Whey Protein Nutrition

How to Calculate Your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:04:00 +0000

Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) is the proportion of calories or energy that you burn off while resting. Why do you need to know this? It is a good indicator of weight loss. Most people tend to confuse Resting Metabolic Rate with Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which indicates the least amount of calories needed to support the vital functions in your body, like your heartbeat, your breathing, the function of vital organs and so on while you are resting. The average amount of calories needed for a person is between 1,200 and 2,400 calories a day. The rest is what you burn off via any kind of physical activity. Once you have an indication of your RMR and your general activities, then you can make a clear estimation of how many calories you can burn off everyday and adjust it accordingly to reach your personal goals, whether it is to gain weight or lose it. If you need to know how you can calculate your RMR, here it is:

RMR = 9.99(WEIGHT in Kilograms) + 6.25(HEIGHT in centimeters) - 4.92(AGE in years) + 166(GENDER)-161

Next, you need to weigh yourself. If the reading is in pounds, then you need to divide it by 2.2 to get the equivalent in kilograms. Then, measure your height. To turn it into centimeters, multiply the number of inches by 2.54.

Now, you have the first two values of the equation. Include your age to the equation. For the gender part of the equation, put in 0 if you are female or 1 if you are male. And once you do the math, you have your RMR. If it is for example 1796, that means you burn around 1796 calories a day while resting. Now, that you know your RMR, achieving your goal should not be so hard. Good luck!

High Protein Low Calorie Combinations

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:01:16 +0000

High protein diets and low calorie diets are by far the most effective methods of weight loss. The combination of the two is fast becoming popular as are low carbohydrate and calorie restriction diet programs. A high protein diet requires you to limit your intake of carbohydrates which makes your body burn fat, while on the other hand a calorie restrictive diet is carried out to promote weight loss by limiting the intake of calories. The combination of two methods of weight loss could prove to be far more effective than using a singular method. Here are a few high protein low-calorie meal options. Just keep in mind that when you are planning out your meals that losing 1lb of fat means that you need to burn a total of 3,500 calories!

MEAL FOOD ITEM PROTEIN CALORIES

Breakfast 2 eggs 6.3g 77
2 slices of lean bacon 1.7g 35

Lunch 4 oz turkey 33.9g 178
Slice of cheese 6g 110
Tomato 2g 15-20
Lettuce 1g 5

Dinner 1 oz lean top sirloin 8g 60
3 oz shrimp 18g 84
½ cup lettuce 2g 8

Meats 2 oz lean ham 12.6g 82
Salmon 10g 60
2 oz skinless chicken breasts 16g 75
Pork tenderloin 16g 92

Fruits and vegetables ½ cup - Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, okra, mushrooms, tomatoes 2g 125
1 cup - Strawberries, oranges, bananas 1g 200

Dairy Foods 1 cup - non-fat milk 9g 86
Yoghurt 5g 100
1 cup - low fat cottage cheese 28g 163
1 slice - other varieties of cheese 6g 95

Negative Calorie Foods

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:57:00 +0000

A single unit of energy is called a calorie. Energy can also be measured by a number of other methods as well. The amount of calories in food depends on its nutrient structure, while the calories contained in an item of food refers to the average amount of energy measured from a wide range of samples of that food item.

1 calorie = 4.184 joules
1 negative calorie = -4.184 joules
Calories are commonly referred to as kilocalories.
1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 4.184 kilojoules (kJ)

Foods that use more calories to digest when compared to the number of calories contained in the food are called negative calorie foods. They make the body work a lot harder to gain energy from these food items. What gives negative calorie foods a wonderful naturalistic fat-burning ability is the low availability of calories to the body as opposed to other foods that have the same calorie count. Take for example, a piece of chocolate fudge that has 400 calories but requires 150 calories to digest. This means a total of 250 calories is added to body fat. A raw piece of celery containing five calories uses a lot more calories in the process of chewing and digestion, thus taking up body fat to finish the process.

Negative Calorie Vegetables
Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery Chicory
Hot Chilli
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

The Basic Ingredients of a Protein Shake

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:02:00 +0000

One of the most important supplements you can take whether you want to lose some weight, stay in shape or put on more muscle - are protein shakes. A basic protein shake consists of any protein powder and a liquid of your choice - it could be water, milk or fruit juice - and mix it together and drink. If you want to make your protein shakes more interesting, here are a few simple recipes for yummy protein shakes:

PROTEIN SHAKE
Berries and Cream shake
1 scoop vanilla whey protein, 1 scoop of ice, 1 small can of pineapple juice, 1 handful of mixed berries
Blend it

Banana Bread shake
2 scoops whey protein, 1 banana, ½ cup oatmeal, ¾ cup bran flakes, 1 bottle of water, sugar to taste
Blend it

