Natural sweeteners have been used for thousands of years – dating back from the Aztec Indians of Mexico to the ancient Egyptians.  These natural compounds are used for a variety of purposes and not just for adding sweetness to foods.  Their applications range from providing moisture to baked items, slowing food spoilage and providing nutritional benefits as well.  The three natural sweeteners we will explore are honey, maple syrup and agave nectar.  In this second report, I will discuss the nutritional benefits associated with these sweeteners and how they can help you add value to your diet.

Raw Honey – (50 calories per tablespoon)

This sweet substance has been used in a wide variety of applications for thousands of years back to 2,100 B.C. where it was praised for its anti-viral, anti-microbial properties. 
Honey has been found to raise levels of antioxidant compounds in the human body.  At the University of California, Davis, 25 study participants were fed four tablespoons of honey for 29 consecutive days in addition to their regular diets.  Blood samples were drawn during given intervals after eating the honey – the result: a direct link between the consumption of honey and an increase in the test subjects antioxidant levels. 

Fit Chef Tip:  Try adding a tablespoon of honey to your Greek yogurt and toss in a handful of blueberries.  This food combination provides excellent protein sources, naturally increasing your energy levels and strengthens your body’s defenses against free radicals.  An all around guilt free mini meal! 

Maple Syrup – (52 calories per tablespoon)

This sweetener is not only great on protein pancakes, but also packs a powerful nutritional punch.  Maple syrup contains both manganese and zinc, two compounds that boost your body’s health. 
Manganese is a trace mineral essential for converting food to useable energy and for increasing natural antioxidant defenses.  This means that in addition to providing a great sweet taste, maple syrup can help your body repair free radical damage, which has been shown to naturally slow the aging process. 
Maple syrup also contains zinc, a compound that not only acts as an antioxidant but helps keep inflammation in check by supporting the body’s natural healing properties.  This sweet substance also acts as nutritional insurance for your immune system, working together with manganese to help keep you healthy. 

Fit Chef Tip: Mix 1 Tbs. of maple syrup into your oatmeal together with 1 ounce of walnuts.  The combination of complex carbohydrates and heart healthy fats is just what you need to start to the day.  Adding a quick shot of maple syrup into the gives you a bowl full of goodness that will help your body function at its best.  

Agave nectar - (60 calories per tablespoon)

Agave nectar, the product of the Blue agave cactus plant, which thrives in the volcanic soil of southern Mexico, has been used for thousands of years as a sweetener dating as far back as the Aztec culture.  Agave nectar is made by extracting the sap, filtering the impurities then heating it at a low temperature.  This process breaks the carbohydrates down into sugars.  The taste is comparable to honey, and in fact, this sweetener is beginning to gain popularity for its clean taste and variety of uses. 
This compound boasts a host of nutritional benefits as well, from having a low Glycemic Index load, making it a great natural sweetener for diabetics to providing anti-microbial protection against harmful bacteria.  The low GI level means that there is a much lower insulin spike after consuming Agave nectar as opposed to raw sugar or honey.  For those who are sensitive to the “sugar rush” or dreaded “sugar crash”, agave nectar looks to be a great choice for getting your sweet fix without the side effects.

Fit Chef Tip:  Try this quick, high protein smoothie!  Combine 1 cup skim milk, 1 Tbs. Agave nectar, 1 scoop vanilla ProV60 protein powder and a handful of frozen strawberries.  Blend for 1 minute or until smooth and enjoy!

While natural sweeteners do provide health benefits, they still contain calories.  Please keep this in mind and be sure to make adjustments in your diet should you choose to include these sweeteners on a daily basis.

In other words, it doesn’t allow me to think about anything else. I find that participating in skiing takes my mind off things for a while, which charges my batteries for when I get back to Labrada Nutrition. I put a lot of energy into helping others get into the best shape of their lives!

I’ve been accused by my ski companions of trying to “muscle” my skiing too much. That is, I use my legs too much. I guess it’s the bodybuilder in me. Needless to say, by the time I make a run down the mountain, I’m totally out of breath and my quads are totally pumped. At this point, I’m loving life.

But while skiing is a lot of fun, you just can’t keep me out of the gym. It’s just that I love the feeling of training my body and I’m sure that you do, too. We share that same passion for staying in shape and being fit!

My friend, Mike Monetti, joined me for my workouts. Mike is quite a guy. Even though he’s in his 50’s, he has a physique that would rival that of many young men in their 20’s. He stays physically active, skiing or mountain biking several hours per day followed by intense training in the gym. Mike wasn’t always in this great of shape.

Anyhow, Mike and I were working out and he asked me to point out a few things to him so he could improve his workout. I pointed out two common mistakes that most trainees make at one time or another. When these mistakes are corrected (and they are very simple to correct) it usually results in a doubling of the gains that the trainee gets from his workout.

