutrition Diet Fitness - How does what you eat affect them?

When people hear the word "diet", we tend to think of counting calories, eating salad, and being pretty miserable. In fact, the word "diet" is more about eating healthy, nutritious foods on a daily basis. There's no need to starve oursleves just because we're struggling to lose weight!

So what does a nutritious diet consist of? In my opinion, it's all about consuming foods that keep your energy levels running at a constant high level throughout the day, and allows them naturally fall at night. It's really about eating correctly in such a way your body is continually fuelled to the most appropriate levels. This doesn't mean eating salads all day - it simply means thinking about what you eat, and when you eat it.

My recommendations are as follows:

- Eat complex carbohydrates earlier in the day to keep your energy levels up
- Try to get at least 30 minutes of some form of exercise every day
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily
- Try to balance each meal with 50% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 20% Fat for ideal nutrition
- Try not to go for more than 3 hours without eating something
- Don't eat anything withing 2 hours of going to bed
- Try to eat protein rich foods within 4-6 hours of going to bed

It's important that you keep these points in mind as you go through your daily life as this wil maximise the value of your diet. If you're able to keep up with this over a period of time, you should find that you have more energy and your sugar cravings lessen. This has definitely been my own experience! Additionaly, the weight will naturally start to drop off without you needing to eat like a rabbit!

If you follow these ideas, then I truly hope you find them as helpful as I have. All things considered, losing weight doesn't have to be punishing! Conversely, eating a healthy diet doesn't have to be about losing weight.

Eat well, eatheathily, eathappily, and dont' make this any tougher than it needs to be.

Happy Dieting!

Choosing a Personal Fitness and Nutrition Trainer

A personal fitness and nutrition trainer can help you enter a race where there's no engraved cup or money award at the finish line. Unlike the Thoroughbreds racing at the local park, you will be running for your very life instead. Fitness and nutrition are the keys to a quality long life.

Racing for Fitness

Almost 60% of people in the United States are overweight or obese. The consequences of having too much fat on your body can be severe. Obesity is a major cause of many serious illnesses including Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and even certain forms of cancer.

It's hard to maintain a fitness routine on your own. On top of that you are bombarded with advertisements selling unhealthy food and gadgets and inventions that actually result in less physical activity. The perfect examples are kids playing electronic games for hours instead of baseball or soccer. There are bigger and better computers and TVs promoting lifestyles with little exercise time included.

Sedentary lifestyles are not good for the body, and neither is junk food. But everyone lives extremely busy lives and fitness and nutrition often take a low priority. A personal fitness and nutrition trainer can help you rearrange your priorities so you place your health top of the list.

When you are young, it's easy to believe good health is forever. But as you age, the truth is slowly revealed. Metabolisms slow naturally. Fat accumulates after years of eating meals with little nutritional value.

Free radicals form unimpeded because the diet has consistently lack antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. Other diseases eventually take root. For example, lack of exercise increases the chances of developing osteoporosis.

Finding Your Stride

A personal fitness and nutrition trainer can assist you in a number of ways beginning with an assessment of your current fitness level. A personal trainer will work with to establish mutual goals including measures of progress such as weight loss or inches loss.

Personal fitness and nutrition includes the following:

Evaluating current dietary habits and making necessary changes

Calculating the body mass index (BMI)

Establishing an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle

Develop a strength training program

Tracking progress and making necessary adjustments as you progress

Using a personal fitness and nutrition trainer can help you stay motivated as you begin the race for your life. The quality of your life in your senior years is directly related to the level of fitness you maintain in your younger years. It becomes clearer with each medical study that problems associated with aging are as much a consequence of poor nutrition as they are of the aging process itself.

Utilizing the services of a personal fitness and nutrition trainer only makes sense if you're ready to get serious about your health. Racing for the grand prize of good health means finding your "fitness stride".

You don't have to work out 8 hours a day to stay fit and healthy. You do have to exercise regularly and watch what you eat. A personal fitness and nutrition trainer can be the key to your success.

San Jose Schools Changes School Nutrition and Limits Junk Food

Changes for the 2006-2007 School Year at San Jose Schools

Following in the footsteps of both federal and state trends to limit junk food and provide better nutrition to students, San Jose Schools will implement new some changes starting in September 2006. These changes may appear sudden but actually is part of a long term goal for improving student nutrition. San Jose Schools have been working to improve student nutrition over the past few years. San Jose Schools have already removed fried chips and carbonated beverages from all kindergarten-eighth grade schools. A lot of the changes occurring in September are a result of new federal laws. The new policy states that for a school to receive federal funds for their school lunch program they must institute a Wellness Policy. The Wellness Policy is a nutrition program that is designed and approved by the school board. In order to better meet these guidelines the San Jose Schools have created the SHAPE committee. The SHAPE committee is made up of school food service personnel, a school board member, district employees, health care professionals, concerned parents, and community members.

