Monday, March 10, 2008

Abdominal Health

The first step towards great abs is great abdominal health. In order to achieve the look you want, pay attention to what you are eating. Support the functions of your body by the foods you eat.

One of the many causes of tummy bloat is improper digestion. Many people are so busy that they do not allow time to pay attention to their diet. This means lots of grab-and-go meals that provide little or no dietary support. Not only are these foods generally high calorie and low in nutrition, they contain little fiber. It is hard for the body to digest this stuff, let alone get rid of it.

Eat plenty of fiber. Fiber comes from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A good rule of thumb to follow is the less processing and packaging, the better. Dark green vegetables and the skins of fruits such as plums, apples and pears provide a good source of fiber. Avoid white and bleached flour baked goods and choose whole grains instead. Whole grain oats, barley, and wheat also support healthy digestion. A sufficient amount of fiber in your diet helps your body cleanse the bowels and maintain a healthy digestive track.

Reduce, but don't eliminate, carbohydrates. Don't cut all carbohydrates out of your diet, but reduce your intake of simply carbohydrates like cookies, candy, and sweet drinks. Be mindful of eating complex carbohydrates and whole grains to balance your digestion and metabolism.

Lessen your fatty foods intake. Not all fat is created equal, but too much of any fat is bad. Saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils are particularly nasty and create the highest impact. Having some natural oils and fat in your diet is healthy, but make sure you know the source. Read labels!

Another enemy of flatter abs is water retention. This often comes as a result of high sodium intake. Lessen sodium intake by paying attention to the salt you are eating. Sodium doesn't just come from the salt shaker, though. Many prepackaged foods and especially fast food contains high levels of sodium and preservatives. When the body has to process the extra sodium, this causes water retention and bloating.

Also make sure you drink lots of water. Staying fully hydrated aids the digestive process. This ensures that the body makes a quick job of absorbing what it can use and expelling what it does not. Drinking enough water also helps relieve the bloating from excess sodium intake by flushing sodium from the body.

On the issue of liquid intake, quit drinking soda. The calorie free kind won't help you lose weight either. The sugar in a can of regular soda delivers a calorie wallop and can cause weight gain. However, studies have shown that drinking a can of diet soda a day can increase the risk of being overweight by 41%. This won't do any wonders for your midsection.

If you want firm, flat abs, or fitness in any muscle area, you must eat to support muscle development. Without muscle tone, your belly is going to sag and bubble. Amino acids found in protein are essential for building and maintaining muscle health. Health officials recommend women consume 46 grams of protein a day and men 56. Protein in the diet comes from meats, eggs, grains, beans, and dairy products. Lean meats and vegetable proteins are the healthiest choices.

Remember though, eating the right foods only goes so far. Work out your abdominal muscles and get some aerobic activity. A sedentary lifestyle makes it extremely difficult to get the shape you want, no matter what you eat.

As the captain of his high school football team, Bill Mann was fit and lean. After letting himself go for years, he is back on the fitness track and losing his gut thanks to better nutrition and exercise. He reviews the best abs programs at AbsAtLast.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Mann

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Protein Info!!!!

You need protein to build muscle mass. Body building 101 - without enough of it, your muscles can't grow or repair themselves between workouts. Check out the rest of this article to find out how to use protein to build muscle mass.

Step 1

The first step to using protein to build muscle mass is to understand why it's that particular nutrient that you are using. The answer is simple - because protein is the SOLE nutrient that your muscles can use to rebuild your muscle fiber. Your muscles get torn and broken when you work out, so you need this stuff to help them grow back bigger and stronger. Not enough protein is a major reason that many people don't see good gains starting out.

Step-2

Get some whey protein. When I first started out and learned how important it was to raise my intake of certain nutrients, I used to eat cans of tuna like they were going out of style. That's definitely one way to use protein to build muscle mass. Nothing wrong with that, hey, I like tuna, but it made it hard to keep up with if I was out or in a business meeting or whatever. It's much easier if you get some whey protein powder though. You can mix it into some pretty cool tasting shakes, and then you get the benefit whenever you need it.

Step-3

Understand the pound rules. The general rule is that if you want protein to build muscle mass, you need to eat about a gram and a half of protein per pound of your body weight, per day. It seems like a lot, but don't forget you can use the protein shakes to really boost your intake.

Step-4

Get some casein protein also. This is largely found in cottage cheese, and is much slower burning, which makes it ideal for circumstances when you know you may be going a while between eating or between shakes. Most people are unaware of using this kind of protein to build muscle mass. It's ideal to have just before going to sleep or something like that, as the slow release can prevent your body from breaking down your muscles.

From this you should have at least a working knowledge of how to use protein to build muscle mass. Click on the links below for some expert advice.

CLICK HERE to get your free review of the best workout plans - they'll have you ripped and with single digit body fat in no time - it's right here, and it's fast and easy

CLICK HERE for the best resources on the net for teaching how to burn fat right off your body- Not only that but you'll also learn how to get more gains in less time and what foods are REALLY good for building muscle

Brian Waters is webmaster at http://www.MusclebuilderReview.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Waters

Monday, February 25, 2008

Dangers of Dehydration

DEHYDRATION HAS BEEN SHOWN TO:

-Reduce blood and plasma volume, this results in a decrease in the amount of blood pumped out by the heart, consequently the heart has to work harder in an attempt to maintain an adequate blood (oxygen) supply to the working muscles. (Robergs & Roberts, 1997;Clarkson,1998)
-Decrease testosterone levels (Both et al., 1993;Viscardi, 1998)
-Impair the body’s ability to sweet, resulting is an increased risk of overheating. (Armstrong, 1992; ACSM, 1996).
-“Dehyrdation results in reduced muscle blood flow, waste removal, and heat dissipation, all of which are necessary for sustained, high power muscle action in events such as boxing and judo.” (Armstrong,1992, p.29)
-Taken to the extreme, rapid weight loss when achieved through dehydration can be fatal. Viscardi (1998) identifies that excessive dehydration can harm bodily functions, leading to kidney failure, heat stroke or heart attack, indeed in 1997, within a period of thirty-three days, three young American wrestlers tragically died whilst trying to ‘make their weight’ (Hickling, 1999).