Eating To Lose Weight

You need to eat to burn body fat. This is a fact: The first nutritional demand of your body is energy. Without adequate energy, your body will convert muscle protein into energy to feed your brain, nervous system and red blood cells.

These particular tissues do not possess the metabolic machinery to burn fat. They only burn carbohydrates. When your intake of carbohydrate falls below these tissues demand, the body begins to convert tissue protein into carbohydrate to meet their need. The net result is a loss of muscle tissue.

Yes, the scale may say you have lost "weight", but you have lost the very tissue that burns fat. Muscle tissue burns 70% of the fat in your body; so losing muscle sacrifices your ability to burn body fat.

In fact, the "weight" you lose on a diet can represent up to 10 to 20% of those pounds in muscle loss. This poor dieter will not only regain this weight, but then some. All because they have compromised their ability to burn body fat.

This is also why people gain weight as they age.

Aging causes muscle loss. So does inactivity. Have you heard of the saying"Use it or lose it"? This is true of your muscle.

Inactivity leads to muscle loss and muscle loss causes a lowered capacity to burn fat, so you wear more of it.

The bottom line is this: At any time, or for whatever reason, you lose your muscle; you lose your capacity to burn fat. Diets, aging and inactivity all lead to a decreased amount of muscle weight and an increased amount of fat tissue.

Never fear. You can, at any time in your life, rebuild your muscle and teach it to burn fat.

Aerobic exercise rebuilds your muscle and teaches it to burn more fat. Eating right gives you the nutrients you need to make that muscle. The food pyramid outlines how to eat to get the nutrients you need, so let us deal more specifically with energy needs and where that energy needs to come from.

In order to burn just the fat and not the other lean tissue in your body, you need to meet your minimal energy requirement.

If you want to maintain your current weight, this level is found by multiplying your weight by 15.

If you want to lose weight, multiply your ideal weight by ten. For example, if your ideal weight is 140 pounds, your minimal energy requirement is 1400 calories.

Next, you need to factor in the calories needed for exercise and activity. Very active people (those who exercise 3 hours or more a week) need to multiply their minimal requirement by 1.5. Moderately active individuals (those who exercise 1 to 3 hours per week) need to multiply their requirement by 1.2.


Source: Nancy Bennett, M.S., R.D., Nutritionist

Lactic Acid & Muscle Pain

No pain, no gain. This is the adage that many of us work out by. If it’s not hurting we are not working hard enough. What causes sore muscles and what part does lactic acid buildup play?

There are 2 types of muscle pain. One is the burning that you feel in your muscles while you are working out, and this is commonly known as lactic acid build up. The second kind is the stiffness and soreness you may encounter for up to 2-5 days after you have worked out. This pain is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS for short).

Lactic acid is created when the body is not getting enough oxygen to break down the glucose required for energy. Lactic acid is produced at these moments of time of extreme anaerobic activity (such as weight lifting) as a defensive measure, forcing the body to slow down and catch its metabolic breath. The burning feeling you are experiencing is a sure sign that you are working out to your maximum. Once your body starts producing the lactic acid in high quantities the body can only continue that particular muscle use (rep) for another 1 -3 minutes. The lactic acid does not hang around in your muscles for too long, from several to twenty-four hours.

DOMS is the correct term for the pain, stiffness and suffering you may encounter when you try to get out of bed the day or two after the massive or new workout. This pain and stiffness usually peaks within the first 1-2 days and then subsides. The length of recovery time can depend on the muscle damage and subsequent repair necessary. Yes, you read right. DOMS is actually caused by the inflammation and damage of the muscles created by the workout. Generally, if DOMS is caused by a new workout routine, your muscles will soon adjust and you will find the DOMS will stop troubling you.

Tips for relieving muscle pain.
* Massage has been proven to reduce both the tissue swelling and the pain associated with DOMS after strenuous workouts. The theory is that the massaging motion helps clear the chemical build-ups in the muscles and surrounding tissues, allowing the healing process to start faster.

