Vegan123 » nutrition

Lose Your Gut While You Sleep!

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:16:11 +0000

Students of Self Defense Classes in Maryland would love it if we lived in a world where we could eat large portions of whatever we wanted during the day and still lose weight when while we sleep. Unfortunately that world doesn’t exist yet, but with a little tweaking we can get close enough. Eating during the day and dieting at night is very possible.. The way to do this is to divide your meals around the 24 hour clock. Successful weight loss starts when you eat the right meals at the right time.

Let’s start with breakfast after all it is the most important meal of the day for a reason. You wake up and you are starving so before you load up on more than half of your daily caloric limit let’s break it down. Breakfast means that you are breaking your ‘fast’ because the average person is fasting for 8 hours when they sleep. For 8 hours you are not eating, and by the time you wake up you have a huge appetite.. Thankfully with this meal plan it’s a good thing to wake up ravenous. You want to start your day by eating breakfast.. That doesn’t mean go crazy by eating a lot of fatty foods with nothing but grease, fat, salt, and sugar in it. This means eating a full breakfast that includes all the foods in the pyramid.. The more you eat for the breakfast the less hungry you’ll be during lunch 4 hours later. For lunch you’ll just eat a regular lunch meal nothing big. Four hours after that you’ll have a nice size snack and 4 hours after that you’ll have a light dinner. BJJ Baltimore students like this plan because there is hardly any guess work involved in planning the meals.

Now we have to coordinate this food pattern with the 24 hour clock. You have to make sure you have an additional 4 food-free hours before you sleep for 8 hours. If you notice that is 12 hours of fasting. Your body will just digest and recover throughout that time.. Your body was also digesting food throughout the daytime as well so the pounds will just come off while you are sleeping. If students of Self Defense Classes in Maryland can stick to the plan for 6 weeks and they’ll notice a huge difference because an empty stomach at night is a flat stomach in the morning.

Technorati Tags: diet, martial arts, nutrition, weight loss

Salt The Silent Killer

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:41:25 +0000

The kickboxing Columbia adult students know that salt is a vital nutrient for our body, but it can be deadly. Pay attention to the amount of extra salt you put on top of food. When you add the amount of salt that is in the food to the salt that you are adding you will find that it is a lot. If you are eating out at a restaurant then that salt content may be more than half of your recommended daily caloric limit.

The recommended limit for sodium is 2,400 milligrams/day. Seriously think about that, 2,400mg looks like a high number but if you look on the back of most canned goods the sodium content is in the 200-2000mg range. Having a lot of sodium in the body can lead to hypertension also known as high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are at risk for serious coronary heart diseases, strokes, and heart attacks in their lifetime.

Sodium is very sneaky because a high amount can be founded in so many processed foods and the healthy foods. Many canned foods will say that they have 750mg or more of sodium per serving. However if you actually read the label on the can it says that there are two, one cup servings. Most adults eat and feed their children the entire can which means that they are consuming 1500mg of sodium in one meal. There are UFC training camps for kids that warn parents about the effects. If the recommended daily sodium limit is 2,400mg that leave you with just 900mg of sodium for the rest of the day. Once you consume a large portion of your daily allowance in one meal it become extremely hard to eat the rest of the day and stay under the limit. Maybe it wouldn’t be impossible because the only thing you can do is drink water and not eat.

Overweight individuals have to be careful with their sodium intake because they are already at risk for so many other diseases on top of the illnesses that comes from too much salt. The best way to reduce the amount of sodium you consume is to cook your own meals. When you cook your own meals you control the amount of salt in your dish. Kickboxing Columbia schools recommend that you try using salt-free seasonings in your food because the food will still have plenty of flavor. Be mindful of the sodium in products that you eat because sodium can be a silent killer if you let it.

Technorati Tags: Health Fitness, nutrition, Popular Diets, UFC Training

Go Low Glycemic To Trim Excess Fat Away

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:19:28 +0000

Obesity, it is as much the scourge of the developed world as poverty is of the Third World. Thousands in the developed world have been desperately — and rather unsuccessfully — trying to shed their pounds, even as thousands in the underdeveloped world have been trying to put some fat into their bodies.