Let’s take a look at these two common pitfalls.

One is too much rest in-between sets. If you rest too long in-between sets, you will not generate sufficient intensity from your workout to stimulate muscle growth. The result is stagnation, i.e., the state in which you simply do not progress.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, if you don’t rest sufficiently in-between sets, you rapidly exceed your cardiovascular capacity. In other words, you run out of breath and be unable to get an effective workout.

So you see, both extremes (too much rest, or not enough) are bad. What then constitutes a proper in-between-sets rest period?

I use a simple rule of thumb. Some of you who are familiar with my training systems know that I always harp on the fact that you should rest only long enough to catch your breath in-between sets. It should be your primary goal, from the time you begin your workout, until you finish, to fatigue the target muscle group more and more with each successive set.

Obviously, the amount of time it takes you to catch your breath in-between sets is going to be dependent on the exercise you are performing. For instance, if you’ve just completed a set of bicep curls, it may only take you only 45 seconds to a minute to catch your breath. But if you’ve just completed a set of squats using maximum poundage and intensity, you may be breathing like a locomotive for three or four minutes.

So, whenever people ask me, “How long should I rest in-between sets?”, I like to tell them, “Long enough to catch your breath.”

If you are not already working out with this tempo, give it a try. What you’ll notice is that the fatigue levels in your muscles will build up considerably. You’ll also note that your cardiovascular system is taxed a little bit more. Don’t worry if your poundages actually go down. This is common because the intensity is increasing early in the workout, within the first few sets. Hence, the muscle will be tired towards the end of the workout, which will diminish your ability to perform repetitions. Once your body adapts to the pace, you should quickly be able to go back up on the poundages.

The other mistake a lot of trainees make is performing the negative portion of their exercises in too rapid a fashion. The negative (or eccentric) portion of a repetition is that portion of the repetition during which the muscle is lengthening under tension.

In the case of a biceps curl, this would correspond with the part of the exercise during which the weight is being lowered. Look at yourself in the mirror while doing bicep curls, and you’ll notice that your biceps are lengthening as you lower the weight. This is the eccentric part of the repetition. In other words, the muscle is lengthening under tension.

By lowering the weight too quickly, you rob yourself of the most productive portion of the exercise. Research has proven that the majority of the benefit of weight training is a result of the eccentric portion of the repetitions involved in the training program.

By slowing down and accentuating the eccentric, or lowering portion of each exercise, you can effectively increase intensity. And remember, if the intensity of the workout increases, so should your results.

How fast then should you perform a negative repetition? As a rule of thumb, take approximately one to two seconds to lift the weight, and two to three seconds to lower it. The weight should always be lowered under control.

Let’s talk about intensity again. Intensity can be defined as the work performed in any given set amount of time. To increase the work then, we can a) increase the poundage used on exercise, b) increase the volume or the number of sets c) decrease the amount of time it takes us to do the work, or d) decrease the speed of our repetitions, creating more tension in the muscles.

I left Mike with these thoughts and was delighted to hear from him a few days later when he called and said that he had experienced tremendous soreness from resting less in-between sets and slowing down his repetitions. Soreness is a sure sign that you are training hard enough to create muscle growth.

Next time you workout, try these two things: decrease the rest in-between sets to just long enough to catch your breath and secondly, slow down on the negative portion of each repetition. I think that you’ll notice a dramatic improvement in your results!

If you have any ideas or comments you would like to share, please leave them below in the comment system!

Ah, summer is almost over.  You and the kids have been enjoying all the summer activities and summer foods together.  The pool, a relaxing vacation, BBQ’s and best of all, no alarm clock!

Snap out of it, soon your alarm clock will be going off at 5:30 AM and you will be frantic again.  The kids are late for school, your husband can’t find his briefcase, and the dog has to go outside before everyone crams into your car to be shuttled to their respective locations.  School has just begun, and your daily routine is already bursting with homework, projects, Girl Scout meetings and soccer practice.  The last thing you want to think about is how to keep up with your fitness routine!

Well, throw that “I just don’t have the time” excuse out the window.  We’ve got your Back to School-Back to Fitness guidelines to help make it easy to  get fit even if you have a jam packed fall schedule.

Back to School – Back to Fitness

The key to making fitness a priority is to simply make it part of your lifestyle.  Here are some tips:

-    Move and burn calories. Yes, you may look a little crazy jogging in place while you make the kids lunch and feed the dog, but the good news is you’re burning calories doing it!  Need some milk for breakfast, walk to the store if possible.  Turn daily activites into exercise.