The Nutrition Policy

The Nutrition Policy states that all food on a San Jose Schools campus must meet the state nutritional guidelines for fat and sugar and fat content. The biggest effect of this policy for parents is that homemade baked goods will not be allowed on campus. San Jose Schools will make more snakes available at schools that meet these guidelines and provide a list of approved store bought snakes. Fundraisers that involve the sale of food items must be planned with and agreed to by the school. The San Jose Schools will actively encourage fundraisers that are not based around food sale but instead are based around physical activity. All San Jose Schools, including high schools, will ban carbonated soft drinks this school year. Classroom parties with food will be limited to one per month.

Nutrition Guidelines for Foods Available at San Jose Schools

The San Jose School Board is planning to adopt a series of new guidelines covering the nutritional concerns of students. This is done in order to meet to the growing concerns about student health and reducing childhood obesity. The San Jose School Board believes that there was a growing disparity between the foods available at school and the health curriculum. Strict guidelines have been adopted all foods and beverages sold to students, including foods and beverages provided through the San Jose School’s food service program, student stores, vending machines, or fundraisers. The new policy also set guidelines for the San Jose School’s staff in using food items as a reward

Sports Nutrition for the Vegetarian Organic Athlete

Sports nutrition can be defined as simply as the specific nutritional intake before during and after an athletic event or exercise session. My definition of an organic athlete is an athlete which seeks to achieve Xtreme Health™, maximum performance levels, and joyful living, by consuming primarily vegetarian, mostly raw, organic foods. A vegetarian can be a full vegan who consumes no meats, fish, poultry, or dairy products. Or you can be a semi-vegetarian and occasionally eat organic eggs, Wild fish, and or poultry, but not meat. What I would like to do in this article is share an enormous amount of knowledge for those who are seeking an organic lifestyle, in particular, a vegan lifestyle, while simultaneously competing in endurance events.

I have gone to many resources on the internet to find information for endurance athletes which are vegetarians. They are very few if any which not only focus on endurance athletes and vegetarians but also then take it to the next level and use Superfoods as the staple ingredient in the diet. Most of the resources talk about whole grains, fruits and vegetables, pasta, yogurt, peanut butter, oatmeal, toast, turkey, chicken, etc etc. I want to take you way beyond that. I not only want you competing at the highest level you ever have, but I want you to have the most awesome health ever. I want you to reverse or slow down your aging process; I want to clean out your body of all the bad stuff that goes in it on a daily basis from toxicity in our environments. I want you to feel happy and not depressed. And I want you to be competing in triathlons, adventure races, marathons, cross country bike events or whatever your endurance sport may be, until you are in the over 100 Age group category.

I know this seems like a tall order. In fact your friend or co-worker may have told you it's not possible or even worse your doctor. The truth is that I have discovered some amazing foods for athletes and I know that 90% of athletes do not consume these foods on a regular basis. And I say this because most people I meet have either never heard of them, do not know where to get them, or just are habitually eating whatever they could afford, is most convenient or is part of their family eating history.

Lets first list the energy sources of carbohydrates, proteins and fats which I consume that have taking my health to a whole new level and which I anticipate taking me even further. For instance, here are some of the benefits I have gained from eating primarily raw, organic, plant based foods and superfoods. I have lowered my cholesterol by 75 points. I have got rid of various stages of arthritis which annoyed me for 8 years. I have lost 40 lbs. I have lowered my resting heart rate from 59 to 39. I have lowered my blood pressure from 140/90 to 110/60. I have begun to start enjoying life again to its fullest by being able to compete for the first time in years. I have brought key test results into alignment such as thyroid, neurotransmitters, key minerals and nutrient levels. I have lowered heavy metal toxicity levels. I have stopped having to take antacids on a daily basis and I have stopped getting sinus infections and bronchitis after getting them every year for almost 20 years. I have experienced tremendous energy and in fact have not been sick for over a year besides the occasional onset of colds after multiple sessions of extreme exercise which quickly disappears as a result of my body's ability to recover quickly from the acidic and inflammatory state.

These are my top choices for nutrient rich, high carb energy sources (Grains/Breads/Syrups include:

Quinoa, Organic Pancakes, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Wild Honey, Agave Nectar, Organic Sprouted Breads(flax, spelt, essene) with Organic Jellies, Organic Pasta (Quinoa, Spelt), Hammer Nutrition Organic Bars, and Organic Brown rice.

My top choices for Fruits and berry carbohydrates are:

(Fruits- Grapes with seeds, Apples, Pears, Pineapple, Bananas, Watermelon, Mangos, Oranges and Dates. "Vegetable" fruits including tomatoes, peppers and Cucumbers), (Berries - Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Incan Berries and Goji Berries)

My top choices for powders, shakes and gels are (Sport drink powders - Hammer Nutrition Heed and Sustained Energy and Carbo Pro, (Shakes - Isagenix Products (Isalean, IsaCrunch , IsaPro, Ionix Supreme, Sun is everything superfood and cacao powder ), (Gels - Hammer Gels and Organic Clif shots).