The World Health Organization says that the United States is now the fattest country in the world. Try asking anyone who has tried burning extra calories away. It’s easier to look for the proverbial needle in the haystack! And they will tell you that there are no shortcuts in a fat loss regimen. In order to help you reduce your caloric intake you may want to try using white kidney bean extract .

There are several factors that help in gaining weight. In many cases, food intake isn’t the only one responsible. Hormonal factors, medical conditions and their side effects, and lots of other reasons may also contribute to weight gain. Recent research has found that obesity can also come from the increase in the amount of toxins and chemicals found in the environment.

Often, the only real solutions to fat loss are dieting and exercises that burn fat. But these need to be made especially to suit your particular lifestyle and body composition to be truly effective. However, many people do not follow professional advice and cause more harm to their body than good while on a fat loss regime.

This is when you should be aware of the new standard for low glycemic healthy eating. Glycemic indexing is basically a measurement of how much a particular food increases the blood sugar level and insulin response. This is important because the rate at which your blood sugar rises after eating is important in managing your weight. Salba for weight loss is a nutritious food for weight loss.

Weight gain is one of many negative effects of high glycemic food. Your appetite is increased, the level of body fat is raised from the increase of triglycerides. Despite what most people think, a low-carbohydrate diet isn’t always a low-glycemic diet. You’ll just end up with more body fat with such a diet.

In that case, what is a low glycemic diet exactly? Fruits and vegetables are low glycemic food, and you should include them most in your daily diet. But it’s not always possible to stay on such a diet.

That is when glyconutrient supplements or glyconutritionals enter the picture. Glyconutrients are a type of sugars found in fruits and vegetables that are necessary to ensure the body’s perfect working condition. They’re vital components of the body’s fundamental biochemical process of communication among cells, and the immune system’s tone up.

We’ve already discovered eight of these essential sugars, six of them are not part of our daily diet. Using glyconutritional supplements made from vegetables and fruits can help in two ways: you can maintain a low glycemic diet and keep your strength while on a fat loss program.

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How The Right Diet Helps Grow Muscles Easily

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:57:05 +0000

How important is the food you eat? Basically, if your goal is muscle mass building here’s something you need to know: “Bodybuilding is undoubtedly 85% nutrition.” That was proclaimed by the one and only Vince Gironda, one of the greatest coaches of his time.

While he experienced a bit of recognition as a bodybuilder, he was basically more well known for being a trainer to the actors. Referred to as Iron Guru, Gironda whipped a lot of megastars into shape, including a stint with Arnold Schwartzenegger – probably the most famed bodybuilders ever.

For decades, the Iron Guru’s list of scholars was a veritable who’s who within the muscle building arena.

From the 1950s until his demise in the mid nineties, Gironda was sure that a muscle building diet played a huge role for bodybuilding accomplishment. During his long career, he played an essential role in distributing this principle to every one of his trainees.

In brief, a good muscle building diet should highlight useable sources of protein. Also essential are all natural carbohydrates available as fresh fruits and also veggies. In addition nuts, oils and fats play a supporting role within a muscle building diet. Gironda indicated that genuine bodybuilders should include dietary supplements so as to rapidly regrow torn muscle tissue and also reduce the amount of subcutaneous (beneath the skin) fat within the body.

Bernard Beverley, the distinguished biologist, stated that human muscle tissues is 100% biological. How does this translate to muscle building? This means that eating meals which are rich in biological content is important for building muscle tissue as far as possible. Nonetheless, a common misconception is that foods high in protein automatically have a high biological content. Many people don’t realize that all proteins are not exactly the same. In order to simplify, biological content refers to food that’s comprised of exactly the same protein structure as the protein within human tissue.

It might come as a surprise, but an egg is the food with the largest biological content. Several other close contenders consist of raw milk, organ meats (liver, kidneys, heart), lamb, poultry, steak, and fish. Specific greens including beans and legumes are considered a good source of protein, and should definitely be part of a muscle building diet.

