What can you do?

Including carotenoids and antioxidants into your diet is more fun than you’d realise – just have a look at some of these recipes! Also, why not take a look at our selection of green-foods, a simple way to increase your Vitamin A intake and increase dietary sources of antioxidants from beetroot, carrot, wheat-grass and spirulina?

Reference

Steigerwalt, R. D., G. Belcaro, et al. (2010). "Mirtogenol potentiates latanoprost in lowering intraocular pressure and improves ocular blood flow in asymptomatic subjects." Clin Ophthalmol 4: 471-476

What can you do?

Increasing your micronutrient intake can be achieved by making sure you increase your intake of fibrous veggies with every meal. In addition, many good quality multivitamin supplements are great insurance against dietary shortfalls that many of us with busy lives may suffer from. Life Extension’s Comprehensive Nutrient pack also includes DHA, the fatty acid essential for the development of a baby’s brain.

Reference
March H.H. Burris, A.A. Mitchell, M.M. Werler, 2010; “Periconceptional Multivitamin Use and Infant Birth Weight Disparities” Annals of Epidemiology Volume 20, Issue 3, Pages 233-240

Patients received placebo or a daily dose of 10 billion colony forming units (CFUs) of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v for four weeks. The results suggest that a high dose of this particular strain of probiotics is effective at relieving bloating and pain in these patients. At the end of the study the researchers reported a significant decrease in the symptoms of IBS, and particularly for abdominal pain and bloating, compared with baseline values and participants in the placebo group.

What can you do?

Lactobacillus can be obtained in the green-foods products on our site.

Reference
Ducrotté  et al, 2010: Data presented at the Digestive Disease Week, New Orleans

Chicken Broth

• 1 cooked chicken carcass
• 2 onions
• 3 sticks of celery
• 2 strips of wakame seaweed
• 3 pints of water
• 2 carrots
• 1 dessertspoon of olive oil

This is a perfect example of recycling ingredients and getting the most out of your food.  Plus you’ll benefit from the musculoskeletal support generated from boiling up the chicken bones.

Gazpacho

This is a great soup as you can eat it cold on a hot summer’s day, and it makes an excellent appetiser.

• 550g of fresh tomatoes (skinned)
• 4 shallots
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
• 1 red pepper
• 1/2 large cucumber
• Black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Chopped fresh mint

Blend all the ingredients together, chill and serve.

Generally, soup can be made from any ingredients.  You need to lightly fry them first, then add some sort of stock either made before or just water with stock cubes added.  Bring to the simmer and serve.  As an option, part or all of the ingredients can be removed and blended depending on the consistency required.

Cover the carcass with the water and simmer for 45-90 minutes, get any excess meat off the chicken and store.  Sieve the stock and leave to cool before refrigerating overnight, scoop the fat from the top of the mixture.  Fry the vegetables in the oil until slightly soft.  Cut the seaweed into strips, pour the stock on top of the vegetables and bring back to the boil.

Today I saw an athlete with a viral infection – here’s what I told him to do;

• Increased vitamin C to bowel tolerance (where you get lose stools) then back off by 1000mg.

• Take glutamine 10g t.i.d.

• Use chicken broth daily – ideally with tom yum spices.

• Increase raw and cooked garlic.

• Increase use of colostrum and other bioactive proteins (these ones are secret).

In addition to a back ground low inflammatory diet.

Don’t underestimate boosting your immune system, it could be the difference between winning and losing.

What can you do?

Zinc can be obtained in high levels from shellfish and meats, with vegetarians able to obtain this mineral from seeds and whole grains – however they are at a significantly greater risk of deficiency. A good multivitamin will obtain enough to guard against deficiency, while fish oils are the most potent nutritional anti-inflammatories for protecting against such chronic diseases as arthrosclerosis.

Reference
Bao B, Cardozo LJ, et al, 2010; "Zinc decreases C-reactive protein, lipid peroxidation, and inflammatory cytokines in elderly subjects: a potential implication of zinc as an atheroprotective agent," Am J Clin Nutr [Epub ahead of print]

• Ultimately failure to plan ahead may become a source of stress as it can in so many other areas of life.

• Take the time to plan your nutrition and hopefully it will not become a headache.

• Creating new eating habits should not be a matter of will power, it is rather a matter of developing new skill which over time will become like second nature.

• When your new eating habits attain this level they will not be difficult to sustain, as you will not be denying yourself any foods. At this stage you may wish to adopt the 80/20% rule as discussed with your nutritionist.

Of people with the lowest physical function, 90 % showed insufficient or deficient levels.

What can you do?
 
The body produces vitamin D following exposure to the sun, so it may be possible to obtain higher levels by simply getting outside more often. However, at the latitude of the UK, vitamin D production can be a real problem, particularly in the winter months.
The safest thing is to take a vitamin D supplement to ensure you individual RDI…

Reference
Houston, D.K., 2010; Experimental Biology meeting (Anaheim); American Society for Nutrition
Houston, D. K., M. Cesari, et al. (2007). "Association between vitamin D status and physical performance: the InCHIANTI study." J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 62(4): 440-446.

Likelihood is higher adrenalin and cortisol around this time – here’s the link, as soon as we go away our adrenalin levels drop off (after the plane journey)! – BUT cortisol stay high – cortisols powerful effects result in lowered immune function when levels are chronic (acute is good) we’d die without cortisol.

Also we’re exposed to more germs on flights due to the air conditioning systems.

So – often a few days into a holiday we’re getting sniffles –

Here’s what you can do;

Take glutamine every day – during the last week and during holiday.

Take zinc and vitamin C losengers before and during the flight.

Take some hardcore immune boosters with your 1st aid kit for holiday – by hard core I mean an immune pack or some Chinese herbs

Don’t underestimate boosting your immune system, it could be the difference between winning and losing.

• Tuna and beans: 1 tin of tuna in water, 1/2 tin of kidney or other beans, 1 small diced orange, 1 tablespoon of dressing (low fat).

• Avocado and grapefruit: 1 avocado, 1 grapefruit, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, balsamic vinegar.

• Red onion and cherry tomatoes.

• Carrot and beetroot.

• Broccoli and beans: 1/2 tin of kidney beans, 2 spring onions, celery, cashew nuts and dressing.

• Red cabbage and raisin salad: finely shredded red cabbage, handful of raisins, handful of hazelnuts.

• Coleslaw: cabbage, onion, carrots – 1/3 of each plus some protein.

To get extra servings of vegetables into your day try juicing fruits and vegetables to have with your breakfast, or buy some V8 or organic tomato juice and have that instead.  Quick fruit salads and yoghurt make an ideal snack, as do chopped vegetables dipped into low fat humus or guacamole.

What can you do?

Vitamin D is a funny ol’ vitamin, being one of the few where levels of blood markers can mean vastly different things in different individuals. Requirements for this vitamin and the consequences of suboptimal intakes vary enormously, but there are a huge number of studies linking deficiency with everything from cancer, to depression… to volcanic ash clouds! The safest thing is to take a vitamin D supplement to ensure you individual RDI…

Reference
Liu E, Meigs JB, et al., 2010; "Predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D score and incident type 2 diabetes in the Framingham Offspring Study," Am J Clin Nutr, June; 91(6): 1627-33

How to teach you everything that is in the Regenerate Muscle Building System so nothing is left to chance and you have all the tools to build muscle at will.

Doesn’t sound too difficult, however…

When I review the athletes that I’ve worked with and try and work out why some of them get better results than others, there are 3 main performance areas that are important. It’s like one of those Venn Diagrams I remember studying for O level maths.

So there you have it, its making sure all the circles inter-connect, if you are out on one of the circles you wont get the results you want.

There’s loads of content in the Regenerate System, its over 10 years worth of my work and experience. It can be a bit mind blowing to get your head around it all.  So what I’ve needed to do  is to condense the information so you can digest it and use it.

I’ve also done a few seminars recently and have been adapting my content and ideas into a style that suits your ABILITY TO LEARN and put into practice the ideas rather than just be told stuff.

What we are thinking is doing a whole day LIVE Muscle Building Workshop that incorporates the first 3 sections of the Regenerate Program and ZONES in on the 3 muscle building circles so you leave with everything you need to get into that MUSCLE BUILDING HOT SPOT.

If you want a refresher of whats in the regenerate program. You’ll still get everything else that is on the Regenerate page.

Here’s what is going to be new and different.

• You’ll get calipered to calculate your body fat and starting lean muscle mass.

• You’ll work out the exact grams of fat, protein and carbs you need for each day dependendent on your starting weight.

• You’ll work out your meal variations for the days you don’t train. You eat slightly less on   these days.

• You’ll work out an individual 2 week diet plan that suits the foods you like and adjust it to your lifestyle, when you train and when you work.

• You’ll get to make a days worth of meals, yes you’ll get your aprons on and head to the kitchens and we will show you how to prepare your daily meals quickly and efficiently.

• You will get into the gym and do a work out so you will get a feel of the pace and the intensity of how you need to train in order to build muscle.

• We’ll do a session on goal settting and help uncover some of your potential roadblocks.

• The practical sessions will be mixed in with the theory side and supplementation side of addig muscle mass.

• It will be a small group of people so you will get to meet and work with other like minded people, it will be a phenomenal learning  and networking experience.

• We’ll have a follow up session where we will review your progress and retake your body  fat measurements.

At the end of the days workshop you’ll leave with YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PLAN that we have helped you create so that you know EXACTLY what you need to do, nothing is going to be left to chance.  I’ll personally stay and answer all your questions till you leave happy.

You’re still going to get access to all the online information that you can choose to read for your own information and be able to ask me questions as you progess through the different phases over the following 12 weeks.

Obviously there are going to be a lot of additional costs for us going down this route hiring a venue, additional staff, getting gym equipment transported for you to train with, supplements to you to try during the day, with all that said though I think I’ll be able to put the day on for only £247 thats only an extra £50 to the current price of Regenerate.

We’ve not yet finalised a date for the first seminar or location yet. It will be on a Saturday or Sunday sometime between the 18th September and the 31st October and the likely locations will be Milton Keynes or London. 

Spaces will be limited, if you want to ensure you get a place you can put a deposit down of £50 and if for some reason you can’t make the day we choose, we will refund you no questions asked.