For Greens and Sprouts I recommend (Kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Mesclun Greens, Romaine lettuce, Celery, Pea Sprouts, Broccoli Sprouts, Sunflower Sprouts, Dulse and Kelp).

These are my choices for clean non animal protein energy sources (Hemp seeds and hemp protein, Whey Protein, Rice Protein, Vegetable Proteins (kale, Spinach, Broccoli, Sprouts), Wheat Grass, Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue Green Algae, Quinoa, Spelt, Millet, Bee pollen, Organic Eggs (for semi-vegetarians), Wild Caught (Not Farm Raised) Salmon, Cod, or Halibut or tilapia fish (for semi-vegetarians), Almonds, Pumpkin seeds, Uncooked Cashews, Organic beans and Goji Berries). Good choices for Fat Energy Sources include (Flax Seed. Olive oil, Flax Oil, Krill Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Avocados, Coconut Oil, Almonds, Organic Peanut Butter).

Now here are some of the other secret gems of health and nutrition which many high level nutritionist and wellness professionals have taught me about. A lot of these are not as well known simply because they are not in the mainstream media. You have to go out and seek out this kind of information about superfoods because it is not sold in most supermarkets therefore the average athlete is left out.

Other additions to your "Super" Athletic Diet (Some have been mentioned above and recategorized here) (Superfoods -Spirulina, Chlorella, Cacao Powder, Goji berries, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Coconut Oil, Bee Pollen, Maca Powder, and Hemp Seed) ,(Super Juices - Goji Juice, Acai juice, Mangosteen juice, Noni Juice, Aloe Vera Juice) , (SuperHerbs - Cats Claw, Reishi Mushroom, Garlic, Ginseng, Turmeric, Oregano, Parsley, Cayenne Pepper, Holy Basil (Tulsi), Cinnamon, Vanilla, Ginger),(Other Super Additions - Probiotics and Enzyme blends, Fiber such as Psyllium, Oats, Acacia gum, flax, hemp),(Omega 3's such as Flax Seed, Hemp seed oil, Avocados, Almonds) ,Green Tea, Echinacea Tea, Ginseng tea, Milk Thistle tea, Yerba Mate and Dandelion Root tea. Teas are for cleansing, immune system support, and antioxidant support. Supplement/Other Energy Sources which I have used are (Creatine - helps supply energy to muscles and nerve cells), (Glutamine - Recovery Aid, Muscle Promoter, Highly Absorbable Protein), (L-Carnitine - Helps metabolize fats into the mitochondria), (D-Ribose - Aids in the generation of positive ATP levels), and (CoQ10 - Primarily responsible for creating ATP (energy from our cells) in the Mitochondria).

There are many natural anti-nflammatories that athletes should use including (Quercitin, Vitamin D,Green Tea,Omega 3's,Organic Ginger (either raw or powdered),Organic MSM (About 5 grams),Enzymes (capsule form should include Bromelain and Papain),Omega 3's and 6's (1 ounce cold oil or ground flaxseed),Agave Nectar ,Organic garlic (1 clove or sprinkle from a jar),Vitamin C (Either 2 or 3 capsules ground in a blender from a whole food source or Potent C Guard) ,Willow Bark (similar to aspirin),Turmeric,Glucosamine,Resveratrol (Grapes) and Aloe Vera.

I have written other articles specifically about some of the herbs and superfoods listed above. It is difficult for most people to start to consume all of the above foods. What I did was first educate myself about them, then introduce them slowly to see which ones I liked and didn't like. Once you find the few superfoods that agree with you, I believe you certainly are headed in a new direction towards "Xtreme Health".

Once you have a list of "What" to eat you then have the questions of When and how much. Most endurance nutrition resources I have come across seem to equate body weight with how many grams of protein, carbs, and fats should be taken before during and after exercise. The amount of grams that your body requires is dependent on several factors:

1) The cycle of training you are in (Base Training, Build Training, Peak Training, Recovery Training or transition (end of season) training
2) The type of training you are doing
3) The intensity of the training you are doing
4) Your own metabolic make-up (Women, Man) (Good Digestive Health, Poor Digestive Health)(Resting Metabolic rates)
5) Weight loss goals of the individual

How Much to eat?

The factors included above determine your Daily energy expenditure. If you did not exercise at all and just lay in a bed breathing all day your body would burn a certain amount of calories. This is probably somewhere between 1500 and 2100 calories per day. There are 3500 calories in a pound.

Depending on your weight and the type and intensity of activity you are participating in you will burn anywhere from 5 to 30 calories a minute. For instance a 150 pound runner running at a 8.35 minute per mile pace will burn approximately 12.8 calories per minute.

