Tag: muscle

The Powerful Benefits of Beets, A Commonly Overlooked Superfood

The Powerful Benefits of Beets, A Commonly Overlooked Superfood

Beets are the hidden gem of root vegetables because they are packed with important nutrients that tout numerous benefits. Here’s what you need to know about beets and why you should incorporate them into your diet.

The Benefits of Whey Protein, Beyond Exercise

The Benefits of Whey Protein, Beyond Exercise

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 

Listen to These Beets About this Popular Superfood

Listen to These Beets About this Popular Superfood

Photo by FOODISM360 on Unsplash

Written By Kayanne McDermott, B.A., ND.

Kayanne holds a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the University of Bridgeport, College of Naturopathic Medicine and C.W. Post of Long Island University, respectively. Meet Kayanne for a free nutritional consultation at our Ralph Avenue, Brooklyn and Westbury, Long Island retail locations. Email Kay: [email protected]

Have you heard of beetroot, the hidden gem of a root vegetable that is often overlooked? This round, red vegetable is completely distinct from the source of table sugar – the carrot-shaped, yellowish sugar beet!

Red beets contain vitamin C, minerals, and carotenoids but it is the nitrate content of red beet that is so special; it is converted to bioactive nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is natural to the body and is used to open up our blood vessels for good blood flow. This is helpful in maintaining normal blood pressure due to its relaxing and dilating effects on blood vessel walls. Nitric oxide also enhances muscle function and improves physical performance. It benefits endurance, stamina, and muscle recovery. This is because the improved blood flow enhances the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all of our muscles, including the heart, while clearing waste acids that could otherwise build up in muscle during physical activity. The rich, red color comes from betalains. Betalains are a group of powerful heart healthy antioxidants that are protective for the circulatory system and the brain.†

Montmorency Tart Cherries complement red beets in numerous ways due to their extremely beneficial anthocyanin content. Mixing the red beet vegetable with this tart fruit enhances exercise performance, endurance, and accelerates the rate of muscle recovery after physical activity. Both plants improve cerebral blood flow and supply antioxidants that support memory and cognitive functions and both improve circulatory health for blood pressure normalizing benefits.†

Questions about beets? Leave us a comment below to discuss!

New Study: L-Carnitine Increases Lean Muscle Mass and Leg Strength

New Study: L-Carnitine Increases Lean Muscle Mass and Leg Strength

L-Carnitine is a natural substance found in most cells of the body, and it is crucial for the production of energy. After your body metabolizes fats and carbohydrates into fatty acids, L-Carnitine transports them into the mitochondrial power plants of the cell, where they serve 

Men’s Health Spotlight: Testosterone

Men’s Health Spotlight: Testosterone

Photo by Jenny Hill on Unsplash Muscle definition, sex drive, and even male pattern baldness are all related to one magic word -testosterone. With the aging baby-boomer population trying to hold on to as much of their youth as possible, testosterone product sales have skyrocketed 

Fitness Spotlight: How to Build and Maintain your Stamina!

Fitness Spotlight: How to Build and Maintain your Stamina!

Photo by Spencer Dahl on Unsplash

We’ve all heard the words “Stamina” and “Endurance” in the fitness world. These are important terms that you definitely need to know about whether you’re trying to lose weight, train for a marathon, or just take on a new challenge to switch up your workout routine!

First, let’s start off with what exactly stamina is. By definition, stamina is the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. Endurance and stamina are essentially the same thing – whatever you decide to call it, these qualities allow you to endure seemingly unbearable workouts and push yourself to your personal physical limits without giving up! We all can benefit from a higher level of stamina. It’s particularly helpful for working out, but stamina has great benefits for your everyday routine, too. It’s important to know just how you can achieve an optimal endurance/stamina level for your body. Here are some tips:

Increase the intensity of your workouts.

Yes, that breezy stroll may seem nice, but you’re not going to achieve much if you don’t push your body to work harder than a simple stroll in the park. If you normally walk on a treadmill at 3.4 MPH, try increasing it 4.0MPH. Eventually, what used to be your normal walking pace will start to increase. The same applies for lifting weights: If 10lb weights usually give your muscles a good burn, try 12lb weights – or even 15. You will feel a greater burn in your muscles, and you’ll feel your heart being to pump faster.

Natural Supplements to Decrease Food Cravings and Lose Weight by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph

Consider how often you exercise and the length of your workout.

Your exercise routine shouldn’t consist of going all-out only one day a week! Currently, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends three to five workouts each week. This should include a combination of cardio and strength training.

Reduce your recovery time between sets.

To build muscle endurance, limit your recovery time between sets to about 30 to 90 seconds. Less resistance, more repetitions, and resting for 30 seconds or less between exercises is the optimal formula for building stamina.

Don’t forget to rest!

Rest and recovery are vital parts of the fitness process. The rules of rest don’t apply as much during your actual workout, but primarily after you’re finished. Yes, there is such a thing as “overdoing it!”. Working out too often or at too high of an intensity won’t help if your muscles and body if they can’t get the right amount of R & R. Rest is extremely important, so don’t let it be overlooked in your fitness regimen.

Poor quality of sleep can disrupt many areas of your life and your everyday routine. What’s more, sleeplessness is also connected to muscle loss, weight gain, and poor overall health and well-being, among a variety of other health issues.

Natural Options for Muscle Recovery

Working out is hard work! Whether you get up early, hit the gym during lunch, or pound the pavement before or after dinner, exercise takes time and dedication. That hard work also comes with significant rewards and health benefits. Just like there is a right way to exercise, there is also a right way to recover. After you are done sweating out toxins, burning fat, building muscle and strengthening bones, the body needs to refuel to heal torn muscle fibers and regenerate energy. Proteins contain amino acids, which repair and rebuild the structure and biochemistry of the body. When it comes to repairing and maintaining muscle, whey protein is the way to go.

Muscle recovery supplements and vitamins are very important for a quick recovery after you exercise. A faster recovery rate can help minimize dehydration and injuries post-workout. Muscle recovery supplements help you recuperate quickly, while protecting you from further injury when you work out next. It is also necessary to nourish and buffer the muscles to improve your exercise routine, as well as protect immunity by neutralizing the damaging free radicals that are created during exercise. These harmful free radicals suppress immune function and can lead to a variety of illnesses and injuries.

Do you have any tips that have helped you build up stamina and endurance? Let us know what works for you!

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