Supplements to Take for Muscle Growth and Fat Loss, Before, During and After Training

If you think there are short cuts to achieveing your bodyshape goals, think again. It takes hard, hard work, consistency and discipline. But research shows that certain supplementation can give us a helping hand in our quest for the body beautiful (or functional).  This article outlines a supplement program taken from Muscle and Fitness designed for people trying to increase muscle size or density whilst stripping bodyfat. You will learn about the different supplements to take, when to take them, how much to have and what they do.

I would like to preface this article by saying that I do not believe in short cuts. The amount of time some people spend obsessing over their supplements could be far better spent in the gym, smashing out a few more sets. If you are new to training, or returning after a break, please don’t get too caught up in supplementation. However if you are a seasoned trainer, stuck in a plateu and need a hand getting to the next level, then this is for you!

The amounts shown here are for an average 80kg (176lb) male and are guidelines only. Seek professional advice before adding new supplements into your diet.

When your goal is muscle growth/size

30 – 60min before weight training take:

• 3-5 grams of arginine: Research shows that arginine can increase blood flow to the muscles by increasing nitric oxide. More blood to the muscles means more nutrients for them such as oxygen, amino acids, growth hormone, testosterone, glutamine and creatine.  This will give you more energy throughout your workout and prepare your muscles with the nutrients needed for the post workout growth phase. Take it in a capsule or mix the powder in water/juice. Take on an empty stomach. Naturally occurs in animals and plants.             Animal sources include: dairy products, beef, pork poultry  wild game, seafood. Vegetable sources include: wheat germ and flour, buckwheat, granola, oatmeal, nuts (coconut, pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pinenuts, peanuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), chick peas.

• 5 grams of glutamine: Glutamine is a very powerful amino acid and has been shown to help in many body functions from brain activity to immune function and provides energy for the muscles. During intense activity it helps to buffer the high acidity levels that occur within the muscles. It is taken in tablet form on an empty stomach (or a suppository – eek!). It naturally occurs in beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, wheat, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, and parsley.
• 3-5 grams of creatine: Creatine helps supply energy to working muscles. About half our creatine is produced internally and the other half derived from animal sources. Plants do not have creatine so vegetarians can be low in this nitrogenous acid. It has been shown to improve performance during short bursts of activity (such as weights or sprints) but little effect on endurance activities. Take this in a powder, liquid or capsule form.  For absorbability it’s more effective taken on an empty stomach, but many people still have it in their protein shakes.
• 20g whey protein: Protein is the building blocks for your muscles. Not eating enough protein and weight training is like hiring builders to build a house, but forgetting to order the bricks! Whey protein is better than other proteins because it has the highest Biological Value (BV) of any known protein. This means that the proportion of protein that is absorbed and incorporated into your body is higher from whey protein than from other protein sources. Anything with eyeballs contains protein (ie meat!) and many vegetables contain protein too, but quite a lot less than meat. Good vegetable protein sources include; beans, grains, nuts and seeds, quinoa (a grain), spinach, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli and brussel sprouts.
• 40g Low – Med GI carbohydrates (CHO): You want low – medium glycaemic index foods so that the sugar is released slowly preventing an insulin spike. Good examples would be a banana, yoghurt, rolled oats, brown rice.

Sample eating plan

About 30mins before your workout take the arginine, glutamine and creatine, on an empty stomach (at least 2 hrs after eating). Then mix yourself a ½ serve protein shake adding a banana for the CHO.   Read the nutrition panel of your protein shake as some will already have the 40g CHO in it, so you won’t need the banana. If you are making this at work or home, simply purchase a stick blender (under ) and whizz it all together at work.

Straight after weight training take:

• 5-10g Leucine: Research shows that this branched chain amino acid ignites protein synthesis, which is the growth of your muscles. It also boosts insulin which is an anabolic hormone that plays an important part in muscle growth. By allowing insulin to spike after a workout, it aids the release of nutrients like glucose and amino acids to enter the muscle cells and increases protein synthesis. Many believe this is one of the most important amino acids you can take for stimulating muscle growth.
• 5g glutamine: See above for description. You need to take glutamine after a workout because your glutamine levels would be depleted and they regulate protein synthesis. If you don’t have enough glutamine, your muscles won’t grow. More glutamine in the muscles also attracts more glucose which attracts more water and is important for muscle size.