Matt

P.S. If you’ve already purchased Regenerate we will let you have a place at a reduced price. Just let us know if you would like to come.

What can you do?

Peanut are high in arginine, while eating beetroot provides nitrates to increase your body’s ability to vasodilate blood vessels and supple the muscles during exercise. This aids recovery and performance. We sell a great recovery product with high levels of arginine to aid repair and adaptation, as well as a high arginine product designed to increase levels of growth hormone (GH) in the body.

Reference
Chmara E, et al, 2010; "Evaluation of the antihypertensive effect of L-arginine supplementation in patients with mild hypertension assessed with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring," Ast J, Med Sci Monit, 16(5): CR266-71

These requirements are important to us all, but even more so for sufferers of chronic disease.

A placebo-controlled study on 32 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggested that that supplementation with essential amino acids (EAAs) may exert beneficial effects. The patients were randomized to 2 4g servings of EAAs or placebo per day for 3 months. Supplementation increased fat-free mass (+3.6 kg), physical activity (+80%), and arterial oxygen content (+4.6 mmHg) over placebo. Proving that a healthy mind exists in a healthy body, cognitive dysfunction scores also improved!

What can you do?

Incorporating complete, high quality sources of protein into your diet will provide you with all that you need.

However, some people may find it difficult and inconvenient to regularly include a source of protein at every meal, particularly if cutting down their calorie intake or are concerned about increasing the amount of animal fat in their diet. Taking small servings of aminos or planning meal replacements/protein supplements into your menu may offer a convenient solution.

Reference
Dal Negro RW, Tognella S, et al, Monaldi Arch Chest Dis, (2010); "Comprehensive effects of supplemented essential amino acids in patients with severe COPD and sarcopenia,"; 73(1): 25-33.

What can you do?

 Berries are an easy addition to any cupboard. A really great choice is the goji-berry, incredibly high in anti-oxidants. The Mule bar with goji-berries therefore provides energy and a healthy, anti-oxidant boost!

Reference
H. M., J. P. Suomela, et al. (2010)."Berry meals and risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome." Eur J Clin Nutr. Lehtonen,

Are you taking Vitamin D?

Deena Kastor theAmerican marathon runner broke her foot during the 2008 Olympic Marathon, here is an excerpt from an interview with running times

Q: Did a Vitamin D deficiency lead to the injury?

A test showed I had a great deal of calcium in my bloodstream, but without enough Vitamin D I couldn’t utilize it. Something I’ve prided myself on is taking care of my skin because of repeated bouts of skin cancer — always wearing hats, long sleeve shirts, lots of sunscreen — but I guess it’s something I need to balance. Maybe when I do my 20-minute warm-up I won’t wear sunscreen and wait to put it on with my racing flats on to do my workout. And now I’m taking a calcium supplement called "Bone Up" and eating a lot more green vegetables.

The Chicago BlackHawks Ice Hockey team were diagnosed as being Vitamin D defficient 18 months ago and most of the players are on 5000IU/day, they won the Premier Ice Hockey Competition (The Stanley Cup) this year after never having won it previously, they have also seen decreased levels of flu and repetitive strain injuries.

Anecdotedly since I’ve been taking Vitamin D personally, I’ve not had any hayfever and very few colds. I’ve not broken any bones either, but I’d not broken any before so that doesn’t count.

Vitamin D where do we get it from?

Our body produces Vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. With many people concerned about exposure to the sun and skin cancer, it’s caused the levels of vitamin D in the population to fall as we reduce our exposure to the suns harmful rays.  Vitamin D is also found in oily fish and egg yolks, lets be honest not many people eat oily fish (mackeral, sardines etc) very often if at all Tuna and Salmon don’t count as oily fish and a lot of people tend to avoid eating too many eggs, so there’s a combined effect that is driving down the levels of Vitamin D in the population.

In some countries they fortify common foodstuffs like milk with Vitamin D, but that’s a way off happening in this country.

If you are not convinced about the need to supplement with Vitamin D then have a listen to this episode of the BBC’s food programme that was aired a few days ago.

What are the consequences of Vitamin D defficiency

The main problems are a lack of bone strength and muscle strength, if you’re an athlete or just anyone who cares about their health then it’s a no brainer that bone and muscle strength are of vital importance.

The expert interviewed on the show takes 5000IU a day of Vitamin D, personally I take 25,000 IU every few days. When you look at the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin D in the UK it is 1000 IU a day, 5000 seems a lot.

What you have to bear in mind is that when these RDA’s are determined the authorities have to err on the side of caution and if one person out of 1 million has a reaction at a particulat level, it doesn’t matter that the other 999,999 get exceptional health benefits, they say that the limit is 1000UI’s

Here is the brand that we recommend

How to test your levels of Vitamin D

In most countries the health services are geared up to treating you when you get sick, their focus is not on keeping you well, so if you visit your Dr and say you are concerned about your Vitamin D levels, you’ll most likely get told to go away and eat oily fish and an egg every day and get some sunlight.

Obviously that’s the right advice and we all should be doing that. However for some people that may not be enough. So what I do personally, I’m not telling you to do this but it might be worth considering is to follow the Dr’s advice and then take a supplement.

Some of you may be thinking, I don’t really want to have to take a supplement unless I need to in that case then the next option is to have a private blood test and evaluation, this is the one that I recommend.

I normally travel with some greens and protein sachets as well just in case you get stranded and at the mercy of garage foods!

I was really pleased to see Mo Farah win the 10K at the European Champs last night.

When I work with athletes I usually get a range of responses from 'dead keen' to 'am I boverred'. One thing I can say about Mo is that he has been like a sponge sucking up the nutritional info I've been able to help him with.

He's been a real pleasure to work with.

2 small servings of wild alaskan smoked salmon with lemon

Keep your meals coming in it’s good to share some ideas

Doughnuts and Fries

This pair of perpetrators defines “empty calories”!  Essentially, these types of foods brake the golden rule of combining fat and carbohydrate, meaning that your body is stimulated to store energy as fat by the insulin-release… and then given plenty of fat to store in the form of vegetable oil! The oils used for deep frying are high in omega-6, already present in excessive amounts in the western diet, which may increase inflammation and compromise recovery from training. In addition, heating these oils may also increase levels of trans-fats, although McDonalds in the UK has switched to using non-hydrogenated oils. If we compare skinny fries with chunky chips, the extra surface area increases the amount of fat compared to carbohydrate, meaning that any potential for carbohydrate-recovery is non-existent, as we’ll just be “Wide-loading”, rather than “carb loading”!  Weight for weight, fries have 50% more fat and 25% less carbs than oven-chips (which are hardly a health food to begin with!). Now if we consider doughnuts, with their additional sugar, as well as the possibility of trans fats being used in some less reputable establishments, then we can see the many levels on which these foods conspire to impair health. Although potatoes are high in vitamin C, this is in the skin, and doughnuts are pretty much devoid of micronutrients. Why would you eat these foods, you doughnut!?

Doner Kebabs

Like many of these “anti-nutrient” foods, this could be healthy if only people didn’t cut corners, use inferior produce, and seemingly make a concerted effort to pollute what we’re eating! Lamb itself is a wonderful food that’s stacked with glutamine and iron, making it ideal for recovery from exercise, immune function, and oxygen transport. So, how do they go about making it so bad? Well, firstly, the name “lamb” covers all different cuts of meat. The tail, being particularly high in saturated fat, is used to keep the kebab moist and succulent, while additional saturated fat is smeared on top of the doner to baste the “meat” throughout cooking. So, they take an already fatty meat and add additional saturates! However gratuitous, that may sound yet more “bad fat” is added in the form of hydrogenated oils, or trans-fats. While writing a recent piece of investigative journalism, a curious reporter took it upon himself to analyse a Mancunian kebab, revealing it to contain of 5.8g trans-fat, compared to 0.87g in a Big Mac (www.manchesteronline.co.uk 2009; drquincy.com 2010). Trans fats decrease insulin concentration leading to insulin resistance – (Bhathena 2006; Lichtenstein, Appel et al. 2006) and cause cancer and autoimmune diseases (Levine and Labuza 1990; Qu, Xu et al. 1992; Wang, John et al. 2008). Too many doners, and you may soon be searching for a (blood/liver/heart/kidney) DONOR!

Aspartame

A lot of the evidence on the negative effects of artificial sweeteners is equivocal, although it does make shocking reading. Even if the studies aren’t conclusive, the numerous reports and physiological links with so many areas of bad health would persuade many people to shy away from these compounds, just to be sure! Aspartame could be potentially toxic due to the following break-down products:
•    Methanol and formaldehyde
i    Methanol > > formaldehyde >> formate
ii    Methanol/localised formate production in retina causes blindness
iii    Formaldehyde from Aspartame may increase neurotoxicity of other compounds such as the aspartate, killing brain cells!
iv    Formaldehyde alters DNA; this is carcinogenic (cancer causing)
•    Phenylalanine
i     Possibly decreases tyrosine and tryptophan uptake into brain, decreasing levels of serotonin and catecholamines.
•    Aspartate and Glutamate
i    Neurotoxicity

While these mechanisms are relatively speculative, studies on humans have revealed that consuming sweetener can actually increase calorie intake (LAVIN, #160 et al. 1997; Fowler, Williams et al. 2008). It seems that priming the body for a sweet reward causes more eating in subsequent days.
This may leave a sour taste in your mouth!

Cola

Colas contain caffeine and phosphoric acid, which may adversely affect bone-health. In order to neutralise the acidity, calcium may be leached from the bones and studies have shown that Bone Mineral Density (BMD) may decline in women who consume a lot of cola (Tucker, Morita et al. 2006). The mean BMD of those with daily cola intake was 3.7-5.4% lower than of those who drank cola less than once per month. Similar results were seen for diet cola and, although weaker, for decaffeinated cola. “Full fat” Coke will also add another 7 tsp of sugar per can!! The Real Thing? A really, really BAD thing!