By determining your Resting Metabolic Rate and factoring in the intensity and type of training you are doing you can then begin to formulate a Daily Caloric Expenditure to ensure you are taking in the optimum amount of calories. If the athlete desires to lose weight they should do so cautiously because you want to be able to restore liver and muscle glycogen levels as well as blood glucose levels for your next training session. However it can be done as long as it is done during the base, recovery and transition periods. What I have done with success is a 200 to 400 calorie deficit a day which will give you 1400 to 2800 calories burned per week. This is about 1.5 pounds every 2 weeks of weight loss.

There has been many myths about protein, carb and fat diets and the proportion of which you need to take for weight loss or for muscle growth. I find a 50 to 65% Carbohydrate, 20 to 30% protein and 15 to 20% fat intake to be optimal for endurance athletes. So depending on your calorie requirements for the day, the amount of grams you take in from each category go up and down proportionally. It is important to note that during the different phases of training you will be training in different aerobic zones. For instance during base training you should be training in Zone 1, which is between 60 and 75% of your maximum heart rate. What your body uses for fuel in Zone 1 vs. Zone 4 which is 90 to 95% of your maximum heart rate differs tremendously. The percentages of fat, carbohydrates and protein that your body will burn depends on the level of activity. At rest you will burn 58% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 3% protein. At a mild intensity you will burn 49% carbohydrates, 49% fat and 2% protein and at a high intensity you will burn 75% carbohydrates, 17% fat and 8% protein.

There are a few items are worth noting. One is that your body burns proteins all the time. It is for this reason that the lack of muscle building and strength training has the tendency to contribute to loss of muscle mass and therefore lowers the metabolism over time. Also, your body actually burns more fat during the base or mild intensity phase of your training. We can also see that carbohydrates are the main source of energy during high intensity workouts such as 5k races. In fact muscle glycogen depletion could happen as fast as 50 to 60 minutes instead of the common rule of thumb of 90 minutes during Zone 3 to Zone 4 type of training and exercise.

The amount of grams of each macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) you need to take in during a particular day depends on whether you have 1 or 2 workouts in a day and you have to take into consideration pre-excerise race meals, during exercise refueling, and post exercise/race recovery as well as the calories you may consume for dinner (night before races), lunches, snacks etc. For instance for 3 to 4 hours of high intensity training you will need about 4.5 to 5.5 grams of carbs for each pound of body weight for that day. For heavy training you need approximately .50 to .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight and about .50 to .55 grams of fat per pound of body weight.

Besides taken into consideration how much you are burning during your workouts perhaps more important is how much you could absorb. A simple sugar carbohydrate with a 6 to 8% solution mix isnot going to provide enough calories per hour. If you increase the solution density you have to drink more water in order to help the digestion process and this may lead to over hydration, cramping, and bloating.

Complex carbohydrate solutions are a little better because the 16 to 18% density of the solution matches the osmolality of the water digestion. I have always been at odds with all the solutions out there but have come to use more of the complex carbohydrate solutions and in fact make my own from coconut water, dates, and spirulina as much as possible because real food will ultimately be the greatest source of energy. It is extremely difficult for most athletes to mix there own home brewed sport drinks but if even one of your 28 oz bottles could be home brewed it could give you a huge edge in your fueling plan. Some companies such as hammer nutrition recommend about 240 to 280 calories per hour, 400 to 600 grams of sodium per hour and 16 to 28 oz of water per hour for a 165 lb athlete adjusted up or down slightly for weight differences.

When to Eat

Knowing when to eat can be tricky for most people because a lot depends on other things going on in your life. Most athletes including myself feel best before a long endurance workout eating 3 to 4 hours in advance. However this is not always possible. You should be eating about 300 grams of carbs the night befoe an event depending on weight. The morning of the event the closer you get to the start time you want to lower the fiber and protein and increase the carbohydrates and actually move towards liquid food as much as possible. It is suggested that the foods primarily in this article be the focus of your choices but occasionally when it is not feasible or affordable it is ok to use traditional sources of energy. However, just be aware that the organic and clean sources of energy will have the least amount of pollutants, pesticides, herbicides, foreign unrecognizable material from cooking, etc, for your body to have to use energy and figure out how to save you from death and store it in fat cells or move it as quickly as possible through the digestive and lymphatic system for removal from your body. You want your body to generate ATP not use fuel to get rid of toxins.

Fluid and electrolyte intake is extremely important if not the most important factor in refueling. Everyones body is different but your body needs to consume an amount equal to your sweat rate. This is different for everyone. However as a general rule you should drink approx half your weight in ounces per day on a normal low intensity day. During exercise between 16 and 28 ounces per hour is recommended. Be careful not to consume so much water that you have to eliminate water very often. If your body has too much water it will need to get rid of it and will take precious alkaline minerals with it. So moderate your water intake based on your daily activity and training sessions.