-    Be realistic. Ok, so you don’t have hours on end to spend in the gym working out, so what?   You can get into fantastic shape working out just 30 minutes a day.  If  you skip a day that is ok just pick up where you left off.  Consistency is the key to being fit.

-    Brown bag it. This isn’t just for the kids! Running around all day?  Pack a healthy brown bag lunch to eat.  By keeping your blood sugar levels steady you will be lest apt to eat fast food and you will have more energy for the rest of the day.

-    Schedule your day. Get everyone off to school on time and you can probably find some “me time”.  In fact if you are dressed and ready for the gym once you get everyone off for the day, you can head straight to the gym and take care of yourself before the day gets away from you.  This will also give you more energy and make you more productive the rest of the day.

This is an exciting time of year, a time of new beginnings.  So why not use this enthusiasm to help get you back into shape?  Who knows, these simple tips may even help you stay in bathing-suit shape year round.

What is plantar fasciitis?  In general any foot pain that is associated with the bottom of your feet is often referred to as PF. Irritation to any combination of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, but specifically to the area known as the plantar fascia. The connective tissue on the bottom of the foot that extends from the calcaneus to the back of the toes is called the plantar fascia.  Long term this condition is properly called plantar faciosis and is more closely associated with the common tendonopathy.

For more on tendon pain, check out this article: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drryan13.htm  

COMMON CAUSES OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS

·         Large body mass

·         Bad arch support or weak feet

·         Direct trauma to the foot

·         Hyperflexion, hyperextension, hypersupination, hyperpronation; alone or in combination

·         Foot fractures

·         Standing too long

·         Running, walking or standing on improper or old shoes (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drryan57.htm)

·         Tight Hamstrings

·         Sleeping with the toes in a pointed position

Let’s take a look at your feet.  Learn the basic parts and some basic facts and then you’ll have a leg to stand on.

BONES

The bones of the foot include the five metatarsal bones, which make up the meat or thickest part of the area, and then there are the phalanges, or the toes.  The first toe is the largest and thickest and bears most of the weight and force.  When you propel yourself forward, the “Big Toe” bears most of the weight and provides most of the force to allow this movement. Most of the tendons of the muscles attach to the first toe.  Now stop and think, while you run or walk, the majority of all of your body weight is on that one toe.  Is it any wonder why you might have foot problems?  The rest of the bones are mostly for stability.  The bones of the foot are well protected, but don’t respond well for strong pulling or stretching forces and that is where most of the common injuries occur to the toes.

The heel bone or the calcaneus is the common site for plantar fasciitis.  Other more common areas of pain surround that heel bone, but then are more towards the toes.  The reason for this local area of pain is associated with the tendon in the foot localized at the heel and spreads out to the various toes.

The most common issues with the bones are stress fractures and they are very difficult to diagnose.  Current technology doesn’t permit a clear analyzation and in the younger child and adult it is even more complex.  High definition MRI is necessary to clearly see the small changes in the bone’s matrix patterns.  Not all MRIs are the same and various powered magnets can range from 0.3-3.0 Tesla. Some higher ranges are used typically in research only.

LIGAMENTS

Holding all of these bones together are the ligaments.  The most common reason for chronic pain in the foot is related to the ligaments and tendons. When these structures fail, it often leads to bones moving out of their normal position and wearing abnormally on other bones or soft tissue.  Early detection of foot problems is a major factor in preventing more complicated conditions later.  Just trying to ignore the pain and hoping it goes away often leads to significant wear that may require a drastic approach. 

Tendons and ligaments are mechanically strained/sprained and often this results in a disruption to the local blood supply.  Once the blood supply is interrupted it results in further disruption to the formation and repair of the collagen fibers in the ligaments and tendons.  This weakens the entire area, and just like a chain reaction, the adjacent fibers begin to take on the additional mechanical stress, and then are also injured.  All of this eventually involves micro-tearing and swelling and nerve irritation.  Pain is the obvious result of this progression of mechanical breakdown and loss of blood supply.  This eventually starts a cycle and further damage to other structures can lead to stress fractures, muscle strain, lymphodema, more pain, etc.

Once this process has gone on for a long enough period of time, various conditions will manifest and likely you will be diagnosed with something that will require surgery.  All of this process could have been prevented if only an early diagnosis was correctly made.  The motivation here is to seek out a professional at any time you have had condition that last longer than two days.

MUSCLES

The muscles in the bottom of the foot are small and thin and easily injured. The most commonly associated is the flexor digitorum brevis muscle. A diagnostic ultrasound can identify some fluid in the FDB, but typically both areas are involved.  Other muscles are the abductor and adductor hallicus and the abductor digiti minimi.  Any or all of these muscles may be involved with the mechanical breakdown of the plantar surface and hence the distribution of pain on many PF studies.