Cheap Meat

Again, sausages needn’t be bad, but poor quality meat just isn’t worth considering! A typical “value” supermarket sausage is around 40% “Pork”, the rest being made up with water and rusk. Ammonia is included as a preservative (the smelly chemical from bleach that your body tries so hard to eliminate in urine!), while suplhites are also found in high concentrations. These chemicals can cause breathing difficulties and allergy-like symptoms in sensitive individuals, as well as being known to destroy vitamin B1. The “pork” in these products is what’s known as  “mechanically separated/ recovered meat” (MSM/MRM), a paste-like substance obtained by forcing the pork bones, with attached edible meat, under high pressure through a sieve. Ironically, all these harmful substances are usually added as preservatives – although they will likely preserve the meat far more effectively that the individual eating it!

References

Bhathena, S. J. (2006). "Relationship between fatty acids and the endocrine and neuroendocrine system." Nutr Neurosci 9(1-2): 1-10.
drquincy.com. (2010). from http://www.drquincy.com/blog/what-are-the-ingredients-of-takeaway-doner-meat/http://www.drquincy.com/blog/what-are-the-ingredients-of-takeaway-doner-meat/.
Fowler, S. P., K. Williams, et al. (2008). "Fueling the Obesity Epidemic[quest] Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-term Weight Gain." Obesity 16(8): 1894-1900.
LAVIN, #160, et al. (1997). The effect of sucrose- and aspartame-sweetened drinks on energy intake, hunger and food choice of female, moderately restrained eaters. Basingstoke, ROYAUME-UNI, Nature Publishing.
Levine, A. S. and T. P. Labuza (1990). "Food systems: the relationship between health and food science/technology." Environ Health Perspect 86: 233-238.
Lichtenstein, A. H., L. J. Appel, et al. (2006). "Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee." Circulation 114(1): 82-96.
Qu, Y. H., G. X. Xu, et al. (1992). "Genotoxicity of heated cooking oil vapors." Mutat Res 298(2): 105-111.
Tucker, K. L., K. Morita, et al. (2006). "Colas, but not other carbonated beverages, are associated with low bone mineral density in older women: The Framingham Osteoporosis Study." Am J Clin Nutr 84(4): 936-942.
Wang, J., E. M. John, et al. (2008). "Dietary fat, cooking fat, and breast cancer risk in a multiethnic population." Nutr Cancer 60(4): 492-504.
www.manchesteronline.co.uk. (2009). from http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/.

 Read Men’s Health interview: full interview of Harry Aikines-Aryeetey – The record-breaking English sprinter – Men’s Health Magazine here

We also made some great protein shakes vanilla,butternut squash, kinetica whey protein and cinnamon that the guys had after their training and went down really well.

Gavin got stuck into all the practical demonstrations, if you watch the video below he’s giving a testimonial and is throwing the tyres in the metabolic conditioning session, yes I told him he should have been squatting deeper ! 

One of the presentations that I really enjoyed was Nick Grantham’s on how to train like an athlete, he included a lot of stuff  that the average club player and gym user can use and adopt to get excellent results. Have a look at the vidoe on his website of how 65 Year Old Brain Tumour survivor Ken is training it’s inspirational.

Catch you soon

Matt

If you’re interested in the benefits of Whey Protein then check out the various posts on the site here…

As you may be aware I helped an Irish company called Kinetica develop and formulate a range of whey products and have had them for sale on my website for a while. The quality of the whey is top notch, it all comes from Irish Cows which have a good diet unlike some cheap whey proteins that come from America where they feed the cows on cornflakes instead of grass.

Anyway I’ve been scratching my head as to why you guys have not been buying more of it and what I’ve realised is that I’ve not been doing a good enough job of ‘selling it to you’.  A lot of people tend to look at Whey as a commodity i.e All Whey is  the same and the client is often driven by price, even though I really disagree with this premise I’m going to focus on the pricing.

I want to compare the pricing of Kinetica Whey 2.27Kg with Maximuscles Promax the best selling Whey Protein in the UK.

On Maximuscles site they charge £43.99 for a 908g tub that works out to 4.84 pence per gram if you shop around you can get the same product online from  Amazon Maximuscle Promax 908g for £25.44 that works out to 2.80 pence per gram.

How does the price of Kinetica Whey compare to Promax?

I tend to supply  the 2.27Kg tubs of Kinetica which retail at £49.99 which looks a lot more expensive than the Promax but when you do the maths it works out to 2.20 pence per gram which is 27% cheaper than the cheapest online price available for Promax.

As you know I always say that you need to cycle all your supplements and not stick to one brand of anything for ever as it can lose it’s effectiveness and it’s possible to develop intolerances, so my recommendation is to add Kinetica to your Whey Protein list, not because it’s cheaper but because it makes sense.

If you place an order in the next week  http://sportsnutritionvlog.com/products-page/protein/  you can use this discount code KN10 just before you checkout and get a further 10% discount.

Matt Lovell

Gavin went to the Body Power Expo at the NEC on Sunday, he was telling me it was absolutely rammed with people. It's a really good show and hopefully next year I’ll be able to do a few talks and maybe Gavin will get to do some cookery demonstrations.

In chatting with Gavin and looking at some of the literature that he brought back it’s absolutely amazing how many companies are involved in the sports nutrition market place and how confusing it is for consumers to make decisions.

There is so much noise competing for the same market space. No wonder it’s hard for people to make any meaningful decisions on what is going to be best for them.

The marketing budgets that these companies have must be huge, they had the works the scantily clad models with cosmetic breasts, Formula 1 cars decked out in their brand, huge display stands.

There must be well over 100 different types of whey protein available and if you add in those that are combined with carbohydrate and then other bits and bobs like extra creatine etc, the product choice runs into the 1000’s.

I suppose it's like any market if you went to a jam makers expo there would be 1000’s of types of jams represented.

Where the supplement market differs with any other consumer market I think is the decision making hierarchy that consumers go through.

Using jam as an example it probably goes

1. taste
2. price
3. health benefits

With supplements it is more likely to be the other way round

1. Health Benefits
2. Price
3. Taste

(maybe price and taste are interchangeable when it comes to supplements)

The challenge that consumers have in the supplement market is to cut through the noise to make an informed decision. This is one of the reasons why I set up this site to help people find the information and make an informed choice.

All the products that I stock in my sports nutrition shop are the ones that I use myself personally and I use with my athletes so you can rest assured that they are there because they rank number 1 for the health benefits, they  might not be the cheapest on the market and they may not be the best tasting but if you want them to deliver results then they are the best available. 

Likewise the products that I am developing like the growth hormone supplement  off the back of the research that I have been doing with elite athletes over the past 10 years aren’t going to be glitzy, I’m not going to be hiring big breasted blond bimbos to promote them because at the end of the day it’s you the consumer that ends up paying for that (plus my wife won’t let me!).

My aim is to help educate people to get the best results possible and often in order to do that you need to invest some time to learn the right information, you can pick up stuff online or down the gym but how can you be sure if the information is correct,

How much are these people being paid to say that?

If you are seriously looking for answers then come along to a sports nutrition seminar I’m putting on in London on the 25th June, I look forward to meeting you there details coming soon.

Leave me a comment below and tell me how you make a decision to purchase your sports nutrition supplements. I might have to bow to the market and hire in a few models if that's what makes your mind up.

Matt Lovell

This is the book I told him to get Convict Conditioning.

You can't get much better than Convict Conditioning,  it's a CLASSIC.  As you know I like to keep my finger on the cutting edge however sometimes OLD SCHOOL works the best.

If you are anything like me just reading the information on the sales page gives me goose bumps.

Check it out and read the sales page and let me know what you think

Matt

Very important for athletes! 

The good news is that by using the right mix of supplements you can naturally increase your levels of Growth Hormone so you can recover faster and repair or grow new tissue quicker.

I've been using some of the products that are available in the market and have decided to engineer my own version that I can use exclusively with my athletes.

They employ a lot of success habits often without realising them.  Check this out if you've got 5 minutes it's worth a read.

Matt

A lot of people make no progress if they load up on root vegetables at night particularly as these contain high amounts of energy per weight.

Grains are also high but it’s easier for people to identify these in the diet. Grains tend to be slightly acid forming in the body having a +ive PRAL score. This makes them less useful for health and athletes alike as an acidic environment potentially lowers alkaline agents like glutamine, and minerals such as magnesium and calcium.

Most proteins are also acid forming with meat's being highest…..

Potential detrimental effects of a high acid diet include:

Mild acidosis can cause such problems as:

• Cardiovascular damage, including the constriction of blood vessels and reduction of oxygen.
• Weight gain, obesity and diabetes.
• Bladder and kidney conditions, including kidney stones.
• Immune deficiency.
• Acceleration of free radical damage, possible contributing to cancerous mutations.
• Hormone concerns.
• Premature aging.
• Osteoporosis; weak, brittle bones, hip fractures and bone spurs.
• Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup.
• Low energy and chronic fatigue.
• Slow digestion and elimination.
•  Yeast / fungal overgrowth.

A really easy way to alkalize the body is through the use of green drinks  – I mix mine in with whey protein which is only slightly acidic.

Other handy tips include lemon juice or cider vinegar, both having a net alkalizing effect despite being acidic in nature……

By doing this you effectively cut down on waste – throwing less food away is good for the environment and for your pocket. In addition to this there would be no food superfluous to needs – so snacking on the wrongs foods and excess food outside of your meals and snacks would drop down.

A simple tip to save you money, time, and drop your body fat %.

It doesn’t work if you go to the super market hungry though – big mistake that one.

Boiled up chicken bones that have been used to create a Chicken Stock are packed full of collagen and gelatin, the stuff that your body needs to help strengthen and repair new ligaments and tendons.

If you've ever made stock before you will have notice that the stock on cooling turns to jelly, this jelly is REALLY GOOD nutritional stuff, when it comes to healing and boosting your immune system and building new connective tissue.

Some tips on making an immune boosting tendon repairing Chicken Stock

1. Use an Organic Chicken Carcass
2. Remove any large bits of skin
3. Get a cleaver out and smash up the bones
4. Use a big saucepan cover the bones with filtered water
5. Add tomatoes to the stock ( acid in tomatoes help the bones break down)
6. Boil the bones for at least an hour, longer is better
7. Pick bits of chicken off bones as you remove the bones.
8. Wrap bones in newspaper and discard.

I'm not sure if he'll be getting Posh to make the chicken stock, she'll find that it's very versatile and you can use it as a base to create many different soups, stews and curries.

Becks will need to keep an eye on his overall calorie intake and ensure  he doesn't include too many carbohydrates as he won't want to bloat up during his recovery.