Electrolytes which are important are sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and manganese. Most sport drinks contain only 2 or 3 of these electrolytes but an electrolyte replacement that you could control such as endurolytes by Hammer Nutrition will allow you to have them with you at all times and you can consume them as prescribed. There are also some natural electrolytes which I consume in my water bottles. Coconut water is the most natural form of electrolyte on the planet. It mimics the bloods proportions of electrolytes perfectly. Having at least 1 water bottle on rides with coconut water is a great idea.

I have given a lot of information to get you started on the road towards organic nutrition and sports nutrition. You will be miles ahead so to speak of every athlete by experimenting with the foods in this article and best of all you will achieve great health as a critical side benefit. Health and Fitness are two different things and when you combine the two you are well on your way to achieving Xtreme health™

Nutrition for Dogs, Cats and Birds

Pet Health

Pets today suffer from allergies, skin problems, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, liver and kidney failure, and other serious illnesses. These conditions have been exacerbated by the tainted foods we feed our pets, and the lack of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients in their diets. Commercial grade pet foods may contain harmful additives and processed grains, instead of high quality proteins. These foods weaken the immune system, providing the environment for disease to gain a foothold.

Improving your pet's health is relatively simple. It is a matter of feeding your pets natural, whole foods, and ensuring a proper balance of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients is achieved. I recommend the following basic diets for dogs and cats, try them and watch your best friend grow healthier and happier before your very eyes!

All animals

If you have the means to feed your pets organic foods and filtered water, please do so! Organic vegetables can be grown cheaply and with little effort in your own garden, and I’m sure there’s a GSW Class on how to do it, as well as the GSW Gardening Club.

The easiest way to prepare vegetables is to use the pulp left over from juicing. I like my carrot, apple, beetroot and celery juice in the mornings, and there are plenty of nutrients left in the pulp to keep the dog and the birds healthy as well! If you don’t drink juices (you should, they’re great for you!), you’ll need to use a food processor, as they should be chopped up quite finely.

For meat-eating pets, try to get game meats, as they are generally leaner and free of all the hormones and antibiotics that are present in commercially grown meats. Also keep in mind that diced meat is better than minced. Here in Australia, many pet shops sell frozen diced kangaroo meat in 1kg packs (and 15kg boxes) at very reasonable prices.

Always add a good colloidal or crystalloid vitamin and mineral supplement and some high-grade Omega 3 and 6 oils.

Aged garlic extract, various herbs, enzymes, spirulina, bee pollen and kelp can also be added either on a regular basis or as needed, to ensure the highest level of well-being for your pet.

Dogs

Mix 1/3 raw vegetables (any except onions, which can be toxic to dogs), 1/3 cooked grains (white rice or pasta are acceptable, but whole grains or brown rice are preferable), and 1/3 raw meat. Add a splash of oil and serve - it’s that simple!

* Note that measurements are given as proportions rather than amounts, as serving sizes will vary considerably depending on the size of your dog.

Raw bones are also recommended once a day, especially marrowbone or kangaroo tails.

Cats

Unlike dogs, cats are almost exclusively carnivorous, and will do well on a meat-only diet. Give your cat raw meat, fish (whitebait is the perfect size for cats, and very inexpensive), or organic chicken. Feed in small portions twice a day, and remember to remove uneaten food before it spoils.

When allowed to go outside, cats will normally supplement this diet with herbs and grasses, which, apart from self-medicating, also supply nutrients that are not present in meat, such as chlorophyll. Therefore, it is especially important to supplement the diet of indoor cats who are not permitted to go outside with a good vitamin-mineral supplement.

Birds

Birds should always have a good mix of different grains and seeds as well as fresh water available. I also recommend giving birds some raw fruit and vegetables daily. It’s nice if you can give them some access to fresh grasses as well.

Some birds, especially parrots, will happily eat a whole apple or another fruit if you just cut it in half. Others need the fruit and veg to be chopped or pureed on the food processor. Be guided by what your birds like, but please, stick to foods that are naturally eaten by your species of bird!

Never give your chickens “layer pellets” as they are made with fish and meat meal – that is, ground up fish, cow and chicken bones – about as far from a natural diet as a chicken can get! Chickens’ diet should consist mainly of wheat, other grains and seeds, fruit and vegetables, grasses, any insects and worms they can capture. Look for “wild bird seed” in your supermarket – it’s great to mix in with their wheat and they love it! If you are able to let them out, even if for only a few hours a day, then do so! They will always return to their “coop” by sundown.

Searching For A Vitamin Nutrition Supplement

Extensive studies by many researchers have shown that taking a high quality vitamin nutrition supplement can have the potential to help your body fight disease and increase your energy and overall health. Leading scientists have proven that the source of degenerative diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Heart disease stem from poor nutrition at the cellular level. Finding a superior vitamin nutrition supplement which actually feeds your bodies cells the nutrition they are lacking is vital to reaching and maintaining optimal health.

