Preparing well before exercise, a sporting event or even a day out playing is essential to get the most out of yourself. Eating the wrong foods before a workout can leave you not feeling in the mood, lethargic and generally lazy. A heavy meal may make you bloated, and a too much meat can take a long time to digest.

People respond differently to different foods, but if you find that you are sometime feeling sluggish during a run or a workout, then it is essential that you look at how you fuel yourself beforehand.

Smoothies are possibly the best pre-workout snack. They provide hydration and are easily digested. If made with milk they provide additional protein, whereas fruits provide natural sugars to fuel your muscles and boost glycogen reserves.

For an extra boost, then add banana to your smoothie. Bananas are also easy to digest, and can actually be eaten during a low intensity workout. Many endurance runners eat bananas during the race, while running. Bananas also contain plentiful reserves of potassium which helps to maintain healthy nerve and muscle function.

Adding yogurt to your smoothie increases your magnesium intake, which is essential to activate the enzymes involved in the metabolism of both protein and carbohydrate.

The key to finding the best pre and post workout snacks is to experiment. Take note of how you feel during your workouts, and after too. Fuelling yourself properly can help to increase your performance immediately.

A recent study carried out by the Unversity of Weastern Australia has discovered that drinking milk in the morning can help you to lose weight. The study found that people who drank milk for breakfast generally ate about 9% less food at lunchtime.

Previous research has shown that consuming more protein for breakfast can hell to curb apetite to aid weight loss. In fact, many athletes and fitness enthusiasts believe that drinking whey protein shakes, a supplement derived from milk, can also help to reduce fat and help to get a ripped / cut look (bodybuilding terms for excellent muscle definition).

So, anyone who is looking for a new way to lose weight, drinking milk for breakfast. If you need something more hearty, have a bowl of muesli with a generous helping of the white stuff. Just do not sweeten with sugar!

During exercise we lose both liquid and mineral through respiration and sweating. It is very important to replace both fluids and minerals after a workout, to avoid dehydration and to aid recovery.

There are many different fluid replacement drinks on the market. A recent study (ref. required) showed that there are also many alternatives to sports drinks, including drinking beer after exercising (although not more than a pint).

The top selling brands include Lucazade, Gatorade, Isotar and Dexters. However, the jury is out on how effective these really are on speeding up hydration and replacing lost minerals. In fact many long distance runners have nutritionists prepare them home made sports drinks. As we are all different, then no single product will be best for everyone. Some people also prefer to stock to water.

If you wish to make your own sports rehydration drink, then the best advice is to experiment. Try starting with the following recipe and then modify as you see fit:

2 litres of water
150 ml (about half a cup) of your favourite fruit juice
5 table spoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Reduce the salt or increase sugar depending on your needs. If you sweat very heavily you may lose a lot more fluid and minerals than your running partner.

It is also worth mentioning that a recent study showed that chocolate milk is a great way to replenish minerals and sugars, and it also contain proteins which sports drinks lack.

In our guide to losing belly fat we touched on the dietary changes that are required to get a flat stomach, i.e. eliminating all junk food, refined carbohydrates, alcohol and late night snacks. Now we shall look in more detail at the foods that can be eaten while losing stomach fat. These three rules are still the key part of the flat belly diet. Generally the type of food which can be consumed on the Flat Belly Diet are low GI foods and foods with high protein and low saturated fat content. It is essential to maintain protein intake during any diet as we require protein to repair and grow muscle tissues and other cells, and it is especially important when exercising.

Flat Belly Diet Rule 1 – No More Junk Food

Junk food by definition is full of everything that is bad for us in excess. Saturated fat, sugar and salt. Just by eliminating junk food from our lives we can make an immediate impact on the way we look and feel. Junk food is generally either comfort food or convenience for most people. So the key to stopping eating junk food is to find alternatives. The best alternatives are natural foods that also contain high sugar content (great for energy) such as fruits and nuts. Some suggestions are given below. It important to remember that junk food covers a wide range of foods, and is not limited to just take away meals such as hamburgers and deep fried chicken, but also includes chocolates, candy, chips (crisps), soft sugar drinks, any deep fried snacks (samosas etc.), pastries, cakes and biscuits. One of Bruce Lee’s diet principals was to avoid all “empty carbs” which covers most junk food.