Here are a couple of variations so that he doesn't get bored.

Thai Style

Add Tom Yum Paste
Extra Chicken or Prawns
Turmeric (anti inflammatory)
Ginger ( anti inlammatory)
Noodles
Any Green Leafy Veg like Cabbage or Bok Choi
Bean Sprouts

Traditional English Chicken Soup

Carrots
Parsnips
Celery
Onions
Pearl Barley
Split Peas or Lentils
Salt and Pepper
( still add the Turmeric as above)

Blend the soup in a liquidizer or keep it chunky!

Make sure you subscribe for updates because I'll let you know the supplements that I would recommend that Beckham takes and we'll be creating a Video on how to create Chicken Stock, watch the cleaver in action.

Matt

The beneficial bacteria that are present in our digestive system play a wide variety of roles they are responsible for producing B Vitamins that are used in countless other processes, they can assist with detoxifying the body and also produce many of the body's neurotransmitters.

If you've been on a course of antibiotics it is always a good idea to give your digestive system a boost by supplementing with pro biotic bacteria.

It's not the case, if you are eating properly and only having the occasional processed meal or ready made meal then you will definatley need to be adding salt to your diet.

Salt is really important for the athlete, but not just any salt.  The normal white table salt that is so common should be avoided, it is just sodium chloride and it has all the other beneficial trace minerals removed from it.

I explain more in the video.

I worked with Lawrence over a number of years as an England Player and also at his club Wasps.  When I found out that he was doing a massive cycle ride for charity Dallaglio Cycle Slam  I contacted him to see if I could help out in any way.

He's put together a team of around 200 people that are going to visit all the 6 Nations grounds over the next 4 weeks with the aim of raising over a million pounds for charity.

I met with  Lawrence and updated him on some key concepts for endurance nutrition, to be fair he was pretty much on the ball already.

I produced a couple of guides for endurance nutrition that I gave access to for all the riders and have been answering any questions the members of the team have had.  Keep an eye out for them I'm sure they will get some coverage on TV.

About 8 of Lawrences team are going to be doing all 4 legs of the Cycle slam and I arranged with Kinetica   to supply them with Recovery Powder and Protein Powders that they are going to need on the trip.

There's quite a bit to endurance nutrition when you get into it, it's not just energy bars, gels and hydration.  Stay posted for more ideas.

Matt

Hi Matt,

I do have a question for you.

You may wish to share this answer with others as I suspect they will have similar concerns.

Is it safe in your opinion to use microwave for cooking/reheating food?

Best

Don

Hi Don,

I’m not a fan of microwaves at all.

I believe they denature proteins and may have harmful effects in the body.

It doesn’t take long to heat stuff up in a pan, steam it – whatever.

I prefer not to use them and I’d advice others not to as well.

There’s some studies on the effect microwaved food has on immune function and whilst these are neither well controlled or large they do provide interesting and believable evidence in my opinion to avoid them.

I’d already made my mind up instinctively when they first came out as a teenager.

Matt

I spent a very enjoyable day with a group of 14 keen sports people.

There was a really diverse group of people including a strength and conditioning coach from a Championship Rugby team, a teacher who is going to be responsible for teaching a Sports Btec qualification, a personal trainer, and a range of keen amateur athletes froma variety of sports.

Thanks again to Dave Bell at the Perform Centre for hosting the day.

It was a really enjoyable day and the attendees reported that they learnt significant amounts of stuff that they are going to use themselves and for those that they work with.

On the way back on the train Gavin Allinson (who did a cooking demo) and I brainstormed some ways to make the next seminar we do even better, so we are even more excited about that.

I really enjoy sharing my knowledge on these seminar days, it's not like work at all for me and it's great fun.

If you think you would like to arrange a seminar at your workplace, for your club or organisation then contact Gavin by e-mail in the first instance and he will arrange a time to answer any questions.

Matt Lovell

P.S. Thanks to Don Gordon for the photo, here's what Don had to say.
 

Hi Matt,

Quick Thanks for the seminar yesterday – I learned a great deal – awesome info, quite a lot to chew over.

The hormone aspect was especially enlightening as was use of metabolic typing / profiling and testing protocols.

I shall be putting much of it to good use in my own practice and sharing it with others who will benefit, as well as myself.

Best in health

Don

Matt explains how carotenoids boost immune system and protect against flu. Surprisingly high levels of red pigments are found in green leaves…

Explaining about different types of energy bar and the benefit of eating physical food for endurance athletes and how rugby and football players can use an increased protein energy recovery bar.

To order Mule Bars

There are various mushroom extracts and supplements that have been shown to boost the immune system.

For many sports people it’s difficult to know when to stop training when you have a cold or the flu. There are some heavy duty chinese herbal supplements that I recommend and also provide a good rule of thumb as to when to take abreak from your training.

Training for endurance based events like triathlon, marathons and cycling requires  a great deal of planning,experience and knowledge.  In this video post I list in order of importance the nutritional factors starting with water, electrolytes, carbs and Branch Chain Amino Acid's ( BCAA's), probably endurance nutritions best kept secret. 

As you probably know ‘One Size Doesn’t Fit All’ and often tweaks need to be made so that you get the BEST out  of any system.

I’m there to help you make the tweaks.

Recently I adapted the Four Week Fat Loss  program for a PARAMEDIC  who was working shifts.

This time it is for a woman  Amanda Locke who fights as a THAI BOXER out of  The Tsunami Gym in Cambridge and wants to lose 4KG of fat so she can fight at a lower weight class.

Amanda had her first semi –pro fight last month, anyone who gets into an Octagon has got my respect!

I do some Thai boxing myself so I was especially keen to help Amanda.  We had a bit of communication via e-mail before Amanda decided to purchase Four Week Fat Loss

It can be a cost effective alternative for a lot of people as a sports nutrition consultation with me costs £500- £1000.

Here’s what Amanda had to say and below is my personal response to her.

I am currently fighting at 59kilo with 21% body fat and despite training every day, with one day rest, I am failing to drop body fat.

I am not losing muscle or going up or down in weight, I stay the same and have done for months!

My goal is to drop to 55kilo and body fat to around 18%, however I don’t  want to lose muscle as I need the strength.

Here’s my existing training program , I need to be able to get through each session without losing too much energy… I also get really hungry with all the training and tend to snack on fruit . I eat really well in general, I get really bad cravings for sweet things however.  I tend to eat breakfast at around 7 and snack again at 10 and then have lunch at 11 and then snack again after lunch time workout and then eat again at 4 (main meal). I sometimes eat after training then, normally fruit.

Monday: Weights upper body(1hour), Thai Boxing(2 hours)

Tuesday (3Krun)

Wednesday (Weights upper body and Thai Boxing as per Monday

Thursday: 3k run, lower body weights

Friday (3k run and circuit training)

Saturday Thai session for around 4 hours.

Here’s my reply

First you need to do the preparation phase – only eat fruit post training during this phase – next prepare for the intensive phase; during this phase you will drop in energy a little.

Before sessions you should use; Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) 20g and 5g of tyrosine – for energy, you’ll need this mixture for each hours training you do.

Branch Chains will help preserve your muscle mass and can be broken down by the body into glucose as an energy source and the tyrosine which is another amino acid will help you maintain focus.  After each of your sessions I want you to take a protein shake.

The 14 day intensive phase – is for strict fat burning – stick to your guns – get through it, the fat will melt off.  I presume you are night fighting that often maybe once a month?  You can do the strict fat burning phase just after a fight well before your next one.  Once you are through this – you’ll need to settle into maintenance and build back in some additional foods for energy and performance.

I would eat fruits to fuel your sessions – 2 pieces roughly an hour before Thai – but other than that try to stick to the principles. You may also want to slightly increase carbs post session only so you can look to take a protein and carb drink post session. Keep to the BCAAs and tyrosine during sessions.

Hope this helps for now.

Matt

As you can see I’m here to give a personal service and when you ask for help it often has a knock on effect because other people get to benefit as well.

So please don’t be shy, once you’ve purchased Four Week Fat Loss and you’ve gone through the materials let me know if you are struggling putting it into practice.

Download the water filtration document here.

To do this successfully takes a bit of trial and error to work out your own personal fat mix and you probably need a sports nutrition consultation to do it properly.

For differing length of event you need to alter your own personal fuel mix. Fat Adaptation allows your body to burn fat more efficiently and because there are more calories per gram of fat you have more fuel to weight. It’s important though that you store this fat intra musculalrly.

Of all the supplements that I recommend to my clients (athletes and non-athletes) the first choice is always Fish Oil. Fish oil is the panacea of life – there’s not much it can’t or won’t do in the body to regulate and enhance all aspects of cellular function. The reason it does this is because the cells or rather cell walls are made from fat. So the health of the cell membrane depends on the fat that you eat.  You need cells to be built from a good mix of fatty acids, but if you have too many of one type over another then cell membrane health will be compromised and cell communication will be less efficient.

Before we enter into a discussion about the merits of fish oil, it’s worth looking at Figure 1, which explains the metabolic pathways that are involved in fat metabolism. There are, for the purposes of this discussion 3 types of omega classification you need to think about, omega 3, 6 and 9.

Figure 1

Inflammation is the body is required for all systems to function, one example might be swollen quads after running down hill for a while. Another a bee sting, a third a runny nose when you have a cold or the flu. Prostaglandins regulate inflammation in the body. The foods we eat regulate prostaglandin synthesis.

You can see that eating foods on the top of the chart begin a process where the fats are converted into chemicals in the body known as prostaglandins (PGE1, 2, & 3). A prostaglandin (PGE) is any member of a group of lipid compounds that are derived enzymatically from fatty acids and have important functions in the body. Every prostaglandin contains 20 carbon atoms, including a 5-carbon ring. They are mediators and have a variety of strong physiological effects; although they are technically hormones, they are rarely classified as such.

Eating fish oil increases PGE3, whereas eating omega 6 fats from vegetables increases PGE1. Both these have favourable effects in the body if they are consumed in the right balance. PGE2 however has some nasty pro-inflammatory effects that in excess cause all the problems associated with a pro inflammatory state. A pro-inflammatory state means that the immune system and hormonal inflammatory system is on full alert: aches and pains will feel worse and recovery times will lengthen. Diseases like heart disease, and conditions like Asthma and Ezcema are pro inflammatory diseases. If you over consume omega 6’s you overload this pathway and cause a rise in PGE2. This can be worsened through excess insulin, wheat, milk, inadequate nutrients to assist with enzyme conversion and under consumption of omega 3.