* Light exercise again has been clinically proven to help alleviate some of the symptoms of DOMS. A light cardio workout is recommended first to warm up, followed by some stretches. If you are then able to do your usual workout that’s fine. However, if the pain is interfering with your routine, or the pain intensifies then this is your body signaling you that those particular muscles need more recovery time. It is important to listen to your body and not ignore severe pain.

* Heat packs and ice packs can both help with tissue damage and pain. Ice will help prevent swelling, and heat is generally found to be soothing for sore muscles and joints.

Does it really have to hurt to work?

The pain that is felt in the muscles after an intensive routine is the small tears in the muscles healing themselves. This is part of the muscle strengthening process. A little DOMS can be a great indicator that you have successfully pushed yourself. On the other hand, severe DOMS indicates that you have overexerted yourself. Lactic acid burn is a signal that your muscles are indeed working out.
Conclusion.

The production of lactic acid is a process signaling that muscles in your body have run out of oxygen needed to clear out the chemicals created by an intensive workout. The build up of lactic acid is signaled by the feeling of muscle burn. DOMS, on the other hand is the pain and stiffness felt from anywhere between 1 and 5 days after a strenuous activity.


Source: fitnesstips101.com

Oxygen Intake And Requirements

The oxygen requirement of a given act is the volume of oxygen necessary for the performance of the act and for recovery. If the exercise is moderate, this requirement may be satisfied by the oxygen intake and recovery keeps pace with activity. If the exertion is severe, this relation breaks down and an oxygen debt is incurred, In this case, the oxygen requirement of the exercise is the sum of the oxygen intake during exercise anti the oxygen debt which is repaid during recovery.

The oxygen requirement of exercise is determined by a combination of factors, among the most important of which are: the severity or intensity of exercise, its duration, its speed, its economy, and certain environmental conditions, notably temperature and humidity.

Intensity of Work

Tile tension exerted by a contracting muscle is dependent on two factors: the number of fibers contracting and the frequency of their contraction. Muscle tone, which is based on the low frequency activation of a small proportion of the total number of muscle fibers, requires a very small oxygen intake. The same is true of a weak voluntary contraction. If a stronger contraction is needed, additional muscle fibers must be brought into activity and the frequency with which each fiber contracts must be increased; both of these adjustments increase the oxygen requirement of the muscle.

Duration of Work

Within certain limits, the oxygen requirement of work is directly proportional to its duration. If, however, the intensity is great enough, or the duration long enough to induce a state of fatigue, the oxygen requirement per unit of time usually begins to increase rapidly. This is easily explained by recalling the shape or the fatigue curve of an isolated muscle. As a muscle begins to tire the tension developed by each fiber is reduced, and hence more fibers must he brought into activity if the same level of work is to be maintained. The oxygen requirement is increased in proportion to the increased member of active muscle fibers.

Rate or Speed of Work

The relation between the oxygen requirement of work and the speed or performance is complex. For many types of work there is an optimal speed at which the oxygen requirement is minimal. If the work is performed at a slower or a faster rate, the mechanical efficiency is diminished and the oxygen requirement increased. The net result of two opposing factors determines the optimal speed of performance: (a) a rapidly contracting muscle has been shown to develop less tension than does a muscle contracting more slowly due to the limited rate at which the chemical changes underlying muscle contraction can occur; (b) a definite amount of energy is required to maintain tension in a muscle, once it is developed, and the slower the contraction, the greater is the proportion of the total energy used for this purpose (that is, tension must be maintained over a longer period of time in accomplishing a given amount of work at a slower rate of contraction). Factor (a) tends to make work more economical (lower oxygen requirement) at low speeds, while factor (b) results in a smaller oxygen requirement at high speeds. The worker, if left to his own devices, usually automatically adopts the optimal rate of working; this is, of course, impossible in assembly-line work.

There is another important type of work in which there is apparently no optimal speed. This is exemplified by the act of running. Table I indicates that the oxygen requirement of a 120 yard dash increases in direct proportion to the speed. Actually, the difference between these two types of activity is more apparent than real. In running, even at low speeds, the subject is usually exceeding the optimal speed for horizontal locomotion. In walking, on the other hand, there is a definite optimal speed of about 100 yards (120 steps) per minute.