Try replacing your usual junk food snacks with some of the following items:

• Cherries
• Plums
• Peaches
• Apples
• Pears
• Dried Apricots
• Grapes
• Strawberries
• Prunes
• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Brazil nuts
• Almonds

Flat Belly Diet Rule 2 – Ditch the Booze

This is a tough one for most people, but if you are serious about losing weight, then at least cutting back on alcohol is vital. Many people forget that alcohol is a form of energy, which means each drink adds to your daily calorie intake, which makes losing weight harder. Treat yourself to a few glasses of wine at the weekend, but stay dry during the week, and this will really help to lose weight.

Flat Belly Diet Rule 3 – Avoid Refined Carbohydrates & High GI Food

Refined carbohydrates really fall under the banner of “junk food” in that refined flours are all energy and no nutrition, which is why cakes, biscuits and pastries are all on the disallowed foods list in the Flat Belly Diet. The GI scale of foods is a relatively new way to categorize which foods contain relatively high sugar levels, and this is an effective method to create a weight loss diet. Sugar is one of the biggest causes of weight gain and obesity. Many people automatically think that dietary fat is only the problem, but if this the case, then why have Diet Coke? Coke has not fat to start with, it is all sugar!

The Glyceride Index (GI) is a scale of the speed at which certain foods break down and release glucose into blood. High GI foods release glucose quickly, whereas low GI foods release slow. A slow release of glucose prevent the sugar highs and subsequent crashes, which helps to prevent binge eating and snacking. Generally low GI foods are those with a GI score of less than 55 (search online for lists of GI indexed foods).

Foods allowed in the Flat Belly Diet consist of:

• Most fruit and vegetables (except root vegetables, potatoes, watermelon)
• Grainy breads
• Whole wheat Pasta (do not overcook as this increases its GI score)
• Legumes /pulses
  
• Milk
• Anything extremely low in carbohydrates  – fish, eggs, meat, nuts, oils
• Brown rice

One food group that is often overlooked in the west is legumes (pulses). One of the best low carb / low GI foods that also boosts metabolism is a chilli con carne. If made with a variety of legumes, such as kidney beans, black eye beans (aka black-eyed peas), chickpeas and mung beans, with tomato sauce, lean meat (pork or beef) and some chilli peppers, it forms a meal high in protein, low in carbs and very healthy too. Plus the chillies boost metabolism further. For a pure low carb chilli check out this chilli con carne recipe.

Flat Belly Diet Rule 4 – Boost Your Metabolism

Some foods actually give us a metabolic boost, which simply means that they help our bodies to burn energy quicker. The most famous of these is the fiery chilli pepper (which makes a low GI chilli such a good option) but there are many others, including salmon, soups, yoghurt, whey protein, grapefruits and cottage cheese. Making meals based on these foods is a great way to help to flatten the tummy. Simple meals such as scrambled eggs with smoked salmon are great way to lose weight! Check out our 10 Foods for a Fat Burning Diet for more information.

As with any diet, there is more to it than just following a few simple rules. It is still possible to over eat on a healthy diet. Exercise is also still essential for maintaining a fit and healthy body – and it is also the easiest way to flatten the tummy. However, diet is equally important, and regular exercise with a healthy diet aimed at reducing body fat is the best way to get that dream body.

For an alternative flat belly diet, read this book, which is a 4 day crash diet based on the same principals as our diet plan (remember to read the reviews first): Flat Belly Diet, By Liz Vaccariello & Cynthia Sass

Ah, chocolate. Everyone’s favorite food. That one thing everyone dies for and craves for. The dark, aromatic treat that emanates passion, romance, and happiness. But what made it so appealing and well-loved by everyone? 2,600 years ago the Mayans from Mexico had already been drinking chocolate. Cacao beans, for them, were the ultimate status symbol. In 1500s, the Aztecs adopted the Mayans’ love for chocolate and associated it with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. A drink, called chocolatl, which was made of chocolate mixed with some spices and herbs, was a popular drink back then. Under the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican era, chocolate was a luxury item among the European nobles. The well-known traveller Christopher Columbus introduced cacao beans to Ferdinand and Isabel of Spain. Later, Hernando Cortes brought more of these to Europe and the rest is history.

There have been lots of debates about chocolate being a health food. So far, there are studies that show promising results. Here are only a few of them.

Chocolate was found to be a rich source of 400 compounds, ranging from vitamins to minerals like Potassium, Magnesium, Copper, Calcium and Iron. It has polyphenols, phytochemicals that help increase the body’s natural defenses against certain illnesses.