I should say right now that some inflammation in the body is a good thing, and certain processes within inflammation are critical for the body to operate correctly and to manage stress and repair. Just think what happens when you get a swelling after being stung by a wasp, why you get a runny nose when you have a cold, or why your quads get sore after a squat session or downhill run. Each of these are parts of the inflammatory process that the body uses to repair itself. It’s when the inflammatory state is perpetually ON that we have problems.

A good balance between omega 3 and 6 would be 1:2 or 1:1 – in fact in the UK we routinely consume 1: 20 and up to 1: 50. This is one of the reasons asthma, eczema, diabetes, stroke, altzeimers and heart disease are all on the rise.

People who are likely to be deficient in omega 3 are those who don’t eat oily fish or walnuts, pumpkinseeds and linseeds regularly or people who don’t supplement. Athletes are normally always deficient as they process these fats quicker than the public but eat like the general public

There are a number of ways to tell if the balance of fatty acids in your body is inappropriate and by far the most accurate and recommended way is to get your red blood cell fatty acids status analysed through a blood test. You should take this test at least once every 6 months as it will help you determine if your fat balance is appropriate to start with and, subsequently, how fish oil supplementation is affecting your fat balance over time.

89% of all athletes that I test are deficient, and 50% are still low after 18 months of supplementation. The reason for this is athletes process these fats quicker due to high cell turnover and high states of inflammation due to their training. Plus it takes time to get these fats back into the body unless you mega dose which is something I do not believe in.

Other indicators of ways that you can tell when you are deficient are if you have rough skin on the back of your arms, or anywhere else, dry eyes, frequent infections, poor memory, loss of hair or dandruff, slow wound healing, PMS or breast pain and infertility.  Any inflammatory condition will worsen with low or insufficient intake of omega 3 and too much of other fatty acids particularly omega 6 and trans or hydrogenated fats. This is one of the reasons for the increase in these disorders in the western world. Asthma, eczema, arthritis, aches pains, heart disease, and stroke, can all be avoided or symptoms associated with these conditions improved through supplementation and changing the way you eat.

The main culprit in this picture is excess omega 6, i.e. vegetable oil. If you have sunflower oil at home also, throw it away! Switch to omega 9, sources instead – olive oil is the way to go along with avocado, and other monounsaturated rich sources like peanuts and sesame seeds.

Omega 9 although not included in the fatty acid chart is an inert fat, in that it does not alter PGE production negatively, in fact research suggests omega 9 may complement fish consumption and has additional anti inflammatory benefits. This is one of the reasons the Mediterranean diet is so healthy.

BENEFITS OF FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTATION

The most common reported health benefit that people are aware of is a decrease in inflammation and pain around joints and problem areas such as old injuries or points of surgery. Many athletes who have taken fish oils can use less anti-inflammatory NSAIDS or even none at all once they have the right levels in their diet and supplementation programme. Combining fish oil with other herbal botanicals can literally work wonders. Last week I took an elderly lady from not being able to open doors or lift up her grandchildren to doing just that within a week. Her arthritic thumb was hampering common daily activities so much that she couldn’t function in normal ways. Her regime simple, cat’s claw, ultra inflamex (metagenics product), and fish oil. Full details of where to source your oils from are included at the end of this article.

Fish oil supplementation is also linked to brain function. The highest concentration of DHA and EPA in the body is in the brain. There’s plenty of research to support higher IQ level in children and better general behaviour with kids who take fish oils and fatty acid supplements regularly. The same benefits also apply to adults through fish oil’s ability to increase serotonin levels and brain communication.

SCIENCE;

Here’s some science based advice and practical issues you should consider when supplementing with fish oils;

Fish oil, which has a high concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may increase fat utilization and decrease fat storage.  More specifically, it may turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes) and turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).  Furthermore, it may provide additional fat loss effects by increasing the utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes, serotonin levels (and hence reduce carbohydrate cravings), insulin sensitivity and decreasing alcohol cravings.

As with all supplements, it is worth noting that you can have too much of a good thing, even with fish oil! So to optimise fish oil supplementation, here are my practical recommendations:

* The accumulative dose of EPA and DHA should be ~4-6g/d.  However, higher doses may have an additive effect on fat loss   
* You should get your red blood cell fatty acid profile measured every 6 months when taking fish oil or any fatty acid supplement   
* The ratio of EPA:DHA should be 3:2 most supplements come at this dose
* Fish oil supplement should be combined with GLA in the dose highlighted above
* Fish oil supplement should be combined with vitamin E (prevents oxidation of fish oil within the body, i.e. increases its stability within the body) you’ll need 400ius for each 10g of fish oil consumed. So 100iu is enough for a 2-3g fish oil dose
* Fish oil supplement should be stored in a cool, dry place
* Cycle the Fish oil product that you use regularly i.e. use a range of reputable suppliers
* Combining fish oil with L-carnitine may have an additive effect on fat loss.  For every 10g of fish oil, take 1g of L-carnitine.  Since L-carnitine is a stimulant, it should be taken before 4pm so as not to disrupt sleep.

VIRGIN ORGANIC COCONUT OIL

This is one of the most misunderstood of all fats, classically labeled a saturate and as such fattening to consume. Nothing, I repeat nothing could be further from the truth.

Note it is virgin, organic – not any old coconut oil will do! Be very sure you have this type of oil otherwise the health benefits will not happen! Standard palm oil is not the stuff you are looking for.

Coconuts themselves are highly nutritious and rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are classified as a "functional foods" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional or calorie content. Coconut oil is of special interest in addition to other functional fats because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other culinary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut’s amazing healing powers.

Coconut oil is not actually saturated fat in the true sense of the word, in that it comes under the saturated classification but is not a long chain fatty acid, it is a medium chain triglyceride as such it does not behave like a saturated fat in the body. Medium chain triglycerides actually absorb directly to the liver so they burn very like carbohydrate, this means they provide instant energy and are suitable for endurance based events, containing more calories per weight than carbohydrate and with many additional health benefits.

There’s been a lot written on the net about coconut oil and for those of you who want to read further go to; http://www.livecoconutoil.com/maryenig.htm

All I will say on the matter is coconut oil is absolutely essential for excelling in any sport and should be consumed as part of a regular diet whether you exercise or not.

The caveat is you need to replace other oils with coconut oil, not add coconut oil to existing fat consumption. Whilst I don’t agree with counting calories, calories do eventually count in any regime based on body composition management.

With all food products which have health benefits, it easy to think ‘why believe all the hype’? And I still don’t believe it’s good for you! Well here’s a list of things coconut oil definitely does not do;

Unlike other sources of saturated fat; Virgin Coconut Oil does not;
.
*  promote platelet stickiness, which leads to blood clot formation.
*  contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease.
*  promote cancer or any other degenerative disease.
*  contribute to weight problems.
*  create cell damaging free radicals like other vegetable oils and is stable at cooking temperatures

So we can see that it is not associated with the same stigma as other saturated fats!

What about the good things it can do? Before you read this list remember these are facts supported by research you can follow the link for peer reviewed research at the end of this article. Finally I’d like you to take the coconut challenge, replace all butter and oil use with coconut oil for 2 weeks and see and feel the difference.

POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM USING VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

As with any claims made for health there is often conflicting and sometimes scarce information. However when reviewing the literature there appears to be enough positive benefits to warrant the use of coconut oil in your daily regime. Certainly replacing omega 6 sources of fat and using coconut oil for any type of heated cooking would seem of absolute benefit. Once you begin using coconut oil you may also feel some of the other benefit listed below.

*  It helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, including Candida.
*  It improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
*  It assists in the absorption of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.
*  It is easily absorbed and utilized by people who have trouble digesting fats or who have gallbladder disease.
*  It helps protect us from disease-causing bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and parasites
*  It supports immune system function.
*  It supports good thyroid function (an essential part of any good weight loss program).
*  It supports a healthy metabolism.
*  It provides an immediate source of energy.
*  It supplies less calories than other fats.
*  It improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
*  Is resists spoilage and rancidity, even without refrigeration.
*  It resists breakdown from heat, making it the absolute best oil on Earth for cooking.
*  It may help your skin to stay soft and smooth.
*  It may help prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.
.
In summary;

Just adding coconut oil on top of your current diet is not the sensible thing to do. Exchange other fats such as sunflower oil and sources of saturates with coconut oil will have positive outcomes.

Replacing vegetable oils with coconut oil and olive oil to increase potential health benefits seems like an easy and tasty way to improve health through reduction of pro inflammatory fats, and it also appears to do what it says on the tin in terms of fat burning through raising the metabolic rate. Additional benefits for digestive health and immune boosting properties make it a functional asset to anyone’s nutrition. Anyone who is immune compromised or suffers from digestive problems should also use coconut oil regularly.

Thanks to livecoconutoil.com for some of the Information in this article.

For the science hungry guys go to; http://www.coconutoil.com/peer_reviewed.htm

To buy Coconut Oil, here is a reputable source: http://www.coconoil.co.uk/

Link to download the printable E-book "Fats for good health and weight loss?

‘How eating a burger on Friday can make you feel hungry on Monday’ was one of the more memorable ones.

A recently published study from the UT Southwestern Medical Center confirms that fat from certain foods influences our brain chemistry.

Fatty acids integrate into the membranes of the nerves to alter brain-cell signaling that causes them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from leptin and insulin.

Leptin and Insulin are hormones known to be involved in weight regulation. One particular type of saturated fat (bad fat) – palmitic acid – is particularly effective at disrupting this mechanism.  Palmitic acid is found in high amounts in cheese, high fat dairy products, milk chocolate, non-organically reared pork.

Eating “bad fats” not only changes the composition of your cells for the worse, impacting on everything from concentration to the risk of cancer, but will actually make it more likely you’ll continue over-eating and continue with bad dietary practices.

Talk about a VISCIOUS CIRCLE!

Normally, our body communicates with our brain to indicate when we’ve had enough, but that doesn’t always happen when we’re eating something particularly tasty. In the rats studied, the effect lasts about three days.