It really is intriguing to explain that soybeans, even though heralded as possessing super high protein content, are just about 22% biological. This simply means you would have to consume enormous quantities of soy to get the amino acid content of your high quality proteins in the above list. Whilst preparing weight lifters for competition, the Iron Guru advocated consuming as many as 3 dozen eggs each day!

The point of consuming all this protein is due to muscle growth. After a heavy training session, the reasoning is that a good increase of protein can help muscular tissues recover swiftly as well as reach brand new degrees of strength. Naturally, as soon as your muscle building goals have been achieved, you need to progressively decrease the level of protein in take.

There are additional approaches to the muscle building diet. A few center only on red meat and also fresh vegetables, while others are loaded with dairy products and fish. The reality is, each one of these approaches have one typical goal: to repair and replace muscle tissues rapidly with a heavy protein diet. It is essential to understand that these plans are certainly not intended to be long-term diets. No matter what diet plan strategy you use, it was Gironda’s belief that muscle building dietary supplements aid a great deal with muscle building. Many of his recommended health supplements include: desiccated liver, lipotropic amino acids, kelp capsules, as well as wheat germ oil.

Along with these supplements, the Iron Guru regularly put his scholars on a special pre-competition diet to get rid of residual subcutaneous fat. These were composed of 4 days of taking in absolutely no carbs, and after that a day of regular eating. This cycle would likely proceed for as much as eight weeks, and contributed to muscles and veins popping on the surface of the skin.

To conclude, an excellent muscle building diet should concentrate on protein, good carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. A good explanation is 25% protein, 40% natural carbs (this does not include processed starches or maybe sugars) together with a wholesome balance in fat and fiber.

The special competition eating plans which cycle between four days of zero carbohydrates plus a fifth healthy day should really be adopted a maximum of 8 weeks. In addition, suitable health supplements need to be taken.

Technorati Tags: body building diet, eat to gain muscle, muscle building diet, nutrition

Great Reasons To Add Cherries Inside Your Diet!

admin — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:42:20 +0000

Cherries have been around for a long time. The truth is, even thoughpeople back then didn’t know about themany different benefits of cherries, they have beenusing them and mixing them in a few concoctions that aid cure people that they pass down from one generation to another.

Right now, plenty of people have been reviewing the real benefits of cherries anda few people are amazed because they are taken by surprise that cherries cantruly make the body healthier. Some rewards of cherries are the following: Cherriesbear Melatonin that is an all-natural pain killer.Besides from this fact, Melatonin has also served in making individuals sleep better. Some have said that they take small spoon full of cherry concentrate just beforegoing to bed since this really helps themrest better.

Cherries also contain Anthocyanins that the body uses to make Amino Acids. Amino acids are much needed by everyone but it is not naturally produced by the body. What we can do is consume varied food products that will render us with the significantly needed Amino Acids and that is the grounds why we have to involve cherries in ourmeals.

There are still a whole lot of other health benefits that you may get from cherries.Due to the fact that it is becoming widely used, there are already reviews about it online.However, because of the researches there are now news thatcertain kinds of cherries have more disease fighting anti oxidants. A single instance of this is tart cherries. Tart cherries also possess more beta carotene that is additionally needed by the body to transform into Vitamin A which makes cherries very good if you want to take advantage of the vitamin A benefits.

People who are trying to lose weight are also planning to put cherries in their diets considering that there are studies as well as researches now that present thelink with cherries and the lost of excess body fat. Individuals who’ve been consuming cherries on a regular basis have less cholesterol and reduced body fat in comparison with those who do not integrate cherries in theirmenu.

Technorati Tags: cherries, health, nutrition, vitamins

How Raw And Organic Foods Assist Weight Loss

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:24:38 +0000

Luckily, for people who desire raw and organic foods, there are now numerous choices available. Natural and organic foods used to be found only in natural food stores, and those could be few and far between. While not as ubiquitous as McDonald’s, there are many more stand alone stores. Nowadays, many grocery stores have an organic food selection. If the store you go to doesn’t have any, ask, they may be prompted to start carrying some. Most likely, you will not be the only customer who makes this request. These types of foods will help you with your quick weight loss diet because your body will get more of the nutrients it needs per calorie and it will not have to eliminate toxic chemicals.