Obviously there are many causes of plantar fasciitis, but the most common treatment is associated with the use of an orthotic device in the shoe.  The function of this device is to reduce the physical strain placed on the plantar surface of the foot. While these orthotics can help stop the pain cycle associated with the PF; a concern is that these devices do not result in an increase of blood supply to allow healing.  Other mechanical factors that usually lead to the manifestation of PF are not addressed by simply using orthotics.  A multi approach to actually correcting PF is often necessary.

SELF-TREATMENT OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS

The treatment of PF begins with the correct diagnosis.  Depending on the intensity and duration of the condition, a single or multiple treatment approach will likely result in success.  To have a truly successful treatment you must have the appropriate diagnosis. Many times the failure of PF treatments is directly related to the inappropriate treatment directed at something other than the true root cause of the problem.  Read through the list of treatments below.  Understand that each deals with a specific segment or factor of a foot problem.  Your condition should show some improvement within a few weeks, if not, discuss this with your physician.

Orthotics:  These come in a wide variety of forms.  Some are prepackaged and may be successful since they are geared at correcting the common problems.  Other more specific problems are directed at the more specialized orthotics.  These may have to be molded or cast, the cost is usually much higher for them.

Strassburg sock:  This is a commercial product that is basically a long soccer type sock with a long piece of fabric sewn onto the toe.  A ringlet is on the top and front of the sock to allow for the fabric to pull the toes upward, thus stretching the bottom of the toes and the bottom of the foot up.  There is an orthotic boot that is also used, but it often doesn’t provide enough flexion at the toes and heel, thus no stretch is noted.  The device is worn while you sleep and often takes several days to allow for progressive shortening of the fabric band.  It is patented, but this idea was originally used by soccer players who used to sew the toes of their socks end-to-end and then slip on the one sock and tie the free sock end around the knee.

ABC exercises:  General exercise helps strengthen the foot.  Most of us don’t exercise the bottom muscles in our feet and just run on them and pound them with countless hours of cardio.  Simply sit down and prop up your lower leg on a foot stool.  Using your big toe as the lead, begin by making the letter “A” in the air as large as you can without moving the rest of your leg.  Continue on until you have made all the letters in the alphabet.  Time yourself and eventually challenge yourself by completing the alphabet three times in less time, but with the same extreme amount of foot movement.

Foot grip strength:  Begin by having a towel on a smooth flat surface, like a hard wood floor.  Place your heel on the towel and make sure your toes are free to move.  Use your toes to grip the towel and pull it towards your heel.  Once you have bound up the towel, reverse the direction and push the towel away from your heel.  In some cases of a carpeted floor, you can work the foot by picking up a towel or some tissue paper, then drop it and begin again.  These exercises are all designed to work the muscles in the bottom of your foot and to promote improved blood supply and muscle tone.

Running/Walking grip:  This is a simple idea of learning to gently grip the ground with your foot as you run or walk.  The proper amount of tension is equal to that of a steady hand shake; variations will help keep your foot from cramping.  This helps promote plantar muscle tone and is a must for anyone with flat feet.

Hamstring stretches:  Very commonly the rear of the legs is stretched by bending forward and touching the toes.  If you are over 65 or get dizzy, then elevate the foot to about knee height with the leg straight and then bend forward and hold for 10, 15, then 30 seconds.  Several studies have shown that tight hamstrings result in back pain and also PF.

Other factors that have been proven to work with PF include; chiropractic manipulation to the joints of the foot to provide mobility, massage and/or rolling sticks to the muscles to provide skeletal muscle flexibility, cortisone injections to help break the pain/spasm cycle and reduce persistent inflammation.  In any case it is very important to stay in touch with your health professionals.  It is also important to get different opinions from professionals if you don’t seem to improve after a few weeks of any given treatment.

Remember the proper diagnosis is critical in obtaining the correct treatment.  Doctors like Tom Lee are board certified in orthopedic surgery of the foot and ankle and are at the top of the pecking order when it comes to foot injuries.  Always seek out a professional with his qualifications in conditions that seem to require surgical intervention.  That’s why we have professionals, just like him, to make the right call at the Arnold Sports Festival.

Thomas Lee, MD is a board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in foot and ankle.  He is located in central Ohio. For more information about Dr. Lee visit the website: http://www.orthofootankle.com

Why Do Joint Injuries Occur?

For us bodybuilders there can be several causes for a joint injury. That’s the bad news. The good news however, is that for the most part, we can avoid these by using the right training, nutrition, supplementation and rest/recovery tactics.