This may go some way to explaining the phenomena of “falling off the wagon” in spectacular style: a binge on a Friday may keep you hungrier than normal until Monday morning.

The basic science behind “satiety-signals” or feeling full is fairly logical.

Certain hormones are produced when we eat, that not only influence our body chemistry, but also brain-chemistry, behaviour and eating patterns. The best known of these hormones is insulin, which is released in response to carbohydrate ingestion.

Insulin not only tells our body to store carbohydrate (with the surplus being stored as fat), and promotes muscle growth (a good thing), but also crosses the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) to influence our behaviour and stop us eating.

A similar hormone is cholycystokinin (CKK), it’s released from the gut around 30 minutes after eating.

This hormone stimulates nervous inputs to the brain in the gastrointestinal tract that make us feel full for a short time, although the effects are quick to wear off and this hormone is not thought to play a great role in appetite-regulation over the course of the whole day.

Leptin is produced from fatty tissue, not in response to feeding, but rather it’s influenced by body-fatness, weight-loss/gain and your body-clock.  So if you are already overweight then you will produce more Leptin that will continue to make you even fatter.  It’s the viscious circle again.

It is well established that eating a high-fat diet can cause insulin resistance, but less is known about the mechanisms that trigger this resistance or whether specific types of fat are more likely to cause it. As the brain is made of 60% fat (dry weight), its composition is determined by the fat we eat.  This may cause the incorporation of “good fats” or “bad fats” into the brains structure. 

Do you want your brain to be made of ‘good fat’ or ‘bad fat’?

Researchers attempted to isolate the effects of fat on rats’ brains by exposing them to fat in different ways

Only the type of fat differed in the different groups, with each of 2 groups being administered either Palmitic acid (a “bad” saturated fat), or the monounsaturate oleic acid, found in olive oil.

Palmitic acid is a common saturated fatty acid occurring in foods such as butter, cheese, milk and beef, and is frequently added to convenience foods like ice-cream.

Palmitic acid specifically reduced the ability of leptin and insulin to activate intracellular signaling pathways in the brain, while the oleic acid did not do this.

Therefore…

eating the wrong type of fat actually causes you to eat more.

In addition, this mechanism is triggered in the brain long before the rats showed any other signs of obesity.   So you start getting fat even before you actually are fat.

Insulin resistance and its effect on obesity have frequently been compared to an explosion: it is self-perpetuating and up-regulates itself.

Once Insulin sensitivity decreases, the body increases the insulin released which reduces the effectiveness of insulin receptors, further impairing sensitivity.

In much the same way, eating bad fats not only puts these fats in your body, but seemingly encourages you to eat more of them. No wonder some people just seem to “blow-up” and get really big, weight gain can be like a snowball getting bigger as it rolls down the slope!

Ok so what can we do to prevent this from happening?

Action Steps

Insulin resistance in most cases can be reversed, you need to follow a diet like my Four Week Fat Loss program, you’ll need to restrict high glyceamic index foods like bread, pasta, and rice and eat more good fats.

Replace the bad fats with good fats. Not all saturates are bad, for example Virgin Coconut oil, made by Coconoil, can actually increase the rate at which you burn fat.

PUFAs (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids), as can be found in the high-grade fish-oil supplements Aliment Nutrition  is the first I recommend  and can positively affect your brain chemistry and fat metabolism with a lot of research existing on Omega-3 and brain function.

A chromium supplement like Glucolean from Country life can help increase insulin sensitivity, meaning that your body and mind will combine to regulate your intake effectively.

I value your questions and look forward to hearing them and helping assist you.

Best regards

Matt Lovell

As the weather heats up and I get prepared for 2 weeks holiday in Italy, my thoughts have turned to the role that water has in your sports nutrition plan.

Here’s the the water document.

Matt

Health wise spices are very much in the spot light scientifically with turmeric leading the pack due to it’s powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Most of us won’t eat this unless we go for a curry when there will also generally be a lot of other poor fats and maybe some alcohol involved as well.

Incorporating Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese and Vietnamese cooking into your weekly routine will do wonders for your health and performance.

Most of the meals are balanced nicely between, vegetables, salads, meats, spices, coconut and stock, with a small amount of rice included. This is a highly low inflammation and low allergy based diet.

No wonder many of these people never seem to age in the same way we do! Check out our list of beneficial Thai spices and also be aware that once you sign up for 4 week fat loss we give away a recipe book as part of your start up bundle.

Till next time.

Matt

If you’ve been following the Tour De France this year or know anything about British sports you probably recognise the name Bradley Wiggins, he’s won 3 gold medals at the past 2 Olympic Games in Athens and Bejing.

He is tearing it up in the Tour De France this year and is currently in 3rd position overall, with Lance Armstrong less than 10 seconds ahead of him.

In a sport like cycling any dramatic increase in performance usually comes with ‘raised eyebrows’, but Wiggins has put his new found success on the road down to good old fashioned fat loss!

I know his nutritionist Nigel Mitchell – who is doing a fantastic job.

Wiggins won his cycling gold medals on the track in a race that lasts around 4 minutes, the individual and team pursuit. You have to have a different body shape and composition to excel at that distance than you do  a race like the Tour, that lasts for 3 weeks and is up and down some of the highest mountains in Europe.

In the recent reports I have read Wiggins has said that when he won the Olympics last summer in Bejing he weighed 82Kg, when he had competed in the tour in previous years he had weighed around 76kg, this year he is down to 72Kg and 4% body fat.

He said he lost some muscle mass from his upper body as this is not important to have while racing in the tour, where to do well in the overall standings you have to be able to get up and over the Alps and other mountain ranges.

Let’s look at the amount he has actually lost as this has implications for many sports…

It always surprises me that when I work with professional athletes and serious amateurs just how many pay little attention to their body composition.  They will spend on average anything from 10-25 hours a week training to get fit for their sport, always looking to improve, to be that little bit faster, to be able to last that little bit longer but all the while because they haven’t got their diet sorted out they are  competing with excess weight strapped onto them.

Just this last week I had a message from a serious triathlete who was telling me that he needs to lose weight and was worried about being in a ‘fat burning zone’ because that would mean that he would have less energy when he is training.

Lets cover some practicalities…

In order to lose fat fast, you first need to deplete your carbohydrate stores (stored in the form of glycogen which is found in the muscle and liver), when these have been depleted that is when your body turns primarily to fat to start providing energy to keep it going. I explain this in greater detail in 4 Week Fat Loss. If you are an endurance athlete like a marathon runner, cyclist or tri-athlete then when you are going on a long training session you will most likely take an energy bar or drink so that you can keep your energy levels up and keep going at the same pace.

What is going to happen if you don’t consume the extra sugar in the energy bar or drink? 

You are going to slow down and find it impossible to keep the same pace because you are now burning fat instead of carbohydrate. Obviously you do not want to be doing this close to a race or a competition (3 days prior would be a cut off).  However as part of an overall strategy to lose fat and become leaner it makes a great deal of sense. 

What you need to do is to prioritise fat loss as the effect it’ll have on your longer term performance will be dramatic.

What you have to weigh up is this, am I going to go faster in the long term,

By losing 1 lb of excess fat and completing this training session at 80-90% of my potential

or

I know what Bradley Wiggins would say!

This is what I would advise if you can afford to lose a significant amount of weight  anything over 5 lbs then don’t measure your times and performances for a week or two and focus on fat burning as it is going to make a bigger difference to your results and performances in the longer term.

Stress can have debilitating effects in short term performance and can lead to serious illnesses and even sudden death over the longer term. 

We’ve all heard stories or perhaps even know someone who died before their time as a result of a stress related illness, usually a heart attack.

Our bodies are designed to cope with short bursts of stress but when that stress is prolonged that’s when we start to break down and our performance can suffer.

I use 2 different questionnaires to help identify where stress is coming from.

Questionnaire 1

I use this as a diagnostic tool with my clients to help identify the root causes of their stress. Often I find that the individual can be too close to their own situation to identify where the stress is coming from and using this spreadsheet can help isolate particular areas.

Questionnaire Number 2

In this second Questionnaire we  start to identify where the deficiencies might be on a body system level.

Endocrine (Hormonal) Function
Neural Tissue (Nerve) Health
Musculo-Skeletal Health
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Detoxification Capability
Fat and Protein Metabolism
Eicosanoid Modulation (Eicosanoids exert control over many bodily systems, mainly in inflammation or immunity, and as messengers in the central nervous system – source wikipedia).

When I review the results of this second diagnostic tool I then look at behavioural modifications and improvements that can be made and also a supplement strategy  that can support the body system that is being put under extra pressure.

If you ever  feel stressed or overwhelmed it is worth taking the time to fill out these diagnostic tools.

There’s no charge to use them you can access them here.

Catch up with you soon

Matt Lovell

1 thick cut piece of cod loin
4 artichoke hearts
2 slices Serrano ham, cut into strips
1 tsp sherry vinegar
100g green beans
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, sliced
Handful of flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

1 large squid tube cut into rings or 3 baby squid, cleaned
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced
1 red pepper, cut in strips
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 large red chilli, diced
handful of pine nuts
Zest of 1 lemon
Teaspoon of fennel seeds
1 tbsp capers, rinsed
Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
Glass of dry white wine
Same amount of water
Tablespoon of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

These special substances occur in nature are freely available and have the ability to rapidly improve your body composition and long term health as well, they are;

Fish oil

Coconut Oil

Green Tea

Chocolate

CLA

Not taking advantage of things like these is understandable if you don’t know about them, so the purpose of this article is to inform you about some cool foods you can include into your daily habits to increase health wellness and even happiness.

The daddy of special substances is fish oil. Fish oil is the panacea of life, there’s not much it can’t or won’t do in the body to regulate and enhance all aspects of cellular function.

The reason it does this is because the cells or rather cell walls are made from fat. So the health of the cell membrane depends on the fat that you eat. You need cells to be built from a good mix of fatty acids, but if you have too many of one type over another then cell membrane health will be compromised and cell communication will be less efficient.

There are a number of ways to tell if you are deficient, by far the most accurate and recommended way is to get your red blood cell fatty acids status analysed through a blood test. You should do this regularly if you take fish oil or any kind of essential fat at least once every 6 months.