30-60mins after weight training take:

• 40 grams of whey protein: See above description. Think of this as the delivery of bricks, and the Leucine and glutamine you took earlier as the brick-layers.
• 40-80 grams of high GI CHO: These fast-digesting CHOs will go straight to the fatigued muscle fibres, replenishing them and being stored as muscle glycogen. They will also curb the release of cortisol, which can impede muscle growth. Examples of high GI CHO include; potato, white bread, white rice, puffed wheat, rice cakes.

Sample eating plan: Assuming you’ve trained in the evening, this could be your dinner. Steak/chicken/ostrich/fish (20g protein), baked potatoes (40g high GI carbs) lots of vegetables and a whey protein shake for dessert.

When your goal is fat loss whilst maintaining muscle size

30-60mins before your cardio session take:

• 100mg-200mg Caffeine: That’s 1 -2 espresso’s. Caffeine has been shown to spare muscle glycogen as a fuel source. Instead it utilizes stored fat from fat cells using that as fuel.  It is also documented that it can reduce muscle pain during exercise, meaning you can train harder for longer.
• 1-2g L-carnitine: is an amino-like supplement that helps transport fat into the mitochondria of cells where it is burned for fuel. This and caffeine complement each other very well.
• The CHO debate: If your goal is fat loss then you must train on an empty stomach and only drink water throughout your workout. However if your goal is performance taking some CHO will assist. If your cardio session will go for over 90min then taking some sugar during your workout is important too, such as Gatorade, or an energy gel.  The amount of CHO you take in before a cardio session is a personal choice. I do not recommend taking any CHO’s closer than 2 hours before your session, or you may end up tasting it twice!

0-30mins after your cardio session take:

• 20-40g high GI CHO: high sugar products such as lollies, white bread, white rice. Click here for a full list
• 20-40g Whey Protein: See description above. The protein helps to rebuild the muscle fibres that may have broken down during the session.
• 5g Creatine: See description above. This will help any damaged muscle fibres recover similarly to the effects of protein. It also quickly brings your body’s natural creatine levels back to normal. If you are doing cardio on alternate days to weights, it’s another good time to take creatine as your muscles will be primed to take it up during their growth phase.

Sample meal plan: Gatorade at the end of your session while you cool down. Mix in your creatine. Then make yourself up a protein shake. Check that the protein shake doesn’t have CHO in it, as you might be able to skip the Gatorade if it does.

Your Supplement Shopping List:

I am assuming you have all the staple foods in your kitchen such as bread, pasta, rice, meat, fruit and vegies. The below supplements are exactly that, nutrients to supplement your otherwise healthy eating regime. I am not affiliated and do not financially benefit from any of the below products, it’s just a helping hand for you. Everyone has their favourite brands .

If you live in Australia, you may find it easier to shop at GNC either online or on foot as a lot of the metagenics products below are practitioner only. Inner West Sports and Spinal do stock some Metagenics.

If you live in the US, all of the below products are available online or visit the US version of GNC

Whey protein for the Aussies

Whey Protein For the US

Arginine

Glutamine

Creatine

Leucine

L-carnitine

The main thing is to not get too bamboozled by all of this. Getting enough protein and training with the right intensity are the two key elements, everything else is a helping hand.

What supplements do you take? Is there one that you have found has a greater impact? For example, creatine has a huge effect on me, not only can I push my body harder in the weights room, but I am pumped for days.  What works for you?

Source:  Amelia Burton

Abdominal Exercises: Exercise Your Oblique Muscles to Get Rid of the Love Handles

Truth be told, no amount of abdominal crunches will get rid of your love handles. Spending 30mins on a run will do more for that spare tyre than 30mins of crunches. If you want to lose the annoying flab around your middle, first determine is it fat or muscle. If you bear down and grab the loose skin around your belly button, that is not muscle, it is fat (and skin). Dig deep with your fingers and you will feel the muscle. Does that feel firm or flabby? In fact most of us have a pretty good six pack, it’s sometimes just hidden under a doona of body fat!