Of all types of chocolates, dark chocolate seems to be the most promising when it comes to health, and a subject of some scientific studies.

Due to its high percentage of cocoa, dark chocolate is a rich source of flavanoids. Flavanoids are also found in red wine, green tea and apples, but dark chocolate has more antioxidants per gram than all of these. Flavanoids are antioxidants that can prevent heart attack, stroke, dementia and hypertension.

Recently, a Swiss study suggested that eating dark chocolate each day may slow the hardening of arteries in smokers. A team led by Dr. Roberto Corti from the University Hospital of Zurich assigned 20 male smokers not to eat any flavanoid-rich food for a full day before the study. Then they were made to eat either 1.50 oz of white or dark chocolate. In a report published in the January issue of Heart, the ultrasound scans showed improved smoothness of the blood flow through the arteries, lasting for 8 hours. The blood tests showed that the blood platelet activity was cut in half, decreasing the risk for blood clots. Antioxidant levels in the blood rose in those who ate dark chocolate.

A study published in 2004 suggested that at least 1.6 ox of dark chocolate each day for 2 weeks could cause a 10% increase in arterial blood flow. Dark chocolate is found to lower blood pressure by an average of 10%, while improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This is according to Jeffrey B. Blumberg and his team from Tufts University. In their study, 10 mean and 10 women ate 3.5 oz of dark chocolate each day for 15 days. The subjects were suffering from high blood pressure but were not on medications. The results showed a dramatic drop in their blood pressure from eating dark chocolate.

Dark chocolate has stearic acid, the type that doesn’t raise cholestrol nor harm the blood vessels. It may slow the oxidation of LDL or bad cholesterol.

But milk chocolate seems to have some good properties, too. A study hints that milk chocolate may boost brain function. In a research conducted by a team led by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia, a group of volunteers were made to eat on 4 separate occassions 85 grams of milk chocolate, 85 grams of dark chocolate, 85 grams of carob or nothing. After a 15 minute digestion, they were then made to complete come computer0based neuropsychological tasks.

The results revealed that the group scored the highest for milk chocolate than on all other conditions. Chocolate has theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine – substances that act as stimulants, which then increase alertness and attention.

But despite the good news about chocolate, caution is advised to people against eating it for health reasons. For one thing, consumers have no way of determining if a chocolate is falavanoid-rich or not. Most chocolates available are not rich in flavanoids, according to health experts. And we all know that chocolates are rich in fat and sugar, leading one to gain weight.

Did you know that replacing two tablespoons of saturated fats, such as butter and margarine, with olive oil everyday could actually make your heart healthier? Dozens of studies have been done on olive oil which suggest many more health benefits. In this article we will look at a few of them.

Olive oil is 77% monounsaturated fat. Research studies show it may lower heart disease risk by lowering the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL-low density lipoprotein) in the blood and leaving the good cholesterol (HDL-high density lipoprotein) intact. It slashes the risk of heart disease because it breaks down the plaque in clogged arteries and reduces the risk of hardened arteries. Olive oil also helps fight other illness such as diabetes, arthritis, breast cancer, constipation, the effects of aging and more according to research studies. How? Olive oil contains antioxidants such as vitamin E that protect cells from damage.

Here are some olive oil health tips:

The types of olive oil include:

• Extra virgin – made from cold pressing select olives without any further refining. Best you can buy and is produced in limited quantities so it costs more.
• Pure Olive Oil – this is a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin or virgin olive oil.
• Light or mild – this is a refined oil with just enough extra virgin oil added to give it a light flavor and color. It is NOT lighter in calories. It has the same caloric and fat content as the other oils.
• Olive pomace oil – extracted from the pomace which is the remaining portion of the olive oil after pressing. The resulting oil refined and blended with virgin olive oil to add flavour.

Ways to Use olive Oil:

• Use instead of butter on popcorn.
• Add a teaspoon or more to each serving of hearty soup or stew.
• Add some to your tossed salad.
• Use pure olive oil as an all purpose cooking oil.
• Baste turkey and chicken with olive oil.
• Pour olive oil into a plastic container (or recycled margarine tub) and freeze. When solid, store it in the refrigerator and use as a spread instead of butter or margarine.
• Season your cast iron cookware with olive oil.