Source: health-medi-issues.com

Muscle Confusion - An Amazing Muscle Builder

So what is muscle confusion? Do you really need to make your muscles confused?

Well not really, you see muscle confusion (MC) is really a training principle that creates variety in your training. The reason to use this training protocol is because muscle confusion prevents plateaus and keeps your muscles growing. Muscles become accustomed to a training program very quickly. We need to develop different exercises and perform a variety of sets and repetitions. The best way is to cycle your training program, typically in four week cycles.

By cycling or changing your training program every four weeks, your muscles cannot become used to the exercises. This forces your muscles to grow quicker than with any other training method. That is why MC is such an exciting training principle.

One way to use MC is to vary the exercises. For example, if you were doing a barbell incline chest press, you could use a hammer strength incline machine one week and then the following week you could do a dumbbell incline press. While you're still working the upper chest muscles, you're hitting them from a different angle and this will stimulate new muscle growth.

By using the MC principle you're guaranteeing yourself consistent results in your fitness and resistance training workout.

Here are three tips to help you in using the muscle confusion principle:

" change your exercises every four weeks.
" use free weights, cables or resistance bands in your workout.
" vary the repetitions and the number of sets you use.

By following these three tips you will get the Maximum Results from your strength training workouts. Use the muscle confusion principle in your training program. Remember the three most important components of gaining muscle size are:

" Proper rest
" Proper nutrition
" Hard training

Make sure you include these three components in your muscle building goals, doing so guarantees fast muscle growth and the body that you dreamed about.

Regardless of whether you want to gain maximum muscle size or lose body fat-- or both. The correct exercise equipment and nutrition program are essential.


Source: Frank Sherrill, ezinearticles.com,

Top 10 WORST Foods!

1. Artery Crust

Judging by the label, Marie Callender’s (16.5 oz) Chicken Pot Pie has 520 calories, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 800 mg of sodium. But look again. Those numbers are for only half a pie. Eat the entire pie, as most people probably do, and you’re talking 1,040 calories, 22 grams of saturated fat (more than a day’s worth), and 1,600 mg of sodium (an entire day’s worth).

.2. Triple Bypass

Can’t decide what to pick from a restaurant menu? No worries. Now you can order not just one entrée, but two … or three … all at once. Olive Garden’s Tour of Italy – Homemade Lasagna, Lightly Breaded Chicken Parmigiana, and Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo – comes with 1,450 calories, 33 grams of saturated fat, and 3,830 milligrams of sodium. Add a breadstick (150 calories and 400 mg of sodium) and a plate of Garden-Fresh Salad with dressing (350 calories and 1,930 mg of sodium) and you’ll consume 2,000 calories (an entire day’s worth) and 6,160 mg

.3. Salt's On!

On average, a cup of Campbell’s Condensed soup has 850 mg of sodium. That’s half a day’s worth … assuming you eat only one of the 2½ servings that the label says the can makes. Campbell’s Healthy Request and Select Harvest, Progresso Reduced Sodium, and Healthy Choice slash the sodium to the 400s. Look for lower sodium lines in the 100s to 300s by Amy’s, Imagine Foods, Pacific Natural Foods, and Tabatchnick.

.4. Tortilla Terror

Interested in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa)? Think of its 970 calories, 18 grams of saturated fat, and 2,200 mg of sodium as three 6-inch Subway BLT Classic Subs! Getting the burrito with no cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat to 5½ grams, but you still end up with 750 calories and more than a day’s worth of sodium. Yikes!

.5. Factory Reject

People don’t expect light desserts at The Cheesecake Factory. But the Chocolate Tower Truffle Cake kicks things up a notch. If it weren’t served on its side, this one would stand over six inches tall. And upright or not, the slab of cake still weighs in at three-quarters of a pound. What do you get for all that heft? Just 1,670 calories and 2½ days’ worth of saturated fat (48 grams), nearly all of it from chocolate, sugar, cream, white flour, and butter.

.6. Burial Grands

No one thinks of cinnamon rolls as health food. But each Pillsbury Grands! Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll with Icing has 310 calories and 2 grams of saturated fat plus 2½ grams of trans fat (more than a day’s worth) and 6 teaspoons of sugar. Companies are dumping their partially hydrogenated oils left and right, yet Pillsbury still makes most of its rolls and biscuits with the stuff.