The core abdominal muscles underneath our bodyfat are extremely important for stabilising our entire body and protecting our backs from injury. They can certainly affect the shape of our torso even if there is excess bodyfat around them. So just because you can’t spot reduce fat, doesn’t mean you skip your abs session, you still should be doing some strengthening of your core. Your internal and external oblique muscles (see diagram) are responsible for any twisting movement your torso makes. They stabilise the trunk and help protect the back. Well defined obliques help to narrow the waist giving men the V shape they want and women their sexy hour glass figue. Follow these five effective oblique exercises and your sides will be aching tomorrow!

Protecting your back and neck:

Try to stay as close to spinal neutral during these exercises. Spinal neutral is where your head, shoulders and lower back are in one line with a small curve in your lower back (see diagram). If your back starts aching, stop, rest, and check your form before commencing. These exercises are designed to fatigue your abs not your back. For people with pre existing back injuries be very careful of twisting exercises such as these. Don’t force your range of movement. Finally never let the arch in your back get greater than 1-2cm (1/2 inch).  Abdominal exercises are so great for strengthening the torso area and protecting your back, but do be smart and listen to your body. 

Your neck should also remain in neutral which means not wrenching it forwards or leaving it behind the movement. Before a set I suggest swallowing and leaving your tongue on the roof of your mouth which stabilizes your neck flexors. If the front of your neck (throat) gets fatigued, it’s actually a good thing, so persevere, but if the back of your neck gets sore, stop and rest, or support it with your hands. Neck support is a controveral topic with many suggesting that neck support simply causes the imbalance between neck and back to worsen. I suggest minimal support but do stop if there is pain. Your neck will improve as you get stronger.

 

Variations to the sets and reps:

Instead of performing 3 sets of each exercise, try treating it like a circuit and do one set, quickly move onto the next exercise and so on. Take a minute to recover then repeat the circuit three times. It flows nicely, it still hurts, and you can really build some incredible strength. Most importantly have fun with it, go hard and ‘feel the burn, love the burn!

 

1. Standing Side Raises: 

 

Holding a 5kg (12.5lb) hand weight for women, or 10kg (22lb) hand weight for men. If you are at home, use two cans from the pantry. Slide the weight down your leg until your opposite side stretches, go as low as you can, taking about 5 seconds down, then 2 seconds up (ie slow down fast up). The key with this exercise is to get that stretch on the opposite side. You are working the oblique on the opposite side of the dumbbell. No twisting, or rotating, stay facing the mirror. 3 sets 12 reps each side. No rest in between and alternate one set each side.

 

2. Seated Russian Twists:

Taking the same weight as above (or use a medicine ball), sit on the ground at a 45 degree angle with a straight back. Gently twist around as far as your flexibility allows, not forcing the first few reps while your back warms up. Ideally when you twist the weight/ball should touch the ground on either side. Keep your eyes on the weight/ball so your neck stays in alignment with your spine. Move at the same rate as this animation, or slightly faster for a dynamic workout. 3 sets 12 reps each side. 20sec rest between sets.

 

 

 

3. Oblique Crunches:

Opposite elbow travels to opposite knee. do 12 on one side then switch sides. You are working the external obliques on the elbow side (see anatomical diagram) and internal obliques on the lifted knee side. The key is to make sure both shoulders lift off the ground and you get a really good twist. It’s an easy exercise to cheat on, so just keep reminding yourself to ‘feel the burn, love the burn!’ If it aint bruning, it’s not working! 3 sets 12 reps then change sides. No rest between sets.

 

 

 

4. Bicycle Crunches: 

 

Upper body moves similarly to the the oblique crunches above however legs scissor so that opposite knee and elbow come in at the same time. The closer your straight leg lowers to the floor the harder, so start by only lowering the legs 45 degrees then over the next few weeks take them closer to the ground. You do not want your back arching when your legs lower. If you feel your lower back come off the floor, bring your knees closer to your head. 3 sets 12 reps each side. 20 sec rest in between sets.

 

 

 

5. Side Bridge: 

This is a nice one because you don’t have to move! The diagram shows the tougher option (although I like to raise my top arm in the air). For an easier version drop your bottom knee onto the floor. Make sure your hips and your shoulders are directly on top of each other and you aren’t twisted in any way. The obliques closest to the floor are the ones you are working. For a variation, try lowering your hips to the floor slowly and pushing up five times during each set. Hold 2 min each side, 1-2 sets. 