Storing Olive Oil

You can store olive oil in an airtight container, away from light, in a cool place like your cupboard. Some refrigerate it (I don’t personally), if you do it will become cloudy and eventually it will solidify. To use once this happens, let it come to room temperature and it will clear up/liquefy again. Neither quality nor flavour will be affected. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If stored properly, olive oil will keep its flavour for up to two years making it a great addition to your stockpile.

If you are adding another flavour to olive oil: Blanch fresh herbs in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Add herbs to oil and let stand overnight at room temperature. Refrigerate any oil not immediately used.

Try serving olive oil in a cruet or a decanter. Serve flavoured oil in a smaller container to prevent waste (use it up in one day). Clear glass containers show off olive oil’s great colour.

These are just a small portion of the health benefits and uses for olive oil, there are many more. Why not research them for yourself and make olive oil a healthy addition to your diet and life.

Written by Lisa Fraley, from Home Works Enterprises

Ginger

Ginger has been used as both seasoning and medicine for over 50 years. During the Middle Ages, it was used against the plague. Today, it is used for ailments that run from simple colds and sniffles to rheumatoid arthritis.

Its effectiveness against headaches has been documented. Taken at the first sign of migraine, ginger can reduce the symptoms and severity of headaches by blocking prostaglandins, the chemicals that cause inflammation in blood vessels in the brain. This anti-inflammatory activity in ginger can shorten the discomfort of headaches, colds and flu.

As well, ginger blocks the production of substances that cause bronchial congestion and stuffiness. Its main compounds, gingerols, are natural cough suppressants.

It works as well to reduce joint swellings in people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. A recent study found that ginger eased the symptoms in 55 percent of people with osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis. Considering the health implications of drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex, ginger seems a much safer and more cost-effective alternative.

Ginger works like aspirin to thin the blood. A study involving Danish women between the ages of 25 to 65 years, one group of whom consumed 70 grams of raw onion daily while a second group consumed 5 grams of ginger daily for one week, showed unequivocally the benefits of ginger. When the researchers tested both groups of women, they found that ginger, more clearly than onion, reduced thromboxane production by almost 60 percent. Thromboxane compounds stimulate the clumping of blood platelets and the constricting of blood vessels. By dissolving the clumping quality of blood platelets, ginger reduces blood clots and the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Ginger can also relieve menstrual cramps. Chemical compounds in ginger act as anti-spasmodics inhibiting painful contractions of both smooth muscles of the digestive tract and the uterus.

Garlic

Garlic is no less powerful. The restorative powers of garlic have been known to the ancient Egyptians who gave garlic to slaves constructing the pyramids in order to increase their efficiency and stamina.

Garlic, like ginger, reduces the tendency of blood to clot. Garlic improves blood flow throughout the body, not just in the coronary arteries. It acts as a vasodilator by causing blood vessels to expand and blood pressure to drop. Researchers at the Garlic Research Bureau in Suffolk, England, recently reported that “even small amounts of Garlic, say 3 or 4 grams, will have a pronounced effect on fibrinolytic (breaking down of blood clots) activity in doses from 25 grams ( 10 cloves) to 50 grams Garlic seems to be highly effective in promoting beneficial changes in blood fat composition and platelet adhesiveness.”

It also lowers cholesterol, tryglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels while also increasing the beneficial cholesterol HDL.

And it has anti-tumor properties. Garlic oil inhibits enzymes that curtail the production of protaglandins ( many cancers are prostaglandin dependent). Research in China also shows an inverse relationship between the incidence of stomach cancer and garlic intake. Studies even suggest that garlic may lower the risk of colon cancer by 35 percent and stomach cancer by as much as 50 percent. Garlic inhibits the formation of nitrites, chemicals that could trigger stomach cancer. There is also laboratory evidence that garlic can shrink cancers of the breast, skin and lungs. Finally, the essential oils in garlic are excreted through the lungs, which means that it is particularly effective for clearing respiratory ailments.

It is essential that you consume protein at the right time otherwise you may suffer poorer gains and poorer performance than expected. Without protein, your muscles cannot grow no matter how hard and often you train. Protein is the building block of muscles and there are no other nutrients to substitute protein for muscle growth.

It is recommended that if you want to grow and build muscle mass, to eat one gram of protein per pound of your body weight per day. That is a lot of protein which many people cannot get in their normal dietary meals and protein supplementation is often necessary. Without eating enough protein, all your muscle building training in the gym will be futile. But when is the best time to eat protein to optimize muscle growth? How and which type of protein should you eat to get spectacular muscular growth?

