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How To Maximize The Impact Of Your Fat Loss Supplement

February 14, 2012 By

Fat loss supplements are a very popular and effective way to burn fat. But did you know you can amplify the benefits of a fat loss supplement by doing a few simple things? You sure can! This article will provide some tips on how to boost fat loss while taking a fat burner or fat loss supplement.

Before we dive into the tips, let’s take a brief look at 4 common fat loss supplement categories:

  • Thermogenic Fat Burners
  • Stimulant-Free Thermogenics
  • Appetite Suppressants
  • Thyroid Regulators

Thermogenic fat burners are designed to raise your body temperature, your metabolic rate and the amount of calories you burn. This means you will burn more calories during the day, even when resting. Stimulant-Free thermogenics fat burners are designed to provide amazing results for those who prefer to steer clear of stimulants.

Appetite suppressants help you to feel full, and to reduce hunger. Since you won’t be craving food, it becomes easier to lose weight. The last category of fat loss supplements is thyroid regulators. A thyroid regulator helps you to achieve consistent and proper thyroid functioning, and allows the body to burn fat properly.

Tip 1: Eat Your Protein

You don’t need to be a bodybuilder to benefit from additional protein consumption and supplementation. Protein is the most thermogenic macronutrient. It requires more energy to process protein than it does carbohydrates or fats. Therefore, protein is nature’s fat burner of choice.

By eating a larger percentage of your calories from high protein foods, you will burn more fat, and assist your body in retaining lean muscle mass while dieting.

Muscle mass also helps you to burn fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will require each day. Muscle mass provides a natural boost to your metabolism, so the more you have, the easier it becomes to burn fat.

Protein supplements such as whey protein powder, casein protein powder, protein bars and meal replacements can assist you in making sure you eat enough daily protein.

Tip 2: Get Stronger

We have already discovered that muscle helps you to burn fat. But how do you build muscle? How do you train to hold on to as much muscle as possible while dieting? The answer is simple…train to get stronger.

Push yourself on every set of every workout. Try for more reps, and add weight when you can. By doing this, you are encouraging your body to hold on to as much muscle as possible; you are giving your body a reason to burn fat instead of muscle.

Many people make the mistake of training with light weight and high reps when they are attempting to lose fat. By using lighter weights, you are telling your body I no longer need all of my muscle, so it’s ok to burn it as an energy source.

Training for strength does not require you to train like a powerlifter. Simply continue to use your current workout plan, and work hard to push yourself.

Supplements such as creatine, BCAAs, and glutamine can help you to maintain as much strength as possible while cutting fat.

Top 3: Use a Pre-Workout Supplement

Training while on a diet is not always easy. There are days in which you will feel tired or unmotivated. We’ve all been in this position, and know that one missed workout can often lead to another, and another. When you start missing workouts, it’s easy to say I quit…let me start again next week or month.

Pre-workout supplements are designed to give you nutrients to enhance your workouts. Increased blood flow, better mental focus, enhanced muscle pumps and increased energy are just some of the reasons why more people are using pre-workout supplements. One of the most common and popular pre-workout ingredients is nitric oxide.

A pre-workout supplement allows you to train longer, stronger, and with more energy. Simply stated, a pre-workout supplement functions in a synergistic manner with your fat loss supplement, and with your aggressive training approach, amplifying your efforts and maximizing fat loss.

Tip 4: Eat Your Healthy Fats

There is a deep rooted myth in dieting that eating fat makes you fat. The reality is that fats do not make you fat. Only eating too many daily calories can make you fat.

Most of us have packed on extra weight because we ate too many white poisons – sugar and flour-based foods. It’s not the fat that caused your bulging waist line. It was the cookies, donuts, sodas and chips.

Now that you are eating healthy and dieting, do not avoid healthy fats. Your body needs healthy fats to function properly, and without them you actually make it more difficult to lose weight.

Supplementing with fish oil, flax seed oil and other essential fatty acids (EFAs) can help to insure that you are eating enough daily healthy fats while on a limited calorie diet.

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Is Creatine a safe supplement?

February 14, 2012 By

Is creatine a safe supplement?