Food that is grown or raised without chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers is called “organic”. We’ve become so accustomed to getting by with foods that have been grown with fertilizers and that contain harmful toxins, that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to feel truly well. We don’t know how good we can really feel.

Why else would you choose to eat organic food? We pay a lot in terms of lost flavor and nutrition to eat perfect looking food. Yes, organic food might have an occasional bruise on its flesh, but so does food that’s been sprayed with harmful chemicals. The majority of the time organic food is more flavorful and fresher. Organic foods are often grown close to where you reside and have not been stored for a long period of time. Compare the flavor of a local, vine ripened tomato, compared to one that is transported to you from far away. It is clear which one will taste better.

Your body must metabolize every thing you ingest and eliminate harmful toxins. If your food contains toxins in the form of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, your body has to figure out a way to get rid of the toxins. When your body cannot metabolize toxic chemicals fast enough, they are stored. The accumulation of these toxins can have adverse health consequences. These toxins can also make your rapid weight loss efforts less fruitful, because the toxins are stored in fat cells, which renders them more difficult to shed.

Also, pesticides and other toxic chemicals are frequently cancer causing. A reduction in the amount of toxic chemicals that you ingest will benefit your health. Certainly, some people are more sensitive to these toxic chemicals that others. Still, the body needs to expend energy to eliminate toxins when it could be doing other things such as healing damaged cells, fighting off viruses and bacteria, or patrolling the body for cancer cells. Those people who can generally tolerate these toxins will even feel better if they are eliminated. And if your system is sensitive to toxins, you’ll be much better off eliminating them from your diet as much as possible. Today, it is much easier to remove these toxins from your diet due to the abundance of organic foods that are currently available.