Unfortunately, we continue to see a rise in the onset of degenerative diseases. If you look around, you’ll see that as a society we are overfed and undernourished. The lack of a superior quality vitamin nutrition supplement in our diets, along with little or no exercise and poor eating habits is continuing to put an increased burden on our overall health. The marketing strategies of the fast food industry are winning and our bodies are losing. Which is why now more then ever before, taking a high quality vitamin nutrition supplement is crucial.

When searching for a cellular vitamin nutrition supplement, there are a couple of things you should consider. First, making sure that the vitamin nutrition supplement that you choose is made to pharmaceutical-grade good manufacturing practices is essential. Many of the vitamins found on store shelves are made to less stringent food-grade good manufacturing practices. These are the same standards that are used in making a pizza. (Would you like some cheese on that multi-vitamin?)

Another consideration when looking for a vitamin nutrition supplement is making sure it comes with a guarantee of potency, which means what’s on the label is in the bottle. Many of the vitamin nutrition supplements available have been shown to have incorrect and misleading labels. A guarantee of potency ensures that you are getting what you are paying for.

Third, you need to ensure your vitamin nutrition supplement has synergism. Synergy basically refers to having a broad spectrum of vitamins and minerals at proper levels so that they interact with each other in such a way that you get the maximum benefit. Too little of a certain vitamin or mineral will not allow others to be used by the body efficiently.

Lastly, you want to make sure the vitamin nutrition supplement you choose has high bioavailability, which means that it is manufactured to be easily absorbed by the body. Inferior ingredients or fillers in a supplement can cause it to not dissolve properly and pass through the body without providing any benefit.

If you have all of these elements in the vitamin nutrition supplement you choose, you will be well on your way to providing your body with the optimal health and increased energy that we all desire. I hope this information helps you in finding a supplement that will meet your health needs.

Exercise Recovery Nutrition Plan

How should you refuel your body after exercise? We seem to be surrounded by commercial recovery foods and fluids. These recovery foods and fluids offer a combination of carbs and protein, but are they the best for exercise recovery nutrition?

If you are an athlete who exercises one or two times a day to the point of total exhaustion, you most definitely need to focus upon adequate recovery nutrition. A few examples of this type of an exerciser would be swimmers preparing for competition or even high school males and females preparing for any type of sport competition.

For those athletes who need to focus upon an adequate recovery nutrition plan, you will be better off planning in advance the right foods and fluids to replace calories, carbohydrates, protein, fluids and sodium. Your best choices are probably not a commercially prepared plan.

If you are tired, time is an issue and are without a planned ahead nutrition recovery plan, the simplest solution is to drink less water and more cranberry, grape or any other of your favorite fruit juice. Juices provide the fluid, carbs and calories you need right after strenuous exercise.

If you need to lose weight and restrict calorie intake you are better off to fuel your body appropriately in daytime to ensure your ability to perform during strong workouts. Enjoy a light dinner and fewer evening snacks. The worse thing you can do is restrict calories during the day and exercise on an empty stomach.

If you exercise solely for good health and fitness three or four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes per session, you can be less focused on recovery nutrition. Your body does not become depleted during fitness work-outs. You also have plenty of time to “naturally” refuel before the next work-out.

What is a good recovery nutrition plan?

Since muscles rely on carbohydrates, the athlete should plan to replenish depleted blood sugar and muscle glycogen within 30 minutes of post-exercise. It may require some concentration and definitely some planning to refuel your body with the appropriate carbohydrates after an intense work-out. Athletes who weigh 100 to 200 pounds need 300 to 600 calories of carbohydrates repeatedly every two hours for six hours. Now….the worse thing you can do is not plan ahead to have the appropriate carbohydrates on hand and grab a donut, a hot dog, a burger or chips right after your intense work-out. These things will not refuel your blood sugar and muscle glycogen and your muscles will of course not recover from the demands of strenuous exercise. If this type of eating continues your health will suffer some dire consequences. Be wise and plan ahead with the appropriate carbohydrates. Some quick sources would be an instant breakfast drink (I use these for myself often and always feel an instant healthy boost of energy). Fruit smoothies are excellent sources of carbs, fluids and protein.

Dehydration is indicated by scanty, dark urine. Thirst is a poor indicator of whether or not you have had enough to drink. If you become severely dehydrated you may need 24 to 48 hours to totally replace the loss. To combat severe dehydration sip on an enjoyable beverage until your urine is pale yellow like lemonade. Fruit juices, smoothies and milk shakes are better than sport drinks. It is better to drink orange juice than Gatorade. Orange juice has much more potassium.

Your best bet is to prevent dehydration altogether. A simple way to determine how much fluid you need is to weigh yourself naked before and after an hour of hard exercise during which you drank nothing. A two pound per hour loss equals one quart. In this example you would need to drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes of exercise.