Asked by Ralph, New York

Open quote

I am a 48-year-old man who weight trains four times a week. I am thinking about taking creatine. What is your thought on this supplement?Close quote

Expert answer

Hi Ralph! Weight training four times a week is terrific. I hope that you are also getting regular aerobic exercise for cardiovascular health.

To answer your question, creatine monohydrate, the most extensively studied form of creatine, is considered the most effective supplement for athletes looking to increase lean body mass and as well as enhance muscular strength, power and endurance.

Despite a few widely publicized, but mainly anecdotal reports, of kidney or electrolyte abnormalities, hundreds of studies have found that it is safe in healthy individuals and may also be effective for people with certain medical conditions, including heart patients, and on some types of neuromuscular disease or orthopedic injury if taken at recommended doses.

Creatine is produced in the liver and pancreas from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. The majority of creatine is stored in skeletal muscle as phosphocreatine and free creatine.

Phosphocreatine is a critical component of energy generation in the muscle. With intense exercise, levels are depleted and therefore the ability to exercise intensely diminishes.

By increasing the amount of phosphocreatine in the muscle, this should allow you to work the muscle harder and longer, thereby increasing your muscle gains.

Long-term supplementation has shown a 5% to 15% increase in strength and performance and double the gain in lean body mass compared to placebo. Dietary sources of creatine include meats and fish, but in order to consume effective quantities, large amounts would have to be consumed.

Therefore, if you are eating a healthy diet with adequate amounts of high quality protein and training regularly, creatine may be effective if your goal is to increase muscle mass or strength.

Many sports nutrition experts suggest “loading” for three to five days with 0.3 grams per kilogram per day followed by a maintenance dose of 3 to 5 grams per day. The loading phase is not essential but may allow you to see gains more quickly.

Research suggests that combining creatine with carbohydrate or carbohydrate plus protein produces optimal results by enhancing creatine uptake and retention. There are numerous other combinations under investigation.

Dr. Jose Antonio, CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition and professor at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida, notes that one of the more promising for increasing lean body mass and strength is the combination of creatine and beta-alanine, a nonessential amino acid that has been shown to increase skeletal muscle carnosine. Increased muscle concentrations of carnosine have been shown to enhance anaerobic exercise performance.

In summary, when used correctly, creatine can be a safe and effective performance-enhancing supplement for athletes or fitness enthusiasts who are willing to do the accompanying physical work necessary to fully benefit.

[Source: CNN Health]

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Diet Pills vs Exercise

May 2, 2011 By

The debate of diet pills vs exercise is an old one and has been raging since the early 1990s when doctors started prescribing diet pills to obese people…
The markets are flooded with diet pills that promise miracles to people with weight problems, they also claim to show studies that support their claim. Let us also admit that in today’s fast paced world not everyone has the time or the inclination to exercise. Companies manufacturing diet pills are getting richer by the day. Many of these pills are available readily over the counter and the store clerk has a piece of free advice for anyone who’s interested. People looking for a shortcut to fitness opt for these pills which make unverified claims.

There are several side effects associated with diet pills and this is the main reason why many prefer exercising over taking pills. Fitness experts believe that exercise is the best long term solution for people with weight problems. They argue that the reason people are overweight is, because of their unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Experts say that unless you change your eating habits and lifestyle diet pills aren’t going to work for you.

Diet Pills vs Exercise Debate

Diet Pills
Diet pills work on different principles to promote weight loss and most have herbal ingredients like green tea extracts and Hoodia. They work on different formulas ranging from appetite suppressants to increasing the metabolism. The ones that work as appetite suppressants, claim to quell the hunger pangs in the user. So if you don’t feel hungry you eat less and when that happens you will experience weight loss. The pills that increase metabolism rate in the user claim that they promote consumption of stored energy in the body to induce weight loss. Manufacturers claim that these diet pills work without exercise.

Exercise
One of the best ways to induce healthy weight loss is with cardiovascular exercises. Exercises will not only help you lose weight but will also improve your endurance and strengthen the muscles. Cardiovascular exercises also improve the blood-oxygen supply in the body and increase the metabolism rate naturally. Burning calories and excess fat through exercise is recommended by many fitness and medical experts. You will however, have to invest some time and energy in exercising to enjoy its benefits. Experts recommend at least 30-40 minutes of cardiovascular activity 4-5 times a week for good results.