Technorati Tags: diet, fitness, food, nutrition

High Protein Foods For A Healthy Diet

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:29:12 +0000

Are you getting everything you need in your diet to ensure that you are healthy? And are you making sure that the foods you feed your family are healthy ones that are rich in the nutrients we all must have in our diets? Sadly, there are millions of people all over the United States who are not following a healthy diet and because they are not, they encourage their children not to either, whether they realize it or not. Being healthy begins with healthy eating and healthy eating begins at home. You need to be aware of which foods are healthy and which foods you should not be feeding your family, at least on a regular or even a semi-regular basis. The occasional treat is fine, as long as you do not go overboard. What Should Be in a Healthy Diet? There are certain nutrients that everyone should be getting from their diets and these nutrients work to keep the body strong and healthy. The three macronutrients that we all must have are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Yes, we hear all kinds of terrible things about carbohydrates and fats, but we need to have certain amounts of them in our bodies, and they need to be good carbohydrates and fats, not the ones that are so bad for us. With carbohydrates, avoid those that come from sugar sources, which are simple carbohydrates and go for the ones that come from healthy sources such as whole grains, which are the complex carbohydrates. When it comes to fats, avoid saturated or trans fats, but do eat foods that have polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats, which are healthy and needed by our bodies. Protein can come from a number of dietary sources and it is necessary for just about every function of our bodies. Our muscles rely on protein for growth and recovery and without enough protein, we would not have healthy hair, skin, or nails. And protein is a natural source of energy. When you are planning your healthy diet, make sure that there are plenty of high protein foods in it. Some of the delicious, healthy high protein foods that you can include in your diet include whole grains, brown rice, soy, lean red meat, low or non-fat dairy products, poultry, and fish. Should You Be on a High Protein Diet? There are many different types of diet plans you can follow and a lot of people are using diets that are low in carbohydrates and high in protein. These diets are all right for a little while, but often they do not provide enough of the other nutrients we should be getting from our diets. There are many reasons why people use diets that are high protein and low carbohydrate. When done properly and the right foods are eaten, they can be used to promote weight loss. And a high protein diet is popular with people who are into weight training and are looking to gain weight, in the form of muscle. If you are unsure whether or not you need to be getting more protein in your diet, or need to be on a high protein diet, you should consult your physician, who will be able to help you create a diet plan that will work for your health and your lifestyle. The Downside to High Protein Diets Even though it is important to get enough protein in our diets, it is just as important to try not to get too much protein in our diets, which can cause such health problems as gall stones and kidney stones. And when you are eating a high protein diet, you will be eating a lot of foods that are high in fat and calories, so this type of diet may not be the answer if you are trying to lose weight. Not only is it likely that you will gain weight on a high protein diet, it also puts you at risk for developing a number of other health conditions, because of the fat in the diet. Some of the things that you need to watch out for if your diet is one that is high in protein are high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease. Obesity is another issue and any one of these health problems can lead to death if you do not take care of yourself and change your diet so that it is not a high protein one. If you still want to have a diet that provides plenty of protein, there are all kinds of tasty foods that contain the protein you need, but are not fattening. What to Do When Your Diet Doesn’t Provide Enough Protein If you are not following a particular diet and are making up your own diet plan, you may not be including enough of the right nutrients, including protein. Or, there may be times when you feel the need to have a treat and eat things that are just not part of a normal healthy diet. When these things happen, you will need to take steps to make sure that you are still getting all of the nutrition your body needs to be healthy and strong. You can add certain foods to your diet, or, you can start using protein supplements, which also make excellent meal replacements for people who are trying to lose weight. Depending on your particular needs, there are all kinds of different types of protein supplements for you to choose from. If you want to make your own meal replacements, you can make smoothies and shakes from fresh ingredients that you know are totally healthy and loaded with all kinds of nutritional value. Or, you can buy shakes that are already made and can be purchased at a number of stores. These are convenient, as they are small and portable and can be taken with you anywhere. You may also be interested in having some tasty snacks and there are plenty of protein snacks available on the market today. Protica has a number of different protein supplements that make terrific snacks, and they are low calorie, so they are excellent for any diet, even calorie-restricted weight loss diets. For those of you who have a sweet tooth, Fruitasia is a delicious fruity, sweet treat that is great for a between meal snack, or, you may want to just chew on a piece of Nutrigum. There are also some great liquid protein shots available from Protica, including Profect and Proasis, which are both low in calories, carbohydrates, fats and cholesterol, making them ideal for any diet, including a weight loss diet. For more information about the protein supplements available from Protica, look online at www.protica.com.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility. You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com Copyright – Protica Research – http://www.protica.com