1. Excessive use of weight on an exercise coupled with bad lifting technique: In my personal opinion, this is one of the main reasons why so many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts end up with injured joints. Consistently using heavy weights and bad form invariably lead to bursitis, which is the inflammation of the bursae; small fluid filled sacks whose job is to reduce friction in the joint. Elbows and shoulders are often afflicted by this condition so all of you bench press kings please pay attention to this, as it is hard to bench with bad shoulders and elbows. Bad lifting technique too also causes tears on the tendons which can lead to tendonitis. Assuming that the lifting technique is really horrible and there is way too much weight being used as well, then this can lead to total misalignment of the joint as well.

2. Muscle strength that increases too quickly: Certain supplements, like creatine and nitric oxide boosters for instance, can cause our muscle strength to skyrocket. While that is a great thing, in these cases, it is of utmost importance that we slowly control the rate at which we add weight to the exercises. Even if more weight can be put on the bar, it is best to oft for doing more repetitions instead. The reason for this is because muscle strength increases much quicker than joint strength. So increasing the training load too soon can easily lead to a joint injury even if the form practiced is impeccable and if the muscles can easily handle the load. This is a situation that is also very often encountered by teenagers as teens’ muscle strength quickly rises due to all the anabolic hormones been produced by the body at that age. Trust me when I say, I am well familiarized with this cause for joint injuries.

3. Lack of proper nutrition: Joints, just like muscles, require nutrition and rest. Lack of the right nutrients diminishes the body’s ability to adapt to stress. As a result, if one continues to train with poor nutrition micro tears can start occurring in the tendons as well as a deterioration of the cartilage in the joint, which will lead to more wear and tear of the joint than normal. Chronically low levels of nutrients coupled with hard training will then invariably lead to conditions like osteoarthritis (the more common form of arthritis encountered by weight lifters caused by cartilage becoming rough and thus causing more friction at the joint) and tendonitis, which we briefly discussed above, and is the inflammation of tendons due to accumulated trauma.

4. Lack of proper rest/recovery: Consistently overtraining, lack of periodization (meaning that you always train heavy), and lack of sleep all lead to joint problems. Too much training and/or consistently training at 6 repetitions or less will cause too much trauma in the joint that will accumulate over time and result in either osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendonitis or even a full tear. Keep in mind that if the body cannot recover completely, some of the trauma caused at each training session will remain and over time accumulate. Periodization of training and full body part recovery is essential to preventing this micro trauma from accumulating. Also, lack of sufficient sleep will result in poor recovery as it is during sleep that the body produces all anabolic hormones that will be delivering the nutrients to the right places for full recovery. So sleep deprivation leads to depressed hormonal production which at the end of the day, affects your recovery.

Now that we know the common causes of joint problems, here are some guidelines on what you can do to prevent them.

Bodybuilding Training Guidelines

* Use The Right Training Routine: a well periodized routine that alternates between periods of higher volume/higher repetition (10-15 reps) work with periods of lower repetition/heavier weights (5-8 reps) will work best. Active recovery phases where training volume is dramatically reduced should also be incorporated. The training routine should not be more than 60 minutes long and frequency of body part training will depend upon individual recovery. Generally, teens and those in their twenties can train a bodypart every 48-72 hours (so twice a week). Thirty year olds and those in their fourties benefit more from once every five days. Fifty year old and older, once every seven days.

* Use Proper Warm-Ups: warming up is extremely important, and it becomes more important as we age. While in my opinion, we only need to thoroughly warm up for the first exercise of a body part, not doing so puts you at the risk for injury. To properly warm up, if you know you will be doing 225-lbs on the incline bench for 10 repetitions, the first set I would just do 135-lbs for ten controlled slow repetitions. Then I would increase the weight to 185 for ten reps and only after that second set I would go up to 225-lbs and that would be my first work set. However, if working out on a cold climate, besides wearing warm clothing, I may ride a stationary bike first for 6-10 minutes, not in search of aerobic conditioning but with the goal of increasing my core body temperature. Alternatively I’ve also used abdominal training as a way to increase my core body temperature as well.

* Perform The Right Exercise Techniques With The Proper Weight: Proper execution of exercise and proper lifting speed is crucial. The exercise form should never be sacrificed in the name of adding weight. Nothing good has ever come out of that combination. In addition jerking the weight up and down not only affects how much the muscle is actually stimulated (so your muscle building results will be less) but puts much of the stress on the joints leading to unnecessary micro-trauma. So always choose a weight that allows for full control of the weight and a lifting speed that is steady and controlled on the way up and slower on the way down. Contracting the muscles at the top position also helps to provide maximum stimulation without unnecessarily having to use super heavy weights.