When you sweat during exercise you lose sodium. You would have to sweat hard for more than 4 to 6 hours before you would actually deplete your body’s sodium supply. An athlete exerciser can easily replace sodium losses with just a standard diet that offers 6 to 12 times the amount of needed sodium. A sodium recovery diet for athletes could consist of eating salty foods such soup, pretzels, salted crackers. Sport drinks are a weaker source of sodium as compared to soup, pretzels and salted crackers. Should not be too difficult to pack extra pretzels or salted crackers for your strenuous work-out sessions.

Muscles need time as well as adequate carbs and calories to refuel and heal. Take a day off after a hard workout to allow your muscles to recuperate. Daily hard exercise does not increase performance. It only increases your chances for injury.

Exercising to Lose Weight or to Become Healthier?

You really should try and separate exercise from weight loss. Think of exercise as something you do for enjoyment that will in turn make you healthier, fit and more able to withstand stress. If you need to lose weight, pay attention to your calorie intake and cut back a couple 100 calories a day for one year while you exercise for enjoyment. You should reap rewards both in how you feel as well as how you look. Taking a day off between work-outs is also recommended for the exerciser who seeks good health and fitness from their exercise routines. You need to allow your body to recover and heal. Overdoing it will not bring you faster or better results. You will probably end up with injury instead. However, you will not need to focus upon an exercise recovery nutrition plan. You can still use the advice given here for athletes, but in general, you will not suffer any dire consequences if you do not practice an exercise recovery nutrition plan.

Equine Nutrition

Grass is a natural source of nutrition for a horse

Equine nutrition refers to the feeding of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys and other equids. Correct and balanced nutrition is a critical component of proper horse care.

Horses are herbivores, a type of non-ruminant known as a "hind-gut fermentor." What this means is that horses have only one stomach, similar to humans. However, unlike humans, they also have to digest plant fiber that comes from grass and hay. Therefore, unlike ruminants, who digest fiber in plant matter by use of a multichambered stomach, horses use bacterial fermentation that occurs in the organ known as the cecum (or caecum) to break down cellulose.

In practical terms, horses prefer to eat small amounts of food steadily throughout the day, as they do in nature when grazing on pasture. Although this is not always possible with modern stabling practices and human schedules that favor feeding horses twice a day, it is important to remember the underlying biology of the animal when determining what to feed, how often, and in what quantities.

The digestive system of the horse is somewhat delicate. Because horses are unable to regurgitate food, except from the esophagus, if they overeat or eat something poisonous, vomiting is not an option. They are also very susceptible to colic, which is a leading cause of death in horses. Therefore, horses require clean, high-quality feed, provided at regular intervals, and may become ill if subjected to abrupt changes in their diets.

Horses are also sensitive to molds and toxins. For this reason, they must never be fed contaminated fermentable materials such as lawn clippings. Fermented silage, sometimes called "haylage" is fed to horses in some places, but it is risky

A Guide To Proper Nutrition For Puppies

For most dogs, puppy hood lasts for about the first year of life. During this time, the puppy needs higher levels of minerals like calcium and phosphorus, protein, vitamins, and energy (Calories) than it will as an adult. Foods fed to young, growing dogs should contain these higher levels of nutrients.

Pet foods in this group will usually be labeled as “puppy food” or “canine growth” to distinguish them from foods designed for more senior dogs. However, you should always keep in mind that overfeeding can be harmful to your pet. Develop a feeding schedule for your breed of dog and stick to it. Puppies will tend to eat everything in sight because of higher activity levels.

Consult your veterinarian for a good brand of dog food and an appropriate feeding schedule. Avoiding giving table food, table scraps, or treats and snacks, these will only unbalance his diet and cause poor digestion and over time, obesity. Puppy hood is the most crucial time in your dog’s development. Bad habits now can affect his health down the road.

Always feed your pup a “meal.” As stated earlier, pups will eat continuously if left alone. It is much better to put down a large amount of food, but only for a limited time, usually 20 – 30 minutes. Let the pup eat all he wants in that time, and then take the food away until the next meal. This will also discourage finicky eaters, as they will learn to eat when the food is available.

If your puppy starts to become overweight, simply shorten his mealtime, or reduce the number of meals each day, as determined by your vet. Overweight puppies tend to become overweight adult dogs with greatly increased health problems, and usually a shorter life span. Good nutrition and good eating habits are your responsibility, so please give them your best attention.

Getting to the Root of Nutrition

What are we made of? While this may seem like a simple question, the answer is essential to the study of nutrition. Over hundreds if not thousands of years the study of nutrition has aimed to break down the different compounds from which the body is made and to understand where they came from. The simple fact is that the entire human body is made out of food and water and to a lesser extent air and light. The things that do not fall into these categories may be toxins and actually cause a burden to the structures and functions of the normal body. Many toxins are added to our food today and you may be surprised by what some of them are. Knowing what supports correct bodily function and what burdens it can help you make better choices about your lifestyle and your diet and the result is an improved level of wellness.