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, protein, weight loss

Healthy Children – Introducing Nutrition To Kids

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 02:44:47 +0000

Raising healthy, happy children is the most important and challenging job in the world. Parents have a lot of things to think about when it comes to the health of their children. In the United States today, the sad fact is that our children are becoming less healthy, even though they have some of the best health and fitness resources available. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutritional choices by parents have contributed to the fact that kids today just aren’t as healthy as they could, or should be. Putting the Pieces Together To have healthy children, you need to make sure that they have the right balance of diet and physical activity every day. Many parents work long hours and find it difficult to get their kids interested in physical exercise and eating right. But even if you have to work a lot and aren’t able to spend as much time with your kids as you might like to, you can still take some simple steps to instill healthy habits into their routine. Kids look up to parents and emulate their actions. Taking steps to improve your own health can be a major step forward in the journey toward raising healthy children. Exercise for Kids It’s important for kids to get plenty of physical activity every day. Some parents get overzealous about exercise and try to introduce regular fitness routines for their kids to follow. This isn’t always a bad thing, but parents need to remember that healthy children are happy kids and kids are the happiest when they are having fun. When fitness becomes a chore, kids will do whatever they can to avoid it. Parents should try to find fun, interesting ways for their kids to get exercise. For some kids, joining a sports team or taking a fitness-based class, like karate or ballet, is a great way to get exercise. If your child likes sports and social activities, signing him or her up for a team or class may be just the ticket to increased physical activity. Not all kids enjoy organized sports, though, so parents will need to work a little harder to find physical activities for kids with other interests. Taking family hikes, going for bicycle rides, or long walks can be great forms of exercise for kids who don’t want to be involved with structured sports or exercise programs. The important thing is to get kids physically moving. Raising healthy children requires parents to be sure that their kids are getting some kind of physical activity on a regular basis. Parents need to work with their children to find activities that are fun and engaging for the long haul. Nutrition for Kids One of the biggest challenges parents face is getting their kids to eat healthy foods. Kids are naturally attracted to junk food, so it’s important for parents to take action to get their kids to eat healthier. Like the rest of us, kids need to have plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber, essential fats, and lean protein to stay healthy and strong. Parents often lose the battle for a healthy diet with their kids by being too strict when it comes to eating plans. Don’t be overly restrictive with your child’s diet. Just like exercise, when kids perceive that they are being forced to behave a certain way, they are likely to rebel the first chance they get. Make Healthy Eating Fun You buy the groceries, so you probably have a good idea of what your kids like to eat. Take some time to make a list of the healthier foods they enjoy. For example, if your child eats a lot of junk food, but really likes a particular vegetable, try finding similar vegetables to introduce into their diet. Many kids will begin to enjoy a food after they have tried it a few times. Whatever you do, don’t make healthy eating into a contest of the wills. If kids know that they are going to be in for an argument at every meal, they’ll never enjoy eating healthy foods. Sneaking in the Good Stuff With some kids, you just can’t win when it comes to food. Some simply will not eat vegetables, no matter how much mom and dad threaten, beg, plead or scream. This can be a big challenge for parents, but there are sneaky ways to add good, nutritious foods into the diets of die-hard junk food fans. For example, parents can use a food processor to liquefy fruits and vegetables and sneak them into a child’s meals. This tactic won’t work well with older kids, but for young children it can be a way to get some fruits and vegetables into their system. Educate Your Kids About Healthy Foods If you want to raise healthy children, it’s important to educate them about the importance of eating right and exercising. Parents shouldn’t have to spend all their time sneaking nutritious foods into their kids’ meals. Educated kids understand how what they eat and how much they exercise affects the quality of life that they will have as adults. The most important fact of all in raising healthy children is to be a good example. Remember that your kids learn about life through what they see you do. If you’ve been getting by on takeout and junk food, start taking steps to clean up your diet. If your kids see you eating healthy and getting exercise, they’ll be more likely to do it themselves. And just as kids take vitamins to make up for deficiencies in their everyday diet, parents need to add supplements to their own diets to give them what they need. Try adding a healthy protein supplement like Profect – a liquid shot from Protica – to your diet to make sure you are getting enough protein. Remember that healthy children usually have healthy parents, so take the time to take care of yourself. Your kids will thank you for it.

