Creatine: It Works!
Jul/090
I don’t use too many supplements these days, it’s easy to believe the hype and spend loads of money on supplements that don’t really produce results. However there are a few that are definitely worth your hard earned money, Creatine is one of them. Take a look at this study:
Creatine Prevents Losses In Strength And Muscle Size During Immobilization:
Muscle mass, strength and endurance decrease rapidly during immobilization following an injury or surgery. Creatine monohydrate boosts muscle size and strength in athletes, older adults and people suffering from degenerative diseases. Canadian researchers, led by Adam Johnson, found that creatine supplements (5 grams, four times per day) prevented muscle deterioration in young men with arms immobilized in plaster casts for two seven-day periods. Casting without creatine caused a 3.7 percent decrease in muscle mass, a 21.5 percent decrease in strength and a 43 percent decrease in muscle endurance. During creatine supplementation, muscle mass actually increased slightly, while strength and muscle endurance decreased by only 4.1 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively. Creatine monohydrate supplements prevent large losses in muscle mass, strength, and endurance in cast-immobilized limbs in young men. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, in press; published online in January 2009)
Now you can bank on those kind of results! Don’t bother wasting your money on the expensive stuff loaded with sugar either, a 500g tub should only cost you $15 bucks or so.
Natural Viking Diet
Jun/098
First of all understand that this diet will not be optimal for everyone who reads this, but I hate it when people post their diet guidelines but not the actual diet they are using to reach their goals.
For this diet I am trying to cut fat slowly, eat only whole natural foods that adhere to the paleo diet, and eat every 2 – 3 hours depending on hunger. I will not restrict myself to calories however this is what a typical day will look like:
Viking Diet 1:
- Breakfast:
- 2 Egg whites, 1 whole egg (scrambled)
- 2 tbsp Salsa (Green Chili is excellent here too)
- 2 slices of Turkey bacon
- 1 – 2 pieces of fruit (usually a banana or apple)
- Large glass of water (very important)
- Snack:
- 1 large handful of almonds
- 1 piece of fruit
- Lunch:
- Chicken Breast or 1 Can of tuna
- Large Vegetable salad (add carrots, spinach, cucumbers, etc.)
- 2 tbsp Stone ground mustard (trust me here!)
- Snack (pre-workout):
- 2 pieces of fruit
- 1 handful of almonds
- (whey shake, if needed)
- Dinner:
- 1 Chicken breast (marinate in Balsamic Vinegar for 30 min)
- 1 handful carrots (I like baby carrots, no mess)
- 1 handful of grapes
- Small salad (add any veggies you want, dash some balsamic on top)
That’s a typical day for me, I’m never hungry and I have a lot of energy throughout. Find what works for you, the idea is to get back to letting your body let you know when it’s time to eat. When you do eat keep portions in mind, the typical portion sizes these days are way too big, eat what you need (think primal, just enough to sustain!). Once you start eating cleaner, it will be easy to stick to it. Eating every few hours will keep your metabolism burning all throughout the day.
Eat up!
Did Vikings eat peppers?
Jun/090
I don’t know but stuffed peppers are delicious! And it turns out this recipe is pretty darn good for your body as well, give it a try.
Stuffed Peppers
delicious stuffed peppers, fit for a viking.
Ingredients:
- 4-6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green)
- 1 lb ground lean turkey (or lean ground beef)
- 2- 15 oz cans of tomato sauce, or 1 – 30 oz can (Only tomato! No sugar!)
- 2 cups favorite veggies, squash, spinach, diced carrots
- 3 tablespoons of fresh basil (3 tsp dried)
- 3 tablespoons of fresh oregano (2-3 tsp dried)
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 325. Brown the ground turkey with the onion, and the rest of your veggies. Combine the tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds. Combine the ground turkey, veggies, and half of the tomato sauce mixture, and stuff inside the hollowed out peppers.
Pour the other half of the tomato sauce over the top of the peppers. Bake at 325 for about 50-60 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. You can sprinkle a little Parmesan, on top during the last 15-20 minutes.
Eat up… Natural, Healthy, and Lean!