The Expert Advice

There have been several studies that showcase that when diet pills are used in conjunction with exercise and a diet you get the best results. In one study participants who were given diet pills and put on a healthy diet and asked to exercise lost almost double the weight than participants who were just given the diet pills. So experts advise that if you are taking diet pills, support them by following healthy eating habits, making lifestyle changes and exercising regularly. Here are a few suggestions that can help you.

Diet
Include vegetables in your diet as they have high fiber content and will give you a feeling of full stomach even if you eat less. Many vegetables have negative calories meaning you lose more calories digesting them than you gain by eating them. Some veggies also work as diuretics and help the body wash away harmful toxins. Vegetables like celery, asparagus, spinach, cabbage, carrots, etc are good for you. Add fruits to your diet as they provide essential vitamins and have antioxidant qualities. Include fruits like apple, cantaloupe, orange, pineapple, watermelon, etc in your eating habits. Stay away from meats like beef and pork, instead eat chicken and fish if you planning to lose weight.

Exercise
Make a schedule and exercise regularly, do a combination of cardiovascular and resistance training exercises. Divide your week into 3 days of cardio exercises and 2 days of resistance training. Start your week with 30-40 minutes of cardio exercises like jogging or swimming. On day two do upper body resistance training exercises and workout the chest, shoulder, back and arm muscles. Day three do cardio exercises like aerobics or use fitness equipment like the elliptical and stair stepper. Day four is for lower body exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises and abdominal exercises like crunches and leg raises. Day five is again for cardio routines like aerobics and Tai Bo, basically anything that gives you a good cardiovascular workout.

It has been observed that people who take diet pills and support them with life style changes like curbing their alcohol, coffee and cigarette intake get the desired results. It is advisable to take diet pills only after consulting your physician.

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15 ways to max your metabolism

April 28, 2011 By

Even before you start exercising, you can use plenty of tricks to eliminate visceral fat, improve your flab-burning metabolic process, and start losing weight fast.

Don’t diet!
The Men’s Health Diet isn’t about eating less, it’s about eating more — more nutrition-dense food — to crowd out the empty calories and keep you full all day. That’s important, because restricting food will kill your metabolism. It makes your body think, “I’m starving here!” And your body responds by slowing your metabolic rate in order to hold on to existing energy stores. What’s worse, if the food shortage (meaning your crash diet) continues, you’ll begin burning muscle tissue, which just gives your enemy, visceral fat, a greater advantage. Your metabolism drops even more, and fat goes on to claim even more territory.

Go to bed earlier
A study in Finland looked at sets of identical twins and discovered that of each set of siblings, the twin who slept less and was under more stress had more visceral fat.

Eat more protein
Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. In a 2006 study in the American Journal of ClinicalNutrition, “The Underappreciated Role of Muscle in Health and Disease,” researchers argued that the present recommended daily allowance of protein, 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, was established using obsolete data and is woefully inadequate for an individual doing resistance training. Researchers now recommend an amount between 0.8 and 1 gram per pound of body weight. Add a serving, like 3 ounces of lean meat, 2 tablespoons of nuts, or 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack. Plus, research showed that protein can up post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent.

Go organic when you can
Canadian researchers reported that dieters with the most organochlorines (pollutants from pesticides, which are stored in fat cells) experienced a greater than normal dip in metabolism as they lost weight, perhaps because the toxins interfere with the energy-burning process. In other words, pesticides make it harder to lose pounds. Other research hints that pesticides can trigger weight gain. Of course, it’s not always easy to find—or to afford—a whole bunch of organic produce. So you need to know when organic counts, and when it’s not that important. Organic onions, avocados, grapefruit? Not necessary. But choose organic when buying celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale or collard greens, cherries, potatoes, and imported grapes; they tend to have the highest levels of pesticides. A simple rule of thumb: If you can eat the skin, go organic.

Get up, stand up
Whether you sit or stand at work may play as big a role in your health and your waistline as your fitness routine. In one study researchers discovered that inactivity (4 hours or more) causes a near shutdown in an enzyme that controls fat and cholesterol metabolism. To keep this enzyme active and increase your fat burning, break up long periods of downtime by standing up—for example, while talking on the phone.