About Protica Research

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, protein, weight loss

Give Your Muscles A Boost With Protein Supplements

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:40:06 +0000

Everyone needs protein. But why exactly is it so important? Protein is the primary component for muscles, which means you need it for muscle mass to grow and heal. Athletes and bodybuilders use protein supplements to aid muscle recover before and after workouts, and even use them to replace meals in some circumstances. Using meal replacements is also helpful for people who are trying to reduce their calories and their weight. Bodybuilders and Protein Bodybuilders need more protein than the average person, because protein helps to build and repair muscles. The goal of bodybuilding is to gain weight, but bodybuilders strive to gain muscle, not fat. Whey is a popular protein type for bodybuilders to use before and after workouts. Protein also provides energy for the workout itself. Using protein supplements has several purposes for bodybuilding: building and maintaining muscle mass, muscle recovery and energy for the duration of the workout. Protein Supplement Ingredients There are different types of protein supplements, each with a different main ingredient, and each with its own pros and cons. Whey: Whey digests easily, usually within one hour, which is why it is popular with athletes for after workouts. Whey also mixes easily with other substances – and it tastes pretty good, too. This type of protein is not recommended for anyone who is lactose intolerant, as whey is a dairy product, derived from the cheese-making process. Casein: Casein is very much like whey, but it takes longer to work because it takes longer to digest. Like whey, it comes in a number of great flavors. It should also be avoided by those who are lactose intolerant. Milk: This type of supplement includes whey and casein, so it has both long and short-term benefits. Milk protein has higher fat, cholesterol, and calorie content than other protein supplements, and of course it is not recommended for anyone who is lactose intolerant. Egg: This is made from egg white, also known as egg albumin. Egg protein supplements generally come in powdered form, and they make delicious shakes and smoothies. This type of supplement can easily be added to many recipes, and can be eaten without any trouble by those who are lactose intolerant. Those with allergies to eggs or chicken, however, should avoid this supplement. Rice: If you are lactose-intolerant, a vegan or vegetarian, rice protein supplements are perfect for you. Rice protein also contains absolutely no gluten, in addition to being low in calories, carbohydrates and fats. It works well in shakes and smoothies or as an additive to various recipes. Soy: Soy can be taken by everyone without any trouble. It does not trigger allergies or lactose intolerance, and because it is completely made of soy beans, vegetarians can take it. Soy is also what is known as a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential and non-essential amino acids. How to Take a Protein Supplement There are more than just powders or pills. Protein supplements come in many forms, for many purposes, including: Liquid Protein: Many of these can simply be consumed as they are, while others are made to be mixed with juice, milk or some other beverage to make shakes or smoothies. There are literally dozens of flavors to choose from, depending upon brand and purpose. Protein Powders: These are usually mixed with juice, milk or yogurt to create protein shakes or smoothies. Some can also be sprinkled into a meal and cooked to fit seamlessly into your favorite recipes. Protein Bars: These are popular supplements and great for people who don’t have time for some of the other supplements that require a bit of preparation. Not only do these contain protein, but they have a number of other nutrients as well, and are easy to carry when you are in a rush. Protein Shots: These are small vials of liquid packed with protein and come in a range of great flavors. They are small, but contain between 25 to 30 grams of protein in every serving. Protein Capsules: The above protein supplements often taste great, especially when mixed with food or when made into shakes or smoothies, but there are still those who are reluctant to try them for fear of the taste. These people can just take a capsule with water and not have to worry about how it tastes, while still getting the protein their bodies need. Profect and Proasis from Protica are excellent sources of liquid protein supplements. Available in several different flavors, these supplements are refreshing and delicious. They also have a significant amount of protein. For example, a 2.9 fluid ounce single serving of Profect provides 25 grams of protein in just 100 calories. Teenagers Need Protein, Too Children and teenagers can use protein supplements, too. Just like other medications, children should only get about half of the dosage adults would take, while teenagers can use the same amount as adults. Teenagers who worry about their weight often turn to fad diets, which are rarely successful and are often dangerous. Some teens take things one step further and may develop eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia, which can be fatal. If you have a weight-conscious teenager, teach him or her how to lose weight in a healthy manner by always staying well-nourished. This is a good time to introduce protein supplements. Teenagers worried about weight gain will most likely be receptive to the idea of replacing a meal with a shake or smoothie, and parents can be assured that their child is still getting all the nutrients he or she needs. Just be sure that the chosen supplement does not contain any added hormones – teens do not need the added complication in addition to their own hormonal activity. Does Chocolate Come into This Anywhere? Chocolate and protein go very well together. If you love chocolate and want to have better health, you don’t have to miss out. Chocolate-flavored protein shakes and smoothies are very common. These might cost a little more than some other protein supplements, but they save money in the end, because you don’t have to spend any money on other chocolate products. If you are looking to cut back on calories, try chocolate-flavored casein protein powder. This has very little in the way of fats or carbohydrates, but still tastes great. Make a smoothie by adding the powder to some skim milk or yogurt and ice. You could even add a scoop of ice cream – but not too often, since your main goal should be calorie reduction.

About Protica Research

Technorati Tags: diet, nutrition, protein, weight loss

Vegetarians – Are You Getting Your Daily Protein Intake?