 

 

 

Programming:

I would suggest doing this workout no more than 2 times per week. If you want some more ab variations, be sure to check out my Core Stability series, Part 1-A Remedy for Back Pain, Part 2-The Spinal Neutral Test, Part 3-Challenging Your Core, and Part 4- Functional Exercises: The Plank and it’s Wacky Variations and alternate days between all the exercises. Why don’t you get out of your chair, have a quick stretch and give them a go! Leave a comment and tell me how you went, it will take less than ten minutes, so what have you got to lose, crank up Itunes and get moving!

Source: Amelia Burton

 

Fat Facts #5/5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

Do you know the difference between the above fats? Which one is deemed the best one for you? The worst? Learn the difference between these fats, which ones are good, average and really bad for you. Find out the best food sources of these fats and how they affect your insides. I talk a bit about cholesterol in this video blog so be sure to read my post on Cholesterol and it’s effect on our health. There is also a great animation on cholesterol in our blood stream. What is the most popular type of fat in your fridge and pantry? 

This is the last of my Fat Facts Video blog series. To see the other, click the links below. I’d also love to know your take on fat, the good, the bad, and the plain irresistible. Like it or hate it, many of our lives revolve around it.

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part 3: Calorie Dense Foods

Fat Facts Part 4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar and Carbohydrates

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

Source: Amelia Burton

Tips for Better Sleep: How to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Editors Note: This post is written by contributer Andrew Verdon. Andrew has completed a Diploma in Exercise Science, Certificate IV in Fitness, Level 1 Strength Coaching Qualifications with ASCA. He is currently completing a Post Grad Diploma in Applied Science (Elite Sports Training) and will go on to do a Masters in Recovery.

This month we are looking  into sleep and its importance to your physical and mental performance. Sleep is an important activity and crucial in the  restorative process.  Good sleep is vital for high  performance; be it in business sport or life. As the levels of physical and mental stress increase so  does the amount of sleep we need. However, sleep seems to be  the first thing to suffer with many of us “burning the candle at both ends” with late nights followed by poor quality sleep and early starts.

We go through 4-5 stages when we sleep. The deepest of these is called the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. We cycle through the stages up to 6 times per night and each cycle takes 90 to 120 minutes. This is important  to maintain your natural sleep cycles and help you wake rested and refreshed.

Sleep can impact performance in three main ways:

1. Lost sleep reduces the performance of the cerebral cortex in the frontal lobe. This area of the brain is responsible for the most important mental functions in sport- focus, concentration, flexibility, decision making and information processing.

2. REM sleep  helps consolidate activities, tasks, skills undertaken that day. It is indispensable for helping motor learning and skill acquisition. A good night sleep after training is crucial.

3. Sleep releases growth hormones and aids recovery. During the rest that the brain and  body receives while asleep, it turns off the electrical and chemical connectors. Sleep is also crucial in bolstering the immune system.

Follow these 7 tips to improve the quality of your sleep:

1. Have a regular wake up time and retire to bed time and try to stick to this each day. The body loves consistency and your internal body clock or circadian rhythms will be set around this regular patterning. Try to arise within a 2 hour window even on weekends. This will reduce disruption to your body clock.

2. Avoid coffee alcohol and other stimulants prior to retiring. Look to reduce intake after 4-6 pm.

3. Try to avoid high intensity exercise and large meals after 7pm.

4. Create quiet time before bed. The aim is to reduce stressors and stimulators, therefore allowing the mind time to wind down before bed time. Just as we do with small children, create a bed time ritual to allow sleep fullness to grow. So limit exposure to loud music, big screen tv’s, bright lights, computers and work related stress.

5. Your sleep environment is important so aim for a quiet dark bedroom with a cool temperature. Get the best quality linen, mattress and pillow as possible. If traveling, consider taking your own linen and pillow. Avoid having laptops,  tv, dvd’s, X boxes and play stations in the bedroom.

6. If you are not asleep in 30 minutes then get out of bed, read or undertake another quiet activity and return to bed when drowsy. Downloading meditation podcasts is a great way to quiet the mind.