Banana Protein shake
30g protein powder, 1 banana, 8 oz soy milk, 1 tablespoon linseed, soy and almond mixture, 1 teaspoon golden syrup, vanilla essence, 4 ice cubes, 1 tablespoon low fat yoghurt
Blend for several minutes

Orange Vanilla shake
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder, 8 oz orange juice, 4 ice cubes, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ banana, 3 frozen strawberries, sweetener to taste
Blend it

Berry Good shake
2 scoops of raspberry yoghurt and protein powder, 4 strawberries, 15 blueberries, 16 oz of non-fat milk, ½ ice cubes
Blend it

Strawberry Nut shake
2 scoops of vanilla protein powder, 1 cup fat-free strawberry yoghurt, 6 shredded macadamia nuts
Blend it

Chocolate Coffee Shake
2 scoops milk chocolate protein powder, 1 cup skim milk, 5 ice cubes, 1 cup water, 1 spoon instant coffee
Mix it with a spoon

Plum-Lemon Cooler
2 scoops vanilla protein powder, 1 pitted ripe plum, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon multi-vitamin powder, 16 oz ice water, ½ cup ice cubes
Mix it with a spoon

You can try these few basic recipes at home. Do get creative and try different recipes out according to your preferences.

How To Take Protein Before Your Workout

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:34:07 +0000

A meal before your workout session should attempt to achieve the following: maximum strength, a steady stream of energy and minimal muscle breakdown.

Firstly, you must ensure that you have consumed enough of water, as it is vital towards keeping your energy at peak levels.
Your pre-workout snack should be consumed half an hour to 45 minutes before you start working out. Protein is the main constituent here. It will not only help keep your body in an anabolic state right throughout the workout, but will also thwart muscle breakdown.
A good mix of whey protein and casein amounting to around 30-40 grams of protein is recommended. This is best achieved by mixing 25-30 g of whey protein in 300-400 ml of skimmed milk. Mixing whey protein with milk works out well as this ensures a gradual release of protein, which means your body receives a steady stream of amino acids.

Low-glycemic carbohydrates are also important, especially for pre-workout meals. It is important that you consume one to two portions of low-glycemic carbohydrates along with your protein intake, as this also helps with providing energy during your workout. In order to avoid feeling tired and weak, make sure you choose carbohydrates that do not cause rapid changes in your body’s insulin levels. Good choices include oatmeal, brown rice or even apples.

Also, remember, that your pre-workout snack should be a small one as it is important that it is easy to digest and does not make you feel uncomfortable or sick while working out. It is also critical that you do not work out unless you have had a meal prior to the session.

Eating Out, Without Packing on the Pounds

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:14:59 +0000

Eating out is always more convenient, especially if it is just the two of you. Compared with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up at home, heading out to your favorite restaurant is always the preferred choice. However, if you are trying to lose weight or stay healthy, then eating out frequently will not help. This does not necessarily mean that you should never eat out, instead, just follow these rules and you can stay healthy, lose weight and still go out to eat.

Regulate the number of times you eat out - Make rules for yourself. Eat out perhaps once or twice per week, but no more. This ensures that you are in absolute control of your intake of extra calories, which you would otherwise consume if you eat out every day.

No fast food - Forget fast food. It is not healthy. Instead, choose slow food. Fast food is of course convenient, but they are mostly deep-fried, use refined ingredients and the nutritional value is not necessarily given much importance.

Portion control - Be aware of how many portions you order when eating out. Limit the number of portions you order or go for smaller portions instead. This is very important for your fitness regime.

Drop the sauce and the dressing - The gravy your meat comes with, or the dressing your salad has been drenched with, could contain lethal amounts of calories. Beware!

So if you are eating out, eat smart, live long and stay healthy!

The Five Most Common Myths in Nutrition

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:56:00 +0000

MYTH ONE: Real men stick to their diet 365 days a year
A common understanding is that if you want to lose fat or build muscle then you have to keep to your diet for 364 days during the year, and relax on one day. This results in a binge that is not pretty. Instead, have a weekly cheat day. Try to eat the sweets and things you have been craving for in the morning, which then lets you burn it off during the day. If there are food items in your diet that you are not particularly fond of, then drop them on your cheat day. It will also do well for you to ignore the weight scale on that day.

MYTH TWO: Putting on 5lbs a week is better than 1lb
An above average intake of carbohydrates will only make you put on more weight. A common excuse is that they need the extra carbohydrates to give them more energy during training. However, this will result in only making you fat, as it is false. If your weekly weight gain tops 1.5-2 lbs, then the rest is just water and fat - both of which you do not need.