Drink cold water
German researchers found that drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that’s 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature. Though the extra calories you burn drinking a single glass don’t amount to much, making it a habit can add up to pounds lost with essentially zero additional effort.

Eat the heat
It turns out that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their mouth-searing quality, can also fire up your metabolism. Eating about 1 tablespoon of chopped red or green chilies boosts your body’s production of heat and the activity of your sympathetic nervous system (responsible for our fight-or-flight response), according to a study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. The result: a temporary metabolism spike of about 23 percent. Stock up on chilies to add to meals, and keep a jar of red pepper flakes on hand for topping pizzas, pastas, and stir-fries.

Rev up in the morning
Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. It’s no accident that those who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. And the heartier your first meal is, the better. In one study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology, volunteers who got 22 to 55 percent of their total calories at breakfast gained only 1.7 pounds on average over 4 years. Those who ate zero to 11 percent of their calories in the morning gained nearly 3 pounds.

Drink coffee or tea
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolt can rev your metabolism 5 to 8 percent—about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12 percent, according to one Japanese study. Researchers believe the antioxidant catechins in tea provide the boost.

Fight fat with fiber
Fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30 percent. Studies find that those who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

Eat iron-rich foods
Iron is essential for carrying the oxygen your muscles need to burn fat. Unless you restock your store, you run the risk of low energy and a sagging metabolism. Shellfish, lean meats, beans, fortified cereals, and spinach are excellent sources. (But it’s not always a good idea to take a supplement. Too much iron has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease in men. Get this essential mineral in natural doses from real foods.)

Get more D
Vitamin D is essential for preserving metabolism-revving muscle tissue. Unfortunately, researchers estimate that a measly 20 percent of Americans take in enough through their diet. Get 90 percent of your recommended daily value (400 IU) in a 3.5-ounce serving of salmon. Other good sources: tuna, fortified milk and cereals, and eggs.

Drink milk
There’s some evidence that calcium deficiency may slow metabolism. Research shows that consuming calcium in dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may also reduce fat absorption from other foods.

Eat watermelon
The amino acid arginine, abundant in watermelon, might promote weight loss, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers supplemented the diets of obese mice with arginine over 3 months and found that it decreased body-fat gains by a whopping 64 percent. Adding this amino acid to the diet enhanced the oxidation of fat and glucose and increased lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat does. Snack on watermelon and other arginine sources, such as seafood, nuts, and seeds, year-round.

Stay hydrated
All of your body’s chemical reactions, including your metabolism, depend on water. If you are dehydrated, you may be burning up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers at the University of Utah who monitored the metabolic rates of 10 adults as they drank varying amounts of water per day. In the study, those who drank either eight or twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day had higher metabolic rates than those who had four.

 

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Half of Americans use supplements

April 28, 2011 By

(CNN) — As more than half of U.S. adults are popping vitamins and supplements, the question remains — has it made Americans healthier?

That depends on whom you ask.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that more of half of U.S. adults use dietary supplements — including multivitamins, minerals and herbs.

That rise, from 42% in 1988 to 53% in 2006, has fueled the growth of the supplement industry to a $27 billion behemoth, according to Consumer Reports.

Dietary supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the same way as drugs. The makers do not have to prove safety or effectiveness.

“There’s a false perception that supplements fall under the same regulatory umbrella as prescription drugs,” said Dr. Orly Avitzur, medical adviser for Consumer Reports. “That’s not the case.”

“We really don’t know what’s inside.”

FDA cracks down on tainted dietary supplements

The most popular supplements are multivitamins, used by 39% of U.S. adults in 2006.

Some consumers mistakenly view supplements as a way to make up for a poor diet.

“It’s a Band-Aid approach to think you can eat poorly and just take a vitamin and you’ll be equal to another person who eats well and exercises and takes care of their health and gets regular checkups,” Avitzur said. “There’s no substitute for a healthy lifestyle.”

While some are helpful, supplements can’t entirely replace proper nutrition, said Roberta Anding, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson.

“I will always say the reason to eat fruits and vegetables — it’s not vitamin C, it’s because of the colors, it’s the words you can’t pronounce,” she said, referring to nutrients like lycopene, quercetin or indoles. “That’s the reason you eat fruits and vegetables. To just throw vitamin C at it, it doesn’t do nutrition justice.”