* Ensure Rotator Cuff Health: One of the most common injuries in weight training is that of the rotator cuff. The reason for this is that as the shoulder muscle gets stronger, the rotator cuff gets weaker unless you train it directly with 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions of rotator cuff exercises. Some external rotations at the end of your chest or back workout will do the trick.

Bodybuilding Nutrition Guidelines

* Having The Right Diet With Sufficient Amounts of EFAs: A balanced diet made up of 40-50% complex carbs, 40-30% lean proteins and 20% good fats with multiple small meals spaced out 2-3 hours throughout the day will prevent poor recovery due to lack of good nutrients. Of utmost importance is not to disregard the intake of good fats, emphasizing the fish and flax oils which are high on the Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). Turns out that these fats play a huge role in anti-inflammation and also on hormonal production. Another good way to get these fats is through a serving of wild atlantic salmon a day or mackerel.

* Sufficient Calories Even When Dieting: Many people cut their calories too low when embarking on a fat loss phase. This leads to loss of bone mass and also poor joint health. Therefore, when dieting, keep in mind that only a slight caloric deficit is required in order to lose body fat. (in the order of 300 calories less than one burns every day or so).

Bodybuilding Supplementation Guidelines

* Take Your Multiple Vitamins/Minerals: Many trainees do not realize the importance of taking these micronutrients. However, these are essential to insure that your body will operate at maximum efficiency. Vitamins are organic compounds (produced by both animals and vegetables) whose function is to enhance the actions of proteins that cause chemical reactions such as muscle building, fat burning and energy production. Minerals are inorganic compounds (not produced by either animals or vegetables). Their main function is to make sure that your brain receives the correct signals from the body, balance of fluids, muscular contractions and energy production as well as for the building of muscle and bones. Therefore, on a very simplistic level, without vitamins and minerals it is impossible to convert the food that we eat into hormones, tissues and energy. So as a result, joint health, amongst many other things, will suffer.

* Take Extra Vitamin C: Some research indicates that increased consumption of Vitamin C lowers cortisol (catabolic hormone) levels and improves joint health as Vitamin C is required for connective tissue formation. 2-3 grams of this vitamin split in 1 gram doses at different times of the day will do the trick.

* Gelatin: Believe it or not, gelatin is a source of two very important amino acids that are required for collagen formation: glycine and praline. Several studies (Adem et. al. Therapiewoche, 1991) have shown gelatin providing improvements by reducing joint pain and improving cartilage health.

* Glucosamine/Chondroitin Combination: In a recent review of clinical trials on glucosamine and chondroitin, researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in Cleveland, Ohio found that of 13 studies reviewed, all were classified as demonstrating positive results. The dosages used in the studies were 1500mg of glucosamine sulfate and 1200mg of chondroitin sulfate.

* MSM: At the Oregon Health Sciences Center in 1997, researchers showed that MSM provided relief equal to a popular non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. MSM expert and medical reviewer for the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Stanley W. Jacob, M.D., suggests that MSM actually blocks pain signals from traveling along a network of C fibers from the site of damaged tissue to the brain. MSM also appears to reduce inflammation, enhance blood flow, and reduce painful muscle spasms.

* Essential Fats: As stated on the nutrition tips, if you do not consume wild atlantic salmon or mackerel, it is suggested then that you supplement your diet with 1-2 tablespoons of fish oils and/or flaxseed oil in order to get the very important essential fatty acids that your body needs. EFA Lean Gold is a great product to get these fats from.

Note: A good and convenient product that contains Vitamin C, Gelatin, Glucosamin, Chondroitin and MSM at the right dosages in a good tasting drink is called ElastiJoint® by Labrada Nutrition.

Rest/Recovery Guidelines

Use Periodization And Provide Enough Rest Prior To Training A Bodypart Again: As mentioned in the training guidelines, periodization and the right amount of time before training a body part again are of utmost importance to joint health and recuperation. Overtraining leads to overuse injuries.

Get Your 8 Hours Of Sleep Each Night: Sleep deprivation leads to depressed hormonal production which at the end of the day affects your recovery and prevents full recuperation from training. So make sure that you get your ZZZZZsss.

Advice For Youngsters On The Importance Of Joint Health

For those of you starting out in your teens just like I did, please start following the advice presented in this article. While it does not seem important, any joint injuries at that age will remain with you for the rest of your life and any little thing that you do will aggravate them as you get older. In addition, because your strength will increase at an incredible accelerated rate at this age, be sure to increase repetitions before deciding to increase the weight on an exercise in order to protect your joints. Keep in mind that your muscles will always grow quicker than your joints.

Only when you can easily perform 15 repetitions for an exercise for all sets then should you consider slightly increasing the weight. Because your anabolic hormones are at an all time high, you will achieve great results anyways.