7. Do not nap within 1-3 hours of bed time. If you do nap in the day, then aim for 20-40 minutes around lunch time.

Follow these tips before for seven days in a row and watch how your sleep patterns improve.  Do you have any other tips that improve your quality of sleep? We’d love to know about them…

Fat Facts #4/5: Burning Fat vs Burning Sugar and Carbohydrates

This video blog gives you four main tips  to ensure you are burning as much fat as possible during your workout. Here I explain some of the common mistakes people make that turn an effective fat burning session into a sugar burning one. The four tips are simple to adopt and very effective. 

Tip#1: Exercise on an empty stomach,  before breakfast is the most effective time

Tip#2: Never drink sugar drinks before or during your workout

Tip#3: Aerobic activity over a longer term burns more fat than a short Anaerobic session

Tip#4: If you do partake in short anaerobic sprint style sessions, finish with 30mins long steady aerobic activity to make sure you still burn fat in that workout

I hope you enjoyed Fat Facts #4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar and Carbohydrates, here are some other Video Blogs in this series:

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part3: Calorie Dense Foods

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

Source: Amelia Burton

Product Review: NURU Exercise Anywhere Cards

 

Do you travel with work? Maybe you don’t have a gym membership right now, or maybe you just want some different exercise ideas. Nuru exercise cards might be just what you need. I was asked to review them and I agreed on the proviso my findings would be honest and unbiased.

 

What are NURU exercise anywhere cards?

They are a deck of cards on a metal ring containing strength and cardio exercises requiring little to no equipment. It is broken up into sections:
Basics: Programming, routine breakdowns, glossary
Strength exercises: Chest, back, lower body, shoulders, arms, abs
Cardio Lab: Skipping, total body movements that can all be done indoors

The pros

• the price! at that’s great value
• It’s small enough to fit in your hand so you could take it running and perform the exercises in the park/beach etc
• The exercises are simple, with some good variations such as hand positioning and grips
• The exercises are explained well with clear illustrations
• The exercises are designed for most experience levels although beginners, super advanced, and injured exercisers may not find it as useful
• You don’t need equipment, just a towel, 2 water bottles (for dumbbells) and a skipping rope.

The Cons

• There are not enough exercises to make it a long term program. There are 2-3 exercises per body part, which one would quickly become used to
• Some exercises are not that effective. For example the towel rows for the upper back are a bit silly, and there are plenty of other exercises that could have been substituted for example arm raises up wall for middle and lower traps (see below picture. Squats are optional)

 
Nuru cards would be ideal for the moderate exerciser who travels a bit and needs some ideas for exercising outside their gym. At per deck it’s great value and a handy tool to have in your gym bag. I give it the thumbs up!

Order your NURU Exercise Cards here. Note shipping costs outside the USA may apply

Fat Fact #3/5: Calorie Dense Foods

This three minute video blog tests your knowledge on four calorie dense foods, butter, oil, chocolate and cheese. It compares how these foods affect the total calories in meals we prepare. Do you know how much fat is in them?

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part 4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

What is Cholesterol? How Does Cholesterol Affect Our Health?

If someone asked you ‘what exactly is cholesterol?’ could you confidently answer them?  More than 1 in 3 Australians and Americans suffer from high cholesterol but many of us don’t really know what is it and how it works. This post will explain in layman’s terms what cholesterol is and how it directly affects your health.

What is cholesterol?

Think of cholesterol as the repair kit for our arteries. The inner lining of our arties needs to be super smooth so that blood can easily flow through it, but sometimes we get little nicks from wear and tear such as nicotine, high blood pressure, stress or too much fat in the diet. Think of it like a few tiles coming off the bottom of a swimming pool. Cholesterol acts as the grout to fill these holes and prevent further damage. The problem is one type of cholesterol fixes these nicks beautifully whilst the other does such a patchy job that it makes the arteries even more rough and congested.

What is LDL and HDL cholesterol?

There are 2 types of cholesterol LDL (think L for lousy cholesterol) and HDL (think H for healthy cholesterol)

LDL or low-density lipoproteins (ie the lousy one) is the damaging kind. It tries to repair the nicks in your artery walls but ends up making them more blocked. This is the dangerous, heart attack inducing cholesterol. Factors that increase the presence of LDLs is a diet high in saturated fat and trans fats (i.e. fats that are hard at room temperature like butter), high blood pressure, lack of exercise and hereditary factors.