Other ways you can tell are if you have rough skin on the back of your arms, or anywhere else, dry eyes, frequent infections, poor memory, loss of hair of dandruff, slow wound healing, PMS or breast pain and infertility.

Any inflammatory condition will worsen with low or insufficient intake of omega 3 and a balance of other fatty acids particularly omega 6 and trans or hydrogenated fats. This is one of the reasons for the increase in these disorders in the western world. Asthma, eczema, arthritis, aches pains, heart disease, and stroke, can all be avoided or symptoms associated with these conditions improved through supplementation and changing the way you eat.

The culprit in this picture is also excess omega 6, vegetable oil – if you have sunflower oil at home, throw it away! Switch to omega 9, sources instead – olive oil is the way to go along with avocado, and other monounsaturated rich sources like peanuts and sesame seeds.

People who are likely to be deficient in omega 3 are those who don’t eat oily fish or walnuts, pumpkinseeds and linseeds regularly or people who don’t supplement. Athletes are normally always deficient as they process these fats quicker than the public but eat like the general public.

89% of all athletes I test are deficient, and 50% are still low after 18 months of supplementation. The reason for this is athletes process these fats quicker due to high cell turnover and high states of inflammation. Plus it takes time to get these fats back into the body unless you mega dose which is something I do not believe in.

Most common reported health benefit which people are aware of is a decrease in inflammation and pain around joints and problem areas such as old injuries or points of surgery. Many athletes who have taken fish oils can use less anti-inflammatory NSAIDS or even non at all once they have the right levels in their diet and supplementation programme. Combining fish oil with other herbal botanicals can literally work wonders. Last week I took an elderly lady from not being able to open doors or lift up her grandchildren to doing just that within a week. Her arthritic thumb was hampering common daily activities so much; she couldn’t function in normal ways. Her regime simple, cat’s claw, ultra inflamex (metagenics product), and fish oil.

They also help with a variety of mental parameters as the brain is comprised primarily of fish oil. There’s plenty of research to support higher IQ level in children and lower behavioral issues with kids who take fish oils and fatty acid supplements regularly. The same benefits also apply to adults through fish oils ability to increase serotonin levels and brain communication.

SUMMARY AND SCIENCE;

Here’s some science based advice and practical issues you should consider when supplementing with fish oils;

Fish oil, which has a high concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), may increase fat utilization and decrease fat storage. More specifically, it may turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes) and turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes). Furthermore, it may provide additional fat loss effects by increasing the utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes, serotonin levels (and hence reduce carbohydrate cravings), insulin sensitivity and decreasing alcohol cravings.

High doses of EPA and DHA increase oxidative stress, which in turn promotes inflammation. For example, they can cause oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDLs), i.e. LDL is converted from large, good LDL to small, dense, bad LDL. The significance of this is that small, dense, bad LDL has the potential to leak through the endothelial wall, setting off a chain of athrogenic (cardiovascular) events. Owing to this EPA and DHA should be taken with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which has an anti-inflammatory effect. The dose of GLA should be 30-50% of the total amount of EPA:DHA. In order to reduce oxidative stress caused by high doses of EPA and DHA, it is important to eat anti-oxidants which are red in colour since they benefit the heart.

In order to optimise fish oil supplementation, the following should apply:

· The accumulative dose of EPA and DHA should be ~4-6g/d. However, higher doses may have an additive effect on fat loss

· You should get your RBC fatty acid profile measured every 6 months when taking fish oil or any fatty acid supplement

· The ratio of EPA:DHA should be 3:2

· Fish oil supplement should be combined with GLA in the dose highlighted above

· Fish oil supplement should be combined with vitamin E (prevents oxidation of fish oil within the body, i.e. increases its stability within the body)

· Fish oil supplement should be stored in a cool, dry place

· Fish oil supplement used should be cycled regularly

· Combining fish oil with L-carnitine may have an additive effect on fat loss. For every 10g of fish oil, take 1g of L-carnitine. Since L-carnitine is a stimulant, it should be taken before 4pm so as not to disrupt sleep.

VIRGIN ORGANIC COCONUT OIL

This is one of the most misunderstood of all fats, classically labeled a saturate and as such fattening to consume. Nothing, I repeat nothing could be further from the truth.

Note it is virgin, organic – not any old coconut oil will do! Be very sure you have this type of oil otherwise the health benefits will not happen! Standard palm oil is not the stuff you are looking for.

Coconuts themselves are highly nutritious and rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are classified as a "functional foods" because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional or calorie content. Coconut oil is of special interest in addition to other functional fats because it possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other culinary oil and is extensively used in traditional medicine among Asian and Pacific populations. Pacific Islanders consider coconut oil to be the cure for all illness. The coconut palm is so highly valued by them as both a source of food and medicine that it is called "The Tree of Life." Only recently has modern medical science unlocked the secrets to coconut’s amazing healing powers.

Coconut oil is not actually saturated fat in the true sense of the word, in that it comes under the saturated classification but is not a long chain fatty acid, it is a medium chain triglyceride as such it does not behave like a saturated fat in the body. Medium chain triglycerides actually absorb directly to the liver so they burn very like carbohydrate, this means they provide instant energy and are suitable for endurance based events, containing more calories per weight than carbohydrate and with many additional health benefits.

There’s been a lot written on the net about coconut oil and for those of you who want to read further go to; http://www.livecoconutoil.com/maryenig.htm

All I will say on the matter is coconut oil is absolutely essential for excelling in any sport and should be consumed as part of a regular diet whether you exercise or not.

With all food products which have health benefits, it easy to think ‘why believe all the hype’? And I still don’t believe it’s good for you! Well here’s a list of things coconut oil definitely does not do;

· Coconut oil contains no cholesterol so it does not increase blood serum cholesterol level.

· It does not promote platelet stickiness, which leads to blood clot formation.

· It does not contribute to atherosclerosis or heart disease.

· It does not promote cancer or any other degenerative disease.

· It does not contribute to weight problems.

· Does not create cell damaging free radicals like other vegetable oils and is stable at cooking temperatures

So we can see that it is not associated with the same stigma as other saturated fats! What about the good things it can do?

Before you read this list remember these are facts supported by research you can follow the link for peer reviewed research at the end of this article.

Finally I’d like you to take the coconut challenge, replace all butter and oil use with coconut oil for 2 weeks and see and feel the difference.

POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM USIGN VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

· It reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses.

· It reduces the risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions.

· It helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, including Candida.

· It improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.

· It relieves stress on the pancreas and enzymatic systems of the body.

· It assists in the absorption of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.

· It is easily absorbed and utilized by people who have trouble digesting fats or who have gallbladder disease.

· It improves calcium and magnesium absorption for the development of strong bones and teeth

· It helps protect us from disease-causing bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and parasites

· It supports immune system function.

· It helps prevent osteoporosis.

· It helps control diabetes.

· It supports good thyroid function (an essential part of any good weight loss program).

· It supports a healthy metabolism.

· It provides an immediate source of energy.

· It supplies less calories than other fats.

· It supplies important nutrients that are necessary for good health.

· It improves digestion and nutrient absorption.

· Is resists spoilage and rancidity, even without refrigeration.

· It resists breakdown from heat, making it the absolute best oil on Earth for cooking.

· It helps your skin to stay soft and smooth.

· It helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.

· It is an important factor in preventing skin cancer and blemishes.

· It assists the body in destroying dozens of harmful viruses including hepatitis C, herpes, and HIV.

· If you’re not using "Live Coconut Oil" for your daily cooking and body care needs you’re missing out on one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind.

Thanks to livecoconutoil.com for some of the Information in this article.

For the science hungry guys go to;

http://www.coconutoil.com/peer_reviewed.htm

GREEN TEA

Next to fish oils green tea is a wonder food, drink it regularly, drink it lots – get a version you enjoy the taste of. The best product is Matcha ceremonial green tea used in the orient for 1000’s of years to improve mediation and meetings between people. Here’s a list of what it does.

v Green Tea; calms the brain

v Increases both GABA and Dopamine

v Excellent for decision making when under fire

v Increases alpha waves

v Protects against most diseases

v Burns fat

Alpha brain waves are seen in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness, for more info check out http://www.biocybernaut.com/about/brainwaves/alpha.htm

So if you like being stressed, fat and prone to disease don’t drink green tea!

SCIENCE AND SUMMARY;

Increased adipose (fat) mass is a consequence of either increased adipocyte (fat cell) size (hypertrophy) or increased adipocyte number (hyperplasia) or both. Adipose tissue hyperplasia (increasing in number) is a result of increased adipogenesis, which includes preadipocyte proliferation and adipocyte differentiation. Thus, therapeutic agents that have the ability to reduce or inhibit adipogenesis or increase cell death by apoptosis could have a profound impact on body composition.

.Green tea extracts, specifically those containing a high proportion of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation (Dulloo et al., 1999) and increase weight loss in humans (Chantre and Lairon, 2002). In addition, EGCG treatment has been shown to decrease fat deposition in rats (Kao, Hiipakka and Liao, 2000). Although increased thermogenesis and inhibition of lipase activity have been suggested to be responsible for EGCG induced weight loss, EGCG has been shown to have antiproliferative effects (inhibits maturation and increases apoptosis, i.e. cell death) that may also impact adipose tissue.

In addition to its antiproliferative effect, EGCG may also have an inhibitory effect on differentiation. More specifically, it may act to inhibit the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in adipocytes, resulting in inhibition of lipogenesis. Empirical evidence suggests that 500mg of EGCG taken in the form of a decaffeinated green tea extract supplement twice daily (500mg at breakfast and lunch) is optimal for the fat utilization and storage effects highlighted above.

Furthermore, EGCG can be considered to be a general wellbeing nutrient. It has been reported to have antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties (Kondo et al., 1999; Cai et al., 2002) and anticarcinogenic or cancer preventing actions (Chung et al., 2003; Hu, Han and Chen, 1995).

Basically it kills fat cells, up regulates fat burning and prevents cancer – so drink it!