Multivitamins can be an insurance policy if you don’t get enough of specific vitamins, but it can’t replace a healthy diet, she said.

Health.com: Your vitamin cheat sheet

Vitamin and supplement use in U.S.

“Depending on the supplement, the money on supplements can be better off spent on food,” she said, suggesting wholesome fruits and vegetables that pack vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Over two decades, researchers have seen increased use of calcium, vitamin D and folic acid.

About 61% of women over the age of 60 take calcium, compared with only 28% in 1988-1994. Also, 56% of women in that age group take vitamin D supplements, compared with only 30% in 1988-1994.

Scientific evidence shows that vitamin D and calcium help to treat bone loss. Folic acid can help pregnant women prevent major birth defects.

Zinc may curb cold symptoms

Jaime Gahche, main author of the CDC report, and her co-authors analyzed responses from a sample size of 37,596, using National Health and Nutrition Examination surveys. Participants were asked what supplements they had taken in the past 30 days and submitted the product label to National Center for Health Statistics nutritionists.

Gahche said it was unclear from the data whether increased supplement use has made Americans healthier.

“With this data, we couldn’t answer that,” she said. “We can’t make any causal relationships — this is providing the estimates. I don’t think we have any answers whether it’s made us healthier or not.”

Several epidemiological studies showed there was no significant difference between people who take supplements and those who do not, said Anding, a registered dietitian and director of sports nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Just because it might not make a difference in public health, “it doesn’t mean it’s universally true for everyone,” she said. Supplements could make a big difference for individuals who have certain vitamin deficiencies or food allergies.

Consumer Reports: 11 supplements to consider

Gladys Block, professor Emerita of public health nutrition at University of California Berkeley said, “I really believe that essentially everybody can benefit from a multivitamin.”

Block wrote a research paper comparing a sample size of 1,000. Those who used dietary supplements had lower blood pressure, better plasma levels, and stress status than those who did not.

“They were healthier, in those respects and so, that’s one piece of evidence,” she said. “It doesn’t tell the whole story. I believe there is evidence that people can be healthier as a result of taking vitamin and mineral supplements.”

“It used to be most of the scientific world was against most types of supplement. That has changed over the last 15 years. A lot of people recognize the benefit of multivitamins. There is increasing support in the science, like folate, like calcium.”

Certain dietary supplements such as vitamin D and fish oil have proven benefits, but others like bitter orange and vitamin B5 lack evidence.

Consumer Reports: 12 supplements to avoid

Just because you can purchase it at a health store, it doesn’t mean it’s going to make you healthy, said Avitzur, neurologist and medical adviser at Consumer Reports said.

“By no means do I want to paint the industry with the same brush,” she said. “It’s important to look for sources. It’s important to read up about it.”

She advised consulting with doctors first about taking supplements.

“Consumers will hesitate sometimes when a doctor prescribes medications,” she said. “They want to know about side effects, safety, and they ask good questions. When it comes to supplements, you should ask the same questions. Those things apply — talk to your physician.”

Some supplements can interfere with prescription drugs and too much can cause neuropathy and in severe cases, organ damage.

“Too much of a good thing, even supplements that are safe, can be bad for you,” Avitzur said.

 

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The Role Of Essential Fats In Bodybuilding

April 27, 2011 By

We all have heard that fats make you fat, such as the hard and hydrogenated fats, also we are constantly being told that fats will also make you ill; mostly because of processing (frying) and hydrogenation and overheating of supermarket and low quality oils. As a result many people have become fat phobic and are looking for a low fat diet. But low fat diets can cause a lot of health problems.

A low fat diet will stunt the growth of children and causes dry skin. A lot of bodybuilders have dry skin due to low fat diets. They have low energy levels. They don’t produce the testosterone needed for muscle building on a low-fat diet. They get a leaky gut and food allergies and if they stay on a low fat diet for long enough then they can also suffer with the hair falling out, become sterile, knee pains, arthritis like conditions, heart rhythm disturbances.