Eat protein first thing in the morning, after a good night’s sleep, when your body is in a catabolic state. That means your body is burning your muscle for energy since your glycogen store is low. So eat quickly digestible protein such as whey protein the first thing in the morning.

Eat protein between your meals to ensure that your muscles are fed continuously throughout the day. Casein protein is slow to digest and as such will continuously release protein into your bloodstream to feed your muscles for many hours in between your meals. In this way, your muscles will be constantly receiving protein throughout the day.

Consume protein before/after gym workout. It is a known fact that eating fast to digest protein such as whey protein before your workout will promote muscle growth as your muscles are being fed as you training to build muscles. Then take whey protein again after your workout along with some carbohydrates to repair your muscle cells after you have damaged them during your workout.

Protein before bed. Since you will be going without food for many hours when you sleep and muscle building is at its optimum when you sleep, you must encourage your muscle to grow by eating casein protein before you sleep. As casein protein is slow to digest, it will continuously feed your muscles for as long as seven hours when you sleep and thus encouraging your muscles to build and grow.

So now that you know when is the best time to eat protein and to encourage building muscles, follow these tips and see your muscles growing like you have never seen before.

The author, Chris Chew, is a personal trainer of actors, pageant winners, models and other celebrities. See his Free Fitness Tips website for more articles.

6-OXO is a drug or nutritional supplement that may increase the testosterone-oestrogen ratio.  4-androstene-3,6,17-trione (4-AT) is an irreversible aromatase inhibitor, permanently binding and inactivating aromatase in adipose and peripheral tissue.[2] Aromatase is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. Blocking the production of estradiol causes the body to upregulate the production of both aromatase and the substrate testosterone, restoring normal levels of estradiol but increasing serum testosterone levels. Since testosterone has anabolic activity and estradiol does not, elevated testosterone levels may increase anabolic muscle-building effects, although there have been no studies to confirm this.

4-AT is also used by steroid or prohormone users to counteract estrogen level increases caused by aromatization during their steroid cycle. This helps minimize side effects such gynecomastia but can lead to acne. Also, after a steroid cycle, the compound may be used to shorten the recovery from the testicular suppression that can be the result of the use of steroids.

A recent United States patent application claims an 88% increase in plasma testosterone levels in men, while decreasing oestrogen levels by 11%. The subjects took 300mg orally twice a day for four weeks without taking any other drugs or supplements. A typical dosage regimen is 200-600mg orally once a day in the evening, for a 4-6 week cycle.

There is still no conclusive evidence to support the effectiveness of this supplement.

Tribulus terrestris is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Old World in southern Europe, southern Asia, throughout Africa, and in northern Australia. It can thrive even in desert climates and poor soil.

Dietary supplement

Tribulus terrestris has long been used as a tonic and aphrodisiac in Indian ayurveda practice, where it is known by its Sanskrit name, “gokshura”.

It is now being promoted as a testosterone booster for the purpose of building muscle and increasing sex drive. Independent studies have suggested that Tribulus terrestris extract does increase testosterone levels, though leaving them in the normal range, which is not thought to increase muscle development.

Some have compared the tonic properties of Tribulus terrestris to the effects of ginseng, but these occur due to entirely different mechanisms. Claims have been made that it enhances testosterone levels by increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. LH is responsible for “telling” your body to produce testosterone. One interesting fact is that extended use of anabolic steroids reduces levels of LH, thus reducing and sometimes shutting down the body’s production of testosterone.

It is also claimed that Tribulus terrestris increases testosterone by increasing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) which in turn stimulates the production of LH and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Testosterone, besides its role in muscle-building and raising fertility and libido, is also known to have a positive effect on bone marrow activity (for red blood cell production) and the immune system.

On the other hand, one recent study found that T. terrestris caused no increase in testosterone or LH in young men, and another found that a commercial supplement containing androstenedione and herbal extracts, including T. terrestris, was no more effective at raising testosterone levels than androstenedione alone. SupplementWatch does not consider that there is any scientific evidence for effectiveness in muscle building. It suggests that it may be beneficial for those whose testosterone is below normal, such as dieters and overtrained athletes.

No significant adverse effects have been reported from supplementation with Tribulus terrestris. However, some users report an upset stomach, which can usually be counteracted by taking it with food.