HDL or high-density lipoproteins on the other hand is the healthy cholesterol.  It helps to break up and clear out the LDLs as well as lubricating our arteries and neatly repairing the nicks. Factors that increase the presence of HDLs is a diet high in monounsaturated fats such as omega 3 and 6 (from fish), olive oil, avocados, nuts (especially walnuts). Polyunsaturated fats also help to lower the LDLs, monounsaturated seems to be more favoured. Polyunsaturated are mostly vegetable fats for example vegetable oils, sesame oils and nuts (especially pine nuts and sunflower seeds) . The more HDLs in your system, means there will be less damage from LDLs.

The domino effect of high Cholesterol

When your LDLs become excessive (from eating too much saturated fat, or just eating too much food and not exercising), your arteries literally get clogged with the messy grout.  But this also means blood works its way into the inner layers of your arteries (just like a pool will start to leak if the tiles aren’t fixed) which triggers a nasty immune response from the body, causing white blood cells to step in and create a pretty hostile environment that promotes inflammation.  This is known atherosclerosis.

The toxins created by these white blood cells creates more inflammation, which gets eaten up by scavenger cells which causes blister-like substances on the artery walls creating even more rough surface and blockage.

This reaction escalates as the body senses something is wrong and the weakened part of the artery develops plaque, and if this plaque ruptures then things aren’t looking too crash hot.

Sticky blood platelets are attracted to these rough patchy blisters on the artery walls, and when the platelets attach to the blisters clots develop. This cycle continues and escalates meaning the one original little nick in the artery wall is now an inflamed clotting mess.

Eventually (and in some cases this whole process can be as short as 60 seconds) the artery ruptures or shuts off, so blood can’t get to the heart to nourish it.

Bingo- heart attack! Well this is the worst case scenario. Depending on where in the body the blockage occurs other effects could be less life threatening such as  impotence, stroke, memory loss, wrinkled skin and many other issues, none of which are very nice.

Watch this 3 minute animation/explanation of cholesterol build up – fascinating!

What is the new research saying?

There is evidence out now that suggests we should be focussing on ways to increase our HDL levels rather than decreasing our LDLs. We should soon be seeing a new wave of drugs on the market designed to supercharge our HDLs to help fight the destructive LDLs. This supercharged HDL (called apo-1a-milano) was discovered in a northern Italian village where villagers had unusually low HDLs, but the small amounts they did have were far more effective at fighting LDLs. These villagers should have been riddled with coronary issues but they were very healthy because of these super charged HDLs.

What can we do the reduce LDLs and Promote HDLs?

•          Steer clear of saturated and trans fats: Get no more than 4grams of saturated fat in each meal. That is animal fats, hard at room temperature found in meat and dairy. Avoid trans fats like the plague. You will find them in buttered popcorn,  biscuits, bought cakes, doughnuts, chips, and some margarines. Basically anything requiring a longer shelf life will undoubtedly have trans fats in it
•          Steer clear of these LDL dense foods: all saturated fats (eg butter, animal fats found in meat, especially organ meat, and full fat dairy), trans fats (found in most fast food outlets, biscuits, cakes, and most things requiring a long shelf life). Oyster have recently been given the all clear, contrary to older research.
•          Consume mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats: About 80% of the fat you eat should come from these. Extra virgin olive oil, fish, avocados, and walnuts are great sources.
•          Get moving: Minimum of 30minutes per day every day, mix up cardiovascular with resistance work.
•          Taking vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 300mg per day has been shown to decrease LDL and raise HDL with no side effects noted.
•          Naicin supplement: You can get it over the counter or by prescription. People with liver or kidney issues should seek medical advice first. The recommended dose is 100mg four times per day which has been shown to raise HDLs.
•          One alcoholic drink per night: Now this doesn’t mean start drinking when you ordinarily wouldn’t, it means go easy and drink in moderation. It also doesn’t mean you can save all your seven drinking credits and down them on a Friday night. Your HDLs won’t be very happy about that, nor will your liver!
•          Substitute your carbs with protein or monounsaturated fats: Watch you don’t blow your calories out by adding more fat than the eliminated carbs (that’s where calorie counting comes in), but try to minimise carbs from lunchtime onwards. For example instead of a chicken sandwich, try a chicken salad sprinkled with walnuts or sliced avocado. The extra protein and fat will make the salad much more satisfying.
•          Take Asprin daily: 162mg per day is the recommended amount to help make the platelets less sticky and decreases inflammation in the arteries. Studies have shown that taking asprin twice per day reduces the risk of heart attacks or strokes from 13 – 36%. If it gives you gas, try drinking a glass of warm water before and after taking the asprin.