In a Danish study it was found that quality nutritional oil blend with the correct 2:1:1 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 (EFAs) and omega-9 at the rate of 15ml per 25kg of bodyweight per day will:-

  • Enhance stamina by 40 – 60%
  • Improve muscular development (anabolic)
  • Allow more frequent training without over training symptoms
  • Speed recovery from exhaustion and training sessions.
  • Speed healing of injuries
  • Improve sleep in some athletes
  • Improve concentration
  • Improve skin conditions
  • Improve cardiovascular function
  • Lower cardiovascular function
  • Lower the insulin requirements in people with type 1 diabetes.

Unlike carbohydrates, which stimulate insulin and fat production in the body, a quality nutritional oil blend provides energy independent of insulin involvement. Also, omega-3 EFAs turn on genes involved in fat burning in the body, and turn off genes involved in fat production in the body. Omega -3 EFAs also lowers triglycerides (by increasing the amount burned for energy and decreasing the body’s own production), and reduces fats in organs, tissues, and under the skin by burning them as fuel. A nutritional oil blend is especially effective during a dieting down process if carbohydrate consumption is curtailed, and potassium is emphasised while sodium is lowered to prevent water retention. Because a nutritional oil blend does not raise insulin levels, blood sugar levels remain stable, and cravings, depression, and other problems caused by low blood sugar and lead to “carbohydrate addiction” are thereby avoided.

EFAs and the Anabolic “Window”

Essential fatty acids do not provide quick energy in the same way that carbohydrates do. The production of energy in the body from fats, effectively enhanced by omega-3 EFAs, is more slow and steady.

The production of glycogen coming from carbohydrates is enhanced by EFAs, because they enhance the use of fats for energy rather than carbs. The carbs are then more easily stored as glycogen. EFAs (especially omega -3 EFAs) increase the activity of the genes involved in glycogen production.

EFAs and Digestion

Oils slow down digestion. Hence amino acids are absorbed more slowly. Of course, there are other ways of slowing the digestion of amino acids and that is by eating fibre with your protein.

By using EFA with protein decreases the potential that whey has for spiking insulin, so by combining protein/carbs/EFAs will delay the digestion of the meal.

Degradation of EFAs by light and air

EFA-rich oil blends have to be made with great care, they should be kept in dark glass bottles that are packed in boxes and kept refrigerated at all times. This type of quality oil ensures that you are getting toxin free, intact essential fatty acids.

Use an oil blend with foods to enhance the flavor, and improve the absorption of oil-soluble vitamins and other important molecules from foods. You can take oils by the spoon but for best health use with your foods is better.

EFA Oil and Carbohydrates

Oils are compatible with all foods. It goes well with fibrous carbs as well as starches. Starches can lead to insulin and fat production, but are compatible with oil. For health, the best diet is based on greens, good fats, and proteins, with starches limited to the amount the body burn, which depends of the level of activity and metabolic rate.

How much EFA do we need?

Optimum use is 15ml of a quality nutritional oil blend per 25kg of body weight per day. That amount should be spread out over the course of the day and mixed with foods, due to taking a supplement like whey protein can spike insulin (due to fast digestion and absorption). Fats can lead to feeling heavy or nauseous if more is eaten at any one time than the liver can handle. If the oil is spread out over the course of the day and mixed with foods, it is most unlikely that the liver’s fat processing capacity will be exceeded and the unpleasant symptoms produced.

Do we need an EFA oil blend?

Omega-3 intake today is about 16% of what people obtained 150 years ago, and intake was already low at that time. Most processed omega-6 EFA rich oils are damaged by harsh processing. The omega-6 EFA rich oils most people use (corn, safflower, peanut, almond, sesame, soybean, canola, sunflower, etc) have been treated with caustic sodium hydroxide, harsh phosphoric acid, oxidizing bleaching clays, and then damaging high heat deodorisation carried out at or above frying temperature. Such oil can contain processing-damaged, toxic molecules. These toxic molecules can change gene expression, which then changes cell and tissue function, which can lead to molecular changes that result in inflammation, cancer and other forms of degradation.

Therefore avoid damaged omega-6 EFA rich oils. Omega-6 EFAs are just as essential as omegs-3 EFAs; a good quality oil blend will contain omega-6 EFAs from sunflower, sesame, and evening primrose oil.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs are both essential for the health of every cell, tissue, gland, and organ, both should be made and used with health in mind. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to cook with oils at all, and is the main reason why you should use quality oils developed with health (rather than shelf life in mind).