MYTH THREE: Eating anything that doesn’t move
Gaining muscle does not require eating large amounts of food. Working out to gain muscle does increase your rate of metabolism, but too many calories will only end up being stored as body fat. Instead, a better strategy is to work out maintenance levels and then add on an extra 300 calories for muscle gain.

MYTH FOUR: Not eating enough
The secret is not to overeat or under eat as well. Of course, you can cut down on food to minimize fat storage in your body, but experts recommend that you consume around 250-300 calories over and above your maintenance level. If you do not eat enough, your body will shift into a catabolic state - and the muscle build-up will decline instead of the instance where in eating enough, the food will be used for the same.

MYTH FIVE: Following diets from magazines
Diet programs in magazines do not work. They are generic and not tailor-made to suit particular needs and thus do not have proven success rates. They should only be used as a mere guideline.

Care of Temporary Crowns

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:07:07 +0000

Temporary dental crowns are frequently used in cosmetic dentistry to repair minor chips and cracks in teeth, along with providing whitening and filling in gaps in a smile. However, temporary dental crowns are simply stop-gap measures put in place until a permanent dental crown can be put into place. This means that patients need to take some precautionary steps in order to ensure that their temporary dental crowns aren’t damaged before a more permanent solution is ready.

For example, cosmetic dentists recommend that people with temporary crowns avoid eating sticky foods or chewing gum. It’s also a good idea to avoid chewing on the side of the mouth with the temporary crown as much as possible to avoid the potential for the crown to become dislodged or fall out entirely.

No cosmetic dentist would recommend that you stop flossing your teeth while you have a temporary crown; however, it is important to change how you floss. Instead of using the floss to lift materials from your teeth, dentists recommend using a sideways motion to dislodge pieces of food from between teeth.

Three Popular Drinks that will Destroy any Diet

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:58:00 +0000

When on a diet, we tend to pay most of our attention to the food we consume. We devote endless hours to reading labels, books and websites on nutrition and ensure that multi-vitamins are consumed as well. We always tend to overlook what we drink. Of course you have good protein shakes for before and after your workout sessions, but what about the rest of the beverages you consume the entire day? Take a look at the following and you will be amazed by the harmful effects some beverages can have on you:

Red Bull: This is a top choice for a ‘pick-me-up’ or even with alcohol. Unfortunately though, this will not help your diet in any way. Every can of Red Bull contains 27g of sugar, which raise your insulin levels - and for those on a low carbohydrate diet - a can is equal to one day’s worth of carbohydrates. Healthier alternatives include: Fruit Punch, Grape, Lemon-Lime, or Orange.

Sunsweet Prune Juice: It might look healthy, but read the fine print - the prune juice is not made from concentrate. Every 8 oz. serving of the prune juice means an addition of 180 calories and 24g of sugar. In fact, prunes are great to be consumed after a workout. So drop the juice, and have some fresh prunes instead.

Hawaiian Punch: Like most parents, you probably send your children with one of the Hawaiian Punch range of beverages. You might think this is a better option than Pepsi from the school’s vending machine, but it is not. An 8 oz serving of Hawaiian Punch holds 120 calories and 28g of sugar. This can have an adverse effect on body weight, and kids could develop high energy levels which will then be followed by a complete crash in energy levels as well as concentration.

Are High Protein Diets Really Safe?

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Many Americans have followed a wide variety of high protein diets that restrict the body of valuable nutrients. Popular high protein diets include Atkins, zone, protein power, stillmans diet and sugar busters. Most of these diets concentrate on increasing protein intake by consuming foods like meat, eggs and cheese.

According to the American Heart Association, high protein diets are not recommended for weight loss. The reason behind this is due to some of the following facts:

Protein diets violate nutritionally balanced eating- By providing your body with a balanced diet that is low in saturated fats, your body would be better equipped to loose weight and keep it off.

Protein diets are high in cholesterol and saturated fats- High protein diets can increase the risks of heart disease and cholesterol.

Overloading on protein can cause bone decay and puts added pressure on your kidneys- Excess protein can increase your risks of osteoporosis, because your body would not be able to absorb the calcium that is consumed. When you consume large quantities of protein your body has to eliminate more urea, which is a by product of protein. This pressurises your kidneys because they have to work faster and on a more regular basis to aid digestion.

High protein diets tend to forbid vegetables that can reduce the risk of heart disease - Vegetables like broccoli, spinach and green leafy vegetables can provide your body with a wide range of nutrients that can prevent heart disease.

Remember to keep in mind that high protein diets only seem to work because they starve your body of water, by eliminating carbohydrates. Therefore, the weight you might loose would only be water weight and not fat. This means that when you eventually switch back to a regular diet, in a matter of weeks your weight will increase rapidly.