So there you have it! Now when someone asks you at a party what exactly cholesterol is, fill up their glass, make sure they are sitting comfortably because you are going to be talking for quite a while…!

Do you or anyone you know have high cholesterol? What has helped in your experience with keeping your LDLs down? Are you going to think twice next time you order fries with that dripping burger???

Watch this 3 minute animation/explanation of cholesterol build up – fascinating!

Fat Facts #2/5: How Many Calories in Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates?

This video post looks at how many calories are in fat, protein, and carbohydrates. It then discusses what impact this has on your diet. Some fat is essential for optimal health but when trying to lose weight, it is important to understand how much energy (calories) we are consuming. Do you know how many calories are in 1 gram of fat, protein and carbohydrates?

Other Posts in this series

Fat Facts Part 1: What is Body Fat?

Fat Facts Part 2: How Many Calories in Fat Protein and Carbohydrates?

Fat Facts Part 3: Calorie Dense Foods

Fat Facts Part 4: Burning Fat Vs Burning Sugar

Fat Facts Part 5: The Difference Between Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats

What is the Secret of Happiness?

If you answered money, you’d be somewhat mistaken. Determining the secret to happiness has been a long, controversial topic and whoever comes up with the guaranteed solution will be richer than Gates! Mirko Bagaric has come up with his own solution. He has been researching happiness for many years, is a professor at Deakin University and the author of numerous books on the topic. Bagaric has developed a list of lifestyle habits that he believes leads to a much happier, fulfilled life. He might not have cracked the foolproof happiness code, but I think he is onto something. Do you practice most of his habits, or do you need a happy kick up the butt?

What makes people happy?

Bagaric has discovered what he calls a “happiness roadmap” These are the most common traits of the happiest people;

• Having a fit and healthy body (surprise surprise!)
• Realistic goals
• Good self esteem
• optimism
• outgoing personality
• a sense of control
• close relationships
• challenging work
• Active leisure
• adequate rest
• a faith that entails communal support, purpose and acceptance

What about money?

Bagaric’s research has shown that once someone is above the poverty line, more money only makes a tiny difference to their happiness. When testing people in the ‘average’ income bracket, money made virtually no difference.  What is interesting is that people in the top income bracket (0k+) had only 12.7% saying they were completely satisfied versus the 21.2% in the lowest income bracket (0-K).  I bet you know some people who are very well off but unhappy.

How do they test for happiness?

Scientists use brain imaging to scan the brain’s activity and separate the grumpy bums from the Pollyannas. The grumpy/distressed side of the brain (Amygdala and the right prefrontal cortex) fires up when people are distressed and quiets down when they are happy. This then shifts the brain activity into the left prefrontal cortex when people are happy. It is interesting to note that Buddhist monks have the furthermost positive left brain activity as their baseline, showing that they really do practice what they preach!

Are there constraints such as age, gender etc?

Age plays no part in pre determining happiness, people can have a sense of happiness at any age but gender can make a difference.  Although men and women experience the same levels of happiness, women are more susceptible to depression. Relationships also play an important role with married couples noting more happiness than singles.

What can we do to have the best chance of happiness?

Firstly stop thinking that more money will solve your problems, and make you happy, it won’t!  Take a long hard look at the list above and score yourself on a scale of 1-10 (poor -excellent) for each happiness trait. For the lower scoring traits, write down an action plan for how you are going to work on that area. For example if you feel your self esteem is low, what material are you going to read, how are you going to work on it?

If you scored poorly on everything, don’t get overwhelmed; just pick one trait at a time to work on.  My suggestion (admittedly biased) is to get the fit and healthy trait under control, this will definitely lift the scores on other levels such as self esteem, active leisure, sense of control, and probably will lead to close relationships (even if it is with your trainer).

So when you think of taking on that second job, maybe you should focus on your happiness road map and pave the path to a happier more fulfilled existence.

Do you agree with Bagaric’s list? Have you experienced a shift in your happiness by following similar habits? I’d love to know about your happiness.

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