Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
You’ve made the decision to become more physically active. But where do you begin? Did you know that there are five components to fitness? Here’s what you need to know in order to optimize your workout and, ultimately, your overall health.
Today, we join a nationwide effort to focus attention on the importance of regular exercise and healthy living for women.
Whey protein has become one of the most popular sports nutrition supplements on the market today, and for good reason. This protein touts numerous benefits like burning fat, building muscle and strengthening bone. But there are other benefits of Whey protein that you will feel outside of the gym, according to former Director of Nutrition, Nicole Crane, BS, NTP.
Whey protein is a dairy protein and it ranks very high in terms of quality and digestability. Whey is considered a “perfect” protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make and must get from dietary sources. Whey protein is rich in two amino acids, glutamine and leucine, that make it particularly helpful for rebuilding muscle. Glutamine makes up about 60% of the amino acids in our muscle and serves as an essential source of fuel for muscle cells, giving them energy, power and strength. Whey protein also contains the essential amino acid leucine, a branch chain amino acid with powerful muscle stimulating properties. Leucine is the only amino acid that activates mTOR, a protein that directly stimulates muscle synthesis.v This makes leucine and whey protein a powerful ally in the fight against muscle loss.
The benefits of whey are numerous, beyond muscle protection, repair and rebuilding. Whey has been shown to support weight loss, especially of fat tissue, mainly through muscle building and balancing of blood glucose (sugar) levels. Research on whey protein, especially on diabetic subjects, shows that is slows down carbohydrate absorption after meals, and improves insulin secretion and insulin sensitivityvii , all factors that support healthier blood sugar levels. Further, whey was shown to be more satiating than soy protein or casein, helping subjects feel fuller for longer, leading to reduced food cravings. Whey also supported a greater loss of body weight and lead to a reduction in overall daily caloric intake.viii Whey protein may be a dieter’s best friend and an ideal replacement for sugary beverages or even breakfast.
Not Losing Weight? Your Gut Bacteria May Be to Blame. Click here to read more >>
Whey also supports healthy blood pressure levels by acting like an ACE-inhibitor. Whey and other dairy proteins contain a peptide (protein) called lactokinin that regulates and suppresses the action of angiotensin converting enzymeix , which prevents blood vessels from constricting too much. Other research shows that whey protein acts as a powerful inflammation regulator, successfully lowering levels of C-reactive protein, a blood marker of inflammation.x Research is also beginning to show that whey protein can successfully lower cholesterol levels, especially “lousy” LDL cholesterol.xi Whey is a wonderful supporter of cardiovascular health.
For people who suffer from intestinal disorders like Crohn’s Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS) and need support for their intestinal tract, whey is a great asset. Glutamine, one of the amino acids found in high concentration in whey protein, is also an excellent source of fuel for the GI tract, helping to regenerate both the muscular and mucosa layers.xii Many of the other properties of whey protein, as intestinal fuel and immune supporter and more, make it one of the best proteins for intestinal health. Lastly, whey protein helps to build one of our most important internal antioxidants and detoxifiers – glutathione. Whey protein helps to combat the decline in glutathione that is associated with accelerated aging and increased inflammatory response. Glutamine rich whey protein has been shown to effectively rebuild and maintain youthful levels of glutathione, the primary driver of detoxification pathways in the liver, brain, lungs and kidneys. Glutathione support the optimal functioning of all the body’s organs and keep us young and healthy at the cellular level.
Whether you are walking, doing yoga, pumping iron, swimming or dancing the tango, whey is the best way to refuel, no matter how strenuous the exercise. Whether you are looking to maintain or rebuild muscle, whey protein offers numerous benefits for lean muscle mass and the rest of the body as well. Whey is the way to go for muscle health and beyond.
Photo by MindBodyStock on Unsplash Written by Luke Kornblatt Whether you’re a casual jogger or gym addict, it’s always important to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your workouts. The health benefits of a good workout are endless. Not only can it …
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If you’re like most people, a new year means a new resolution. You may want to tackle a bunch of things on a list, or have one main goal for the new year. But no matter the health challenge, a healthy new year’s resolution may be difficult to achieve for a number of reasons. Losing or maintaining weight is hard enough. Doing it on a timeline, is harder.
Though it can be a difficult lifestyle change, losing weight does not have to be a stressful, dull time in your life. Here are some tips for those who want to lose weight, get healthy and stay motivated throughout the process.
Many times, the only thing missing from wanting to lose weight is the motivation you need to back it up. If you have no motivation to start eating healthier, you are going to continue to reach for things you shouldn’t, which may cause you to gain weight.
For those who are severely overweight or obese, understand that your weight plays a factor in more than just a low physical fitness level. There are conditions that can arise like Metabolic Syndrome and diabetes that you can actually avoid all together. Genetic conditions and diseases should also be something that factors into your motivation.
In an article entitled, Natural Metabolic Weight Loss by Richard Walker, MD, he explains, “Here are some other things which add to the metabolic mess. As we age, we produce less DHEA, which is known to precede the slowing of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland controls the rate of metabolism meaning that here’s another trigger for even more fat storage. Our sex hormones also begin to decline starting at about the age of 35 for both men and women. Declining estrogens and testosterone contribute to the storage of fat in cells by reducing the type and amount of enzymes required for fat to burn. We begin to notice when we no longer loose the fat as easy as when we were younger.” Make a decision to better yourself today!
Setting a goal such as losing 50 pounds in 30 days is pretty much setting yourself up for failure. There is no rule that says you cannot have both short term and long term goals. It’s very easy to start the New Year off by telling yourself you are going to lose a large amount of weight in a specific time period. But you may want to give yourself more time than you originally thought. Try to set a long term goal like, “I want to lose 20lbs. in 6 months.” Then you can have short term goals in between. Here are some ideas –
Fitness technology has become one of the leading methods for monitoring weight loss, heart rate, and exercise.
Wearable technology like Vivofit and Vivosmart watches help to monitor your progress 24/7, with features like pedometers, and heart rate and sleep monitors. Bluetooth-enabled scales provide you important metrics to track your progress and see results. They can also measure your body mass index, body fat/water percentage by connecting with your device and syncing wirelessly.
You may also want to turn your regular kitchen into a healthy home! Air fryer’s can fry, grill, bake or roast all of your favorite foods with no oil, and 80% less fat than traditional frying. Food steamers can help you prepare a variety of foods, only using steam and not heavy oils. Blenders can help breakdown fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices to make delicious, nutrient-filled juices and smoothies for you and your family.
This is a part of the weight loss process that is probably the most difficult – exercising. The main excuse you’ve used if you tried to lose weight time and time again is that you just don’t have enough time. But start to make short term exercising goals – walk 10 minutes a day, start taking the stairs, make sure you are not sitting for the majority of your day. “Physical movement makes you feel better and boosts your confidence,” says Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, Distinguished Lecturer at Hunter College and City University of New York School of Public Health. “Workouts increase the chances of reaching your weight loss goals and decrease the chances of slipping up.” These are small things you can do to keep yourself moving. Always remember: though small, any healthy changes and decisions you make now, are better than what you were doing yesterday.
There are other ways to keep the up with your New Year’s Resolution to lose weight – from finding a friend with the same goals as you for some moral support to reading every nutrition label you can get your hands on. But motivation is key! Keep moving and make small changes. By the time you realize it, you will have completed your goal. Have a happy new year!