Should EFAs be included in your total calorie intake?

Yes, from a conventional perspective, a nutritional oil blend contains the same amount of calories as other fat, yielding 9 calories per gram; however essential fatty acids have other, more important roles than just supplying energy. Once inside the body cells, small organelles called peroxisomes break down the EFA into building blocks needed throughout the body. At the same time the peroxisomes send signals to our DNA, altering how different genes are expressed through up regulation (turning up) and down regulation (turning down). Beneficial genes that code for things such as metabolic rate, Insulin sensitivity, cell growth, and maturation, glycogen production and fat metabolism are all up regulated, whilst ‘detrimental’ genes such as those that code for fat and cholesterol production, fat storage, glucose production in the liver and inflammatory responses are all down regulated. Therefore as you can see where EFAs are concerned a calorie isn’t just a calorie, which is why so much success is being seen with attests reducing their ‘refined’ carbohydrate (empty calorie) intake whilst increasing their EFA intake.

Essential fats play a key role in improving energy levels, stamina, performance, recovery, healing and fat loss. They are essential for all types of athletes. They are a health requirement for every man, woman, and child, young and old. They are major nutrients that we use in tablespoons, not milligram, amounts. They may improve brain function, skin conditions, digestion, cardiovascular health, immune function, joint problems, and general health, and prevent many health problems…

To include a nutritional oil blend into your diet:

Use an oil blend with foods to enhance the flavor and improve the absorption of oil-soluble vitamins and other important molecules from foods.

  • Pour oil onto your rice, pasta, or vegetables,
  • Mix oil with lemon juice, garlic, and black pepper and pour onto your salad as a dressing.
  • Blend oil into your protein shake or smoothie.
  • Drizzle onto your jacket potato to replace butter.

Many bodybuilders take it off the spoon, but it is your personal preference. Optimum is to use 15ml of a quality nutrition oil blend per 25kg of body weight over the course of each day.

 

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FDA cracks down on illegal supplements

December 15, 2010 By

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on manufacturers of certain weight loss, body building and sexual enhancement supplements that contain potentially dangerous ingredients.

The FDA said Wednesday that some manufacturers are deceptively labeling products to hide that they contain ingredients known to cause adverse health effects. Other supplements contain ingredients that should only be available by prescription.

“These tainted products can cause serious adverse effects, including strokes, organ failure, and death,” said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. “The manufacturers selling these tainted products are operating outside the law.”

Dietary supplements can slip through the regulatory cracks because, unlike drugs, they do not have to be approved by the FDA before they are marketed. Manufacturers are responsible for making sure their products are safe.

The FDA has pressured companies to recall nearly 200 inappropriately-formulated products since 2007, including 80 that were marketed as body building supplements, according to the agency. The recalled products were linked to reports of stroke, kidney failure, liver injury and death.

Government regulators do not have the power to force companies to recall products, and instead the FDA usually issues warning letters to draw attention to illegal products.

In a letter to the supplement industry, the agency said manufacturers who distribute tainted products could face criminal prosecution.

Executives from the supplement industry said they support the FDA crackdown and would share the letter with companies.

“The spiking of supplements with drugs is a crime, it endangers the public and undermines our members and other legitimate manufacturers and retailers of supplements,” said John Gay, executive director of theNatural Products Association, on a media call with FDA leadership.

The FDA said the agency is targeting weight loss products containing sibutramine, which has been withdrawn from the market for causing increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The agency said it has discovered “dozens of products” that contain the ingredient, including those marketed under the brand names Slimming Beauty, Solo Slim and Slim-30.

Body building products under scrutiny include those containing anabolic steroids or steroid analogs. The agency cited Tren Xtreme, ArimaDex, and Clomed as supplements that have been labeled to contain those products.

The agency also warned consumers to be wary of sexual enhancement products that include similar ingredients to the approved drugs Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Those ingredients should only be available by prescription. The FDA said products marketed under the names Vigor-25, Duro Extend Capsules for Men, and Magic Power Coffee have been determined to be in violation of federal law.

“Consumers should avoid products marketed as supplements that claim to have effects similar to prescription drugs,” said Michael Levy, director of labeling compliance for the agency. “Consumers should also be wary of products with labeling only in a foreign language or that are marketed through mass e-mails.”

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