Understanding that from the very beginning you were and continue to be made out of the compounds found in food and water, nutrition and the study of it is obviously primarily health care and neither alternative nor complimentary. Nutrition is the most fundamental aspect of life.

What makes the food that makes us?

First we have the so-called “pillars of nutrition.” These are also known as macronutrients because they take up the largest portion of the food, apart from water which makes up a substantial portion of any food.

· Protein
· Fats
· Carbohydrates

Just like the basic parts used to make a car, these parts are all required for life and in a ratio of about 30% protein, 20% fats and 50% carbohydrates.

The quality of each of these pillars is very important. After all, do you want to be made from high quality parts or low quality parts?

Protein is composed of twenty different amino acids. In adults there are eight essential amino acids. Essential means there is no way for your body to get these building blocks other than through your diet. With children there are ten essential amino acids and premature babies require eleven amino acids. Again, they cannot get in these other way than through diet.

Meat from animals contains a complete profile of the essential amino acids, but some erroneously believe that vegetarians have a difficult time getting enough protein in their diets. Protein is a basic building block in all life and vegetarians eating a reasonably varied selection of foods not only get complete protein support, the protein from plants tends to be easier to digest and does not cause a build up of toxins like uric acid in the kidneys as is the case with all animal protein.

Modern diets tend to have the least amount of high quality essential fats but large amounts of low quality and harmful fats. These essential fats are found in foods such as flax seed, fresh nuts, avocados and certain types of fish. Processed foods and red meat contain saturated fats and trans fats which are neither essential nor beneficial.

The essential fats not only assist the body in the management of inflammation and other bodily processes, they make up some critical structures in the body as well. Over 50% of the mass of a healthy brain is composed of these essential, unsaturated fats.

A word of warning: have you ever opened a jar of raw nuts and discovered the smell of “oil paint”? This is a sign that the essential fats have gone rancid. Throw this food out.

The final pillar is the much maligned carbohydrate group. These foods provide energy as well as fiber to the diet. Fiber is found in most plants and is not considered a nutrient, but it is important for normal bodily function and waste elimination. Fruits and vegetables provide the best source of carbohydrates and varying amounts of fiber. Grains also provide beneficial carbohydrates as long as they are whole and are an excellent source of fiber. Refined grains provide the lowest quality source of carbohydrates and in excess may now only lead to unwanted weight gain, but also an increased risk of diabetes, and heart disease.

These three pillars of nutrition are very important and provide the bulk of any healthy diet. For hundreds of years, they were considered to be the only components of nutrition in food. That all changed as research moved forward in the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the next article, we will peer further into the essentials of food.

Understanding Nutrition

With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the form of the new food pyramid, I still find that many people don't actually understand what nutrition actually means. Because of this, dietary choices can seem overwhelming. Even greater confusion can be generated by prime time news specials which only strive to educate through clever sound-bites and diet fads which lead some to believe that all of their answers are found in one single "magic food." So what is nutrition and how can you understand it in a way that helps you apply it to your life and to the benefit of those you know and love? Here's an analogy I have found helpful in teaching those who attend my free Sunday Night Wellness Call.

Your body functions in a manner similar to a car assembly plant. At that plant, a steady stream of new parts, the correct parts and parts in the right ratios to each other are absolutely necessary in order to keep that plant open for business and running smoothly.

What would happen if someone in purchasing forgot to provide that plant with steering wheels? The cars would be almost functional. But because of a single part deficiency, that car would not be able to carry out its intended function.

If this only happened to a few cars, it probably wouldn't be a big deal. You wouldn't see any symptoms of a parts deficiency. But what if that plant had no steering wheels for an entire month? How about year? First the plant would probably close, the community would fail. Good people would move away and the "bad elements" would most likely take over the town. The lack of balanced parts would eventually lead to dire conditions.

What happens when the cells of your body are missing parts?

You eat to provide your cells with nourishment. It's not just about calories. That nourishment is the collection of parts every cell in your body needs to function properly. You provide your cells with parts and those parts are assembled according to instructions in your DNA to create a variety of finished products. That could include new cells, of which there are many kinds, anti bodies to fight disease, neurotransmitters to carry signals between nerves, and hormones to regulate your body.

So again, there are beneficial raw materials in foods, which our bodies use, and need, to carry out vital cellular functions.

These functions keep us alive.

These functions combat disease.

These functions allow us to heal.

These functions allow our cells to build new cells and all of the other finished materials that are necessary for normal life and optimal health.

And these raw materials are called nutrients.

We eat to give our body access to nutrients.

Sadly, our food does not contain the nutrients it once had in abundance, so it is necessary to supplement a good diet with quality nutritional supplementation to ensure that our cells do not suffer from a parts deficiency. We should still strive to have a good diet, from as many whole foods as possible, with supplementation being a means to supplement, not substitute, the benefits of a good diet.