Chocolate Has Health Benefits

Can chocolate really be good for you? Recent studies have shown that eating chocolate can be beneficial to your health. Chocolate contains a substance called catechins that could help prevent cancer and heart disease, as well as lower blood pressure. Catechins are strong antioxidants which clear away destructive molecules in the body called free radicals. Free radicals damage cells which help trigger heart disease and cancer. A large amount of antioxidants in your diet can help reduce your risk for developing heart disease and cancer. Cocoa powder and chocolate are good sources of antioxidants. See the list of Top Antioxidant Foods below. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts than most other foods. You can also find catechins in large doses in green tea. In addition, researchers have discovered that physical and emotional enjoyment from eating chocolate, even in small doses, can enhance immune function for hours afterwards. They believe that life’s small pleasures may have a cumulative effect in boosting the immune system over a long period. The good news is that moderate chocolate consumption offers health benefits. The bad news is that you can’t eat whatever you want because too much chocolate can lead to weight gain.

TOP ANTIOXIDANT FOODS ORAC* UNITS PER 100 GRAMS
Cherries	670
Onion	450
Corn	400
Eggplant	390

SOURCE: Data from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. *ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the ability of foods to subdue harmful oxygen free radicals that can damage our bodies.

CLA & another reason to eat grass fed beef;

CLA appears to help drop body fat and build muscle; it also works to protect muscle when you really damage it.

Hey guess what CLA also occurs naturally in cows, yes the meat and milk and milk based products which come from a cow are very high in natural CLA. There’s one problem though the cow’s got to eat grass! Before you think I thought they did, how wrong could you be, most cows eat a version of cornflakes (less refined than the ones we have in the supermarket though)! This is because omega 6 fatty acids make you fat real quick, remember the inflammation story? It’s omega 6 dependent. Do yourself a favour, don’t eat cow’s which don’t eat grass and don’t drink the milk, eat the cheese or put the butter on your bread (you’re using coconut oil now though right?)

But if grass fed beef is beyond the pail then you might want to supplement with CLA.

The term CLA refers to a class of positional and geometric conjugated dieonic isomers of linoleic acid. It has been shown to have many biological effects, including anti-carcinogenesis, anti-atherogenesis, immune modulation, and altering body composition (Pariza, 2004).

The effect of CLA on human body composition is controversial, but when the body of evidence is considered as a whole, CLA does reduce body fat (Whigham, Watras and Schoeller, 2007); although the effect is modest. The mechanisms by which CLA may reduce body fat include reduction of lipid accumulation by adipocytes mediated through effects on lipoprotein lipase and stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (Pariza, Park and Cook, 2001).

As highlighted above CLA has different isomers. The t10, c12 isomer has been identified as the one responsible for decreasing body fat (Park et al., 1999; Gavino et al., 2000). Notwithstanding this, one human study that exclusively used the t10, c12 isomer resulted in transient insulin resistance within 12 weeks (Riserus et al., 2002). There is inadequate data to indicate an ideal mix of isomers for body composition, but it is generally agreed that a mixture of t10, c12 and c9, t11 results in no severe adverse events (Whigham et al., 2007).

The optimal dose for CLA is uncertain. Doses ranging between 0.5-5g/d have been reported to decrease body fat. However, higher doses may produce additional fat loss (Whigham et al., 2007).

As part of your fat burning regime including grass fed beef products seems to be a useful idea. In addition supplementing with CLA will help decrease pain and inflammation associated with intensive exercise and may have additional beneficial effects on fat storage and muscle building.

For a comprehensive discussion of performance fats go to; http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=461360

Next to fish oils green tea is a wonder food, drink it regularly, drink it lots – get a version you enjoy the taste of. The best product is Matcha ceremonial green tea used in the orient for 1000’s of years to improve mediation and meetings between people. Here’s a list of what it does.

• Green Tea; calms the brain
• Increases both GABA and Dopamine
• Excellent for decision making when under fire
• Increases alpha waves
• Protects against most diseases
• Burns fat

Alpha brain waves are seen in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness, for more info check out http://www.biocybernaut.com/about/brainwaves/alpha.htm

So if you like being stressed, fat and prone to disease don’t drink green tea!

Finally I’d like you to take the coconut challenge, replace all butter and oil use with coconut oil for 2 weeks and see and feel the difference.

POSITIVE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM USING VIRGIN COCONUT OIL

• It reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and related illnesses.
• It reduces the risk of cancer and other degenerative conditions.
• It helps prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, including Candida.
• It improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose.
• It relieves stress on the pancreas and enzymatic systems of the body.
• It assists in the absorption of minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.
• It is easily absorbed and utilized by people who have trouble digesting fats or who have gallbladder disease.
• It improves calcium and magnesium absorption for the development of strong bones and teeth
• It helps protect us from disease-causing bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungi, and parasites
• It supports immune system function.
• It helps prevent osteoporosis.
• It helps control diabetes.
• It supports good thyroid function (an essential part of any good weight loss program).
• It supports a healthy metabolism.
• It provides an immediate source of energy.
• It supplies less calories than other fats.
• It supplies important nutrients that are necessary for good health.
• It improves digestion and nutrient absorption.
• Is resists spoilage and rancidity, even without refrigeration.
• It resists breakdown from heat, making it the absolute best oil on Earth for cooking.
• It helps your skin to stay soft and smooth.
• It helps prevent premature aging and wrinkling of the skin.
• It is an important factor in preventing skin cancer and blemishes.
• It assists the body in destroying dozens of harmful viruses including hepatitis C, herpes, and HIV.
• If you’re not using "Live Coconut Oil" for your daily cooking and body care needs you’re missing out on one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind.

Thanks to livecoconutoil.com for some of the Information in this article.

For the science hungry guys go to;

http://www.coconutoil.com/peer_reviewed.htm

SCIENCE AND SUMMARY;

Increased adipose (fat) mass is a consequence of either increased adipocyte (fat cell) size (hypertrophy) or increased adipocyte number (hyperplasia) or both. Adipose tissue hyperplasia (increasing in number) is a result of increased adipogenesis, which includes preadipocyte proliferation and adipocyte differentiation. Thus, therapeutic agents that have the ability to reduce or inhibit adipogenesis or increase cell death by apoptosis could have a profound impact on body composition.

Green tea extracts, specifically those containing a high proportion of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), have been shown to increase 24 hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation (Dulloo et al., 1999) and increase weight loss in humans (Chantre and Lairon, 2002). In addition, EGCG treatment has been shown to decrease fat deposition in rats (Kao, Hiipakka and Liao, 2000). Although increased thermogenesis and inhibition of lipase activity have been suggested to be responsible for EGCG induced weight loss, EGCG has been shown to have antiproliferative effects (inhibits maturation and increases apoptosis, i.e. cell death) that may also impact adipose tissue.

 Full Report Coming soon

There’s a lot of myths about this that have been built up over the years, one of the most common myths is that your body can only consume 30g of protein at a time, any more than that and you just end up weeing out the amino acids.

This is one of the oldest myths around and it came about due to a paper that was published that reported those findings (I’ve not been able to find the paper, so I may be adding to the myth!).

Seriously though the original research was done on OAP’s, and also females (who have a lower muscle mass). This is really flawed and the myth stay on. Only yesterday one of my rugby players asked me, can’t we only absorb that amount. I was like, dude, I would have been in your tribe 100,000 years ago! You’d
never have survived.

The body can process and absorb huge amounts of protein, but it does depend on body mass, activity patterns and age – as we get older we produce less stomach acid and digestive enzymes.

What we need to remember is that a lot of research particularly research from the 70′s and 80′s was undertaken in hospital settings with patients who are very ill?  Protocols that we use in sport still come from hospital research.

In those situations when a patient is bed ridden and not eating properly, the patient starts breaking down their own muscle to provide energy. They literally start WASTING AWAY; you’ve probably seen people who this has happened to.  It’s sad. Of course anything that can help preserve muscle mass is looked on very favourably in these settings.

The myth of only 30g of protein comes from a study done with very sick people, in the study they found that the patients could only utilise more than 30 g, if they fed them more there was no significant advantage, this is where I believe the myth stems from.

Later I heard that Louis Ferrigno, aka ‘The hulk’ started to tell people in Golds gym the same myth, the rest they say is history……. (although this may also be another myth)!

If you think about it logically and look at how we have evolved over the 1000′s of years of human existence, when our ancestors would have killed a wild animal they wouldn’t be sat round the campfire saying

‘Go easy on the protein Nigel; you’re just going to end up wasting all those nutrients if you eat too much’

We’ve evolved to be able to cope with eating a lot more than 30g in one sitting.

Ok so HOW MUCH SHOULD we have.

The International Society of Sports Nutritionists recommends 1.2g-2.0g Kg per day, (120g -200g for a 100Kg athlete).  Now that is sufficient if you are a ‘normal’ athlete as opposed to one who is trying to add extra lean muscle.

During my practical experience working with elite rugby players who are wanting to build muscle I use a protocol of 3.5g protein per kg (350g of protein for a 100Kg athlete) that’s the equivalent of about 13 cans of tuna a day.

Please don’t start going out and consuming that amount of protein if your not backing it up with a specific training plan and eating strategy, if you do you will just get fat!  Also I recommend that amount because a lot of the sources come from single amino acids and liquid forms of protein such as whey.

These proteins are already mostly broken down, they don’t need any digestion!

You also need to check you have no kidney issues before going on a high protein diet. This is very, very,  important.

Also you need to be aware of the acidic nature of protein in your body and the need to have plenty of alkalising foods at the same time. It’s important to understand all the elements of the puzzle not just seize on one tip here and there and trying it for a week or 2 until the next fad comes along.

I’ll also show you which aminos, and amino blends supply alkaline building blocks for the body.

I just want to let you know about some of the latest research… This research suggests that there is one particular amino acid that when an excess of it is taken it has the effect of ‘turning on’ protein synthesis.  If you don’t have enough of this amino acid your muscle building potential will be limited as a result.

In my muscle building program I outline the exact protocol for protein and carbohydrate consumption that turns your body into a muscle building machine. You’ll learn the exact amounts to have   pre and post training and what to eat in the 4 hours after your work out.

You’ll also learn how to ensure you have enough of the rate limiting amino acid as well. If you’re not using these strategies you will be wasting your money and your food because you will be weeing out unused amino acids.

Best regards

Matt

For information about my muscle building programme make sure you are registered

http://sportsnutritionvlog.com/anabolic-builder/