Conclusion

I guarantee you that if you follow all of the guidelines in this article you will greatly minimize your chances of a joint injury and as a result will have great pain free workouts for many years to come.

However, if you feel pain every time you hit those weights, my advice is to try exercises that do not trigger such pain and that you visit a good doctor who can get to the cause of the pain and who refers you to a good physical therapist to start working with you on fixing it. In this case, it is more crucial than ever that you adhere to all the guidelines presented here and that you consume your nutritional supplements on a daily basis.

That is right, you can have a cheat meal once a week and still get the weight loss results that you deserve.  You may be wondering how and think that this goes against the traditional mindset that the media or experts have told you, but I do it all the time and still stay in great shape.

However, if you are serious about achieving your fat loss goals, cheating should only be an option once a week.  Otherwise, you are putting yourself in danger of not getting the results you deserve.

When cheating, I recommend picking one day out of the week to eat whatever you want for one meal within reason.  Remember: This is only for one meal and not the entire day. It is also not an all you can eat stuffing session.  So for example, a slice of pizza with a regular soda and then a serving of ice cream is a good cheat meal.  Notice I did not say 20 slices, chased down with a gallon of soda and ice cream.

I like to eat my cheat meal earlier in the day so all of the food does not sit in me for a long period of time.  At night time, most people are sedentary and not burning calories.  Now that you have some general guidelines, I will give you some rules to follow for the day you decide to cheat.

Rules to a Cheat Meal:

1.  Drink around 12 ounces of water before you start eating.  This prohibits you from splurging as it will suppress your appetite a bit and will help you immensely from overeating.

2.  Make sure you have at least 3 hours before you go to bed when cheating as the food will not sit in your stomach for such a long period of time.

3.  Never eat 2 cheat meals in one week.

So now that you know why eating a cheat meal is not bad for you, simply follow the guidelines prescribed above and you should be just fine and still attack ugly stomach fat.

One of the biggest problems people have with their diet though is when cravings set in. It’s quite normal to expect yourself to struggle with cravings whenever you go off restricting many of the foods that you really enjoy so by seeking out methods to control these cravings, you really help to boost your overall chances of success.

Let’s take a look at some of the top tricks that you must know to stop cravings dead so that you can lose belly fat effectively.

Ensure You Stay Hydrated

The very first thing that you must make sure you do if you’re going to cure cravings and lose belly fat is ensure you’re always hydrated. Even small amounts of dehydration can cause you to sense that you’re hungry when what you really are is thirsty.

If you’re not taking the time to refill your water bottle at least six or seven times a day, chances are high you’re not getting in enough fluid. Many people will go the entire day taking in just coffee, soda, and then alcoholic beverages in the evening which is the fastest way ever to become dehydrated.

Instead, focus on plenty of water, green tea, and clear sugar-free soda if you must have something fizzy. These will be far better for your health as well as your body composition.

Don’t Let Hunger Get The Best Of You

Next, also be sure that you’re keeping close tabs on your hunger. If you let yourself get too ravenous between meals this is another big reason why cravings will set in. its’ only natural when you’re extremely hungry to crave foods that are high in simple carbohydrates because it’s these that will release into the blood stream quickly and provide that fast energy source that you’re after.

If you keep your hunger under control with regular meals however, then it will be that much easier to lose belly fat since you’ll never experience cravings for sugar.

Stay Satisfied With Protein

In addition to having regular meals to help control your hunger, another thing that’s very important is to ensure that you’re not experiencing swings in blood sugar levels as well. When you have a sugar high followed by a blood sugar crash, that’s when you’re definitely going to notice that you want to have something high in simple carbs.

It’s in these times that you’re going to crave cakes, cookies, candy, or other snack foods that will bring your blood sugar levels back up to a more normal level.

In order to prevent this, keep your blood sugar levels stable by including plenty of protein in your day. When you pair protein with some carbohydrates they will release that much more slowly in the body therefore keeping this blood sugar level constant.

Never ever eat a meal or snack without protein. Make it your mantra if you want to lose belly fat to always make protein the base of your meal and then add carbs or healthy fats around that.

Find Smart Food Replacements

Finally, the last thing that you should do if you’re looking to cure cravings and lose belly fat quickly is look for smart food replacements. If you can pinpoint what it is that you’re normally craving and then try and seek out something that is healthier that may not taste exactly alike but will come fairly close, that’s going to be your best bet for winning the craving battle.

For example, if you are always craving pasta, consider subbing this in for some spaghetti squash instead. It has a similar texture and look of pasta but is much lower in carbohydrates and calories.

Likewise, if chocolate is what gets to you when you’re on a diet to lose belly fat, consider mixing together some chocolate protein power with some low-fat cottage cheese. This will be a very high protein version of chocolate ice cream that won’t go straight to your stomach.