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:40:05 +0000

The main source of protein in most typical diets is meat. So, how is it possible for vegetarians and vegans to get enough protein in their diets? Of course, a vegetarian is just a catch-all phrase for any number of dietary philosophies. Flexi-tarians consider themselves vegetarians, but they will occasionally eat some kinds of meat, such as fish. Ovo-lacto vegetarians do not eat meat at all, but they have no problem eating dairy or eggs. Vegans follow the strictest diets refuse to eat anything derived from animal sources. Parents of children who decide to become vegetarians often worry about how to give their children the nutrition they need to grow. The answer to how a vegetarian can get enough protein is variety. Protein Basics Protein comes in two basic types: complete and incomplete. What makes a protein complete is determined by the amino acids that make up its composition. There are about 20 amino acids, and eight of them are determined “essential” because they need to be consumed in food or supplements – a human body cannot make these proteins on its own. Children require an additional amino acid, histidine, but most adults can synthesize this one in their bodies. When a protein has all eight of the essential amino acids (lysine valine, isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan phenylalanine, methionine, and threonine) it is considered to be a complete protein. If it lacks any of the above, it is incomplete. There is only one complete plant protein, and that is soy. Such foods as grains, nuts and seeds, for example, are missing isoleucine and lysine, while legumes are lacking in tryptophan and methionine. Amino acids can be broken down into chains of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen called peptides. On average, proteins contain more than 500 amino acids. Digestion breaks these down into the basic 20, which the body uses for a number of functions, including regulating sleep, neurotransmission, digestion and the formation of RNA and DNA. When there is a concern about getting enough protein from food sources, there are always supplements to consider. This is an easy way to get any nutrients you might be missing for whatever reason. Protein supplements come in many forms, including liquid protein shots, protein powders, protein shakes or smoothies, and even pudding and protein bars. There is something for even the strictest vegan, though they will have to pick carefully to make sure there is nothing that breaks any dietary restrictions. Some protein supplements contain collagen, which is made from animals. Others contain caseinate or whey, which are both extracted from milk or cheese. How Much Protein Do You Need? A vegetarian diet can be adequate in terms of getting just the right amount of protein without eating too much. Just like most other nutrients, having too much protein can lead to problems. A simple formula can determine how much protein any given adult might need: – Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to find your weight in kilograms. Multiply that by .8 to find out how many grams of protein you need every day. The exact amount varies, depending upon your lifestyle. Someone who does not do a lot of exercise will need only about .4 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. People who engage in regular light exercise will need from about .5 to .8. Those who are very active and exercise frequently may need as much as 1 gram per kilogram of weight. Bodybuilders are at the top with a need for 1.2 to 1.5 grams. Whatever the case, the amount of protein you take should not be more than 35% of your total daily calories. Because protein helps with muscle recovery, those who are suffering from certain illnesses, or who are healing from certain traumas or surgery may need a bit more protein than usual, until they are well. Pregnant or nursing women need more protein than most to create new blood cells and support the growth of the baby. They may need at least 60 grams of protein daily. Lactating women need around 20 grams more than they usually would until the baby stops nursing. Children often need more protein until they reach about 19 years old. Very young infants also need extra protein – about 2.2 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. Vegetarians may have trouble getting enough protein, but the rest of the population sometimes has a difficulty avoiding too much protein. This can be a problem for diabetics, or for people with kidney disease or Parkinson’s disease. Excess protein can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis in those who have risk factors for it. It can also lead to kidney stones and gall stones. How Much Protein to Vegetarians Typically Get? Though the limit is 35%, most get about 14 to 18% of their calories from protein, which is perfectly fine. Vegans typically get about 10% to 12% of their calories from protein. Ovo-lacto vegetarians or flexi-tarians will get more protein, of course. But even strict vegans will get enough protein with a varied diet. If there is still a concern, especially with parents of vegetarian children, consult a pediatrician, dietician or nutritionist to find out how to have a balanced diet while abiding by dietary restrictions. Even if you are an adult and fully aware of the consequences of your choices, it’s a good idea to read as much material as you can on changing your diet and what you’ll need to remain healthy. There is nothing stopping anyone following a reasonable vegetarian diet from getting all of their necessary nutrition. Taking protein supplements is another great way of adding protein to your diet. Profect from Protica is a liquid supplement that provides 25 grams of protein in less than three fluid ounces. As an added bonus, it only has 100 calories. It also provides essential vitamins such as Vitamin C and the B complex vitamins. Yet another protein supplement to try is all natural Proasis. Both these supplements are available in several delicious flavors.

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