.7. Transgression

“Excellent source of ALA Omega 3,” declares the Land O’Lakes Margarine box. Who knew that Land O’Lakes stick margarine was so heart healthy? It isn’t. Each tablespoon of the spread has 2½ grams of trans fat (more than an entire day’s limit) and 2 grams of saturated fat. And beware of other trans-filled sticks by Blue Bonnet, Parkay, Country Crock, Fleischmann’s, and Imperial. At least those brands don’t imply that a bit of ALA outweighs the harm caused by the margarine’s trans and saturated fat. Shopping tip: Look for tub margarines – most have little or no trans fat.

.8. Starbucks on Steroids

The Starbucks Venti (20 oz) White Chocolate Mocha with 2% milk and whipped cream is more than a mere cup of coffee. It’s worse than a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Few people have room in their diets for the 580 calories and 15 grams of saturated fat that this hefty beverage supplies. But you can lose 130 calories and two-thirds of the bad fat if you order it with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.

.9. Extreme Ice Cream

An average halfcup serving of Häagen-Dazs ice cream squeezes half-a-day’s saturated fat and a third-of-a-day’s cholesterol into your artery walls and makes a 300-calorie down-payment on your next set of fat cells – if you can stop at a petite half-cup!

.10. Stone Cold

Cold Stone Creamery’s Oh Fudge! shake (chocolate ice cream, milk, and fudge syrup) starts at 1,250 calories for the “Like It” (16 oz) size. That’s more than a large (32 oz) McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake. The “Love It” (20 oz) has 1,660 calories and the “Gotta Have It” (24 oz) reaches 1,920 calories (an entire days’ worth) and 69 grams of saturated fat (3½ days’ worth). It’s two 16 oz T-bone steaks plus a buttered baked potato, all blended into a handy 24 oz cup.


Source: www.cspinet.org

How To Keep The Variety In Your Exercise

Keep Your Muscles Challenged

To avoid reaching a plateau and effectively allowing your progress to flat-line, it is necessary to incorporate exercise variety into your workout routine. Instead of always doing the same crunches to work out your abs, do crunches sometimes, use a medicine ball every few workouts, and rotate between different abdominal machines and apparatus when you can. By changing up the type of motions, your abdominal muscles won't become "used" to crunches. Instead of developing abs that can only do crunches, you can develop abs that are toned from all directions because of your various abdominal exercises. Do the same for all muscle groups, and you'll be on the right track.


Reach Higher Levels of Fitness

If you run once around the park every day, eventually you will hit a finishing time that you just can't beat. You will have, again, reached a plateau. The only way to push your body to newer levels of fitness will be to move on to a new running regiment, whether it is a longer run or a run with more hills. An even better way to incorporate exercise variety, in this case, would be to have a number of different runs that you use throughout the week, rather than only moving on to a new run once you've reached your plateau.


Prevent Yourself From Getting Bored

Don't you think running in that same park every day would get a little boring? Aside from the physical benefits exercise variety offers, it is easy to see how it can help provide motivation through new and exciting workout routines. Knowing now that exercise variety will help you to reach new levels of fitness, you can confidently join that salsa aerobics class or cycling class knowing that even if it hurts a little at first, in the long run, it will help.



Source: eHow.com

Top Five Reasons to Buy Locally Grown Produce

1.Freshness & Taste – Local produce is generally as fresh as you can get without growing it yourself. The taste of fresh fruits and veggies improves with more freshly picked, local produce.

2.Healthy Choices – Besides the freshness, most if not all locally grown produce is untreated and free from additives and preservatives.

3.Heritage – Buying fresh local produce encourages continued growth of heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, especially tomatoes.

4.Community – When you purchase local produce, you are helping to sustain the local economy and upholding the way of life of area farmers.

5.Green Lifestyle – Purchasing fresh produce from farms and farmer’s markets drastically reduces the amount of resources like fuel and packaging necessary to get the fruits and vegetables to your dinner table.


Source: Veggievox.com