So keep these craving-control tips in mind. If you can apply them and come up with a few of your own that can help you manage belly fat, you’ll definitely be one step ahead on your fat loss diet.

Keep Moving, Stay Fit,
Martin Bolduc, CPT, ACE, BCRPA

** Martin Bolduc is the author of the Ultimate Guide to Express Fat Loss and the winner of the Lean Body Challenge 2008. Martin is a Certified Personal Trainer ACE and BCRPA and a natural bodybuilder. Martin helps hundreds of clients to reach their goals.

The theory researchers are pointing to is a direct connection between an overuse of artificial sweeteners which, as a result, triggers an over-consumption of foods high in sugar.  The introduction of artificial sweeteners into thousands of everyday food products has resulted in an overall increase in calorie consumption.  Within the last three years there has been a flurry of studies supporting this fact.  Just because you order a diet soda doesn’t mean you should have a jumbo ice cream sundae or two slices of pie for dessert, but it seems as though more individuals are replacing the calories found in sugary sodas with those found in diet food items and other sweets like cakes and ice cream – but research suggests, it may not be entirely their fault.

Researchers provide the following explanation to support this theory:
When you eat a food or drink that contains an artificial sweetener, the brain signals to the body that something sweet is on its way, will quench the cravings and leave you satisfied. With artificial sweeteners this is not the case.  Since these sweeteners are non-nutritive, meaning they don’t contain calories, the digestive system never receives that sweet satisfaction or the sugar calories it thinks it’s getting.  Over time, and with heavy artificial sweetener use, the body builds an intense craving for sweets.  You may notice an increase in your sweet tooth so please be careful, as this may cause you to over indulge in high sugar foods when given the chance. 

Remember, just because something says it’s “sugar-free” doesn’t mean its calorie free.  Paying attention to important factors like calories, fat grams and carbohydrates still remain important when choosing foods low in sugar.  
 
The information below is provided for your reference when choosing a suitable artificial sweetener.  Since people react to different sweeteners in different ways, sample a few products and find one that suits your tastes.

The FDA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for each sweetener.  This is the maximum amount considered safe to eat each day.   For more information, please read this article from The Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073

Sucralose (Splenda); Acceptable Daily Intake= 5mg. /kg

• First discovered by research scientists at Queen Elizabeth College, University of London in 1976 during a collaborative research program. 
• 600 times sweeter than sugar
•  Found in soft drinks, yogurt, sports supplements, frozen desserts, chewing gum and ice cream
• There have been no known or published studies or findings related to any danger associated with sucralose consumption.

Aspartame (NutraSweet/ Equal); Acceptable Daily Intake=50mg. /kg

• First discovered in 1965
• Composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, as the methyl ester. 
• 200 times sweeter than sugar
• Found in more than 6,000 products and consumed by over 200 million people worldwide.
• Aspartame has been extensively tested by the FDA, with over two decades of research and over 26 clinical trials in the past 23 years.

Saccharin (Sweet n Low); Acceptable Daily Intake=5mg. /kg

• Discovered in 1879 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and is the oldest artificial sweetener used in the United States
• 300 – 700 times sweeter than sugar
• Found as a tabletop sweetener, jams, baked goods, canned fruit, candy and salad dressings.
• The FDA has examined Saccharin over 30 clinical multi-generation human trials and 14 animal trials.  They have concluded that Saccharin is safe for consumption and is used in over 100 countries worldwide.

The key message here is as with all foods, moderation is very important to maintaining a healthy diet together with the types of food you choose to consume.  With scientific evidence being compiled on a regular basis, now more than ever, Americans are able to make informed decisions regarding the foods and food compounds we eat.  Instead, minimize the amount of processed foods you eat and replace them with wholesome, fresh foods like lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, heart healthy fats and fruits and vegetables as much as possible and make them the most commonly eaten foods in your daily diet. 

Check back next week for part 2 of this report: “Natural Sweeteners”

Resources:
www.sucralose.org
www.aspartame.org
www.saccharin.org
www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073

1. Fowler SP et al.  Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain.  Obesity (Silver Spring).2008 Aug; 16(8):1894-900.Epub 2008 June 5.

2. Swithers SE et al.  High intensity sweeteners and energy balance. Physiol Behav.2010 Jan 6

3. Mahar A et al. The Effect of frequency of consumption of artificial sweeteners on sweetness liking by women. J Sci. 2007 Nov; 72(9):S714-8.

If you liked this video, please feel free to visit our Labrada Nutrition YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/labradanutrition and subscribe to our channel !  In addition, you can see even more videos at http://labrada.com/tv/

Best!

Lee Labrada