Great article on Men’s Fitness about a natural supplement that could significantly increase your muscle strength!

“ZMA is a combination of zinc and magnesium
asparate—plus a bit of vitamin B6. “It’s an all-natural product that has been clinically proven to significantly increase muscle strength in trained athletes,” adds Barbie Broschart, RD and a nutritional counselor.”

There are a lot of benefits to this supplement,
Zinc plays a crucial role in protein synthesis and cell growth. Testosterone levels fall without adequate zinc.
Magnesium is essential for bone strength, a strong immune system muscle contractions and a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B6 helps the body convert protein into energy.

Separately the minerals do some great work but together they may enhance hormonal profiles, reduce catabolism and boost your immune system.

Check out the Men’s Fitness article for more information and suggested intake.

Food knowledge is Power,

1. Watermelon. It’s not only delicious, but packs a wallop of antioxidants like vitamins A and C. It also contains lycopene, a plant chemical found in studies to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related vision loss due to macular degeneration. Just as gratifying: One cup of cubed watermelon contains less than 50 calories, not too damaging for your waistline.

2. Avocado. This extremely versatile fruit can be used in salads, sandwiches, and guacamole. Filled with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, avocado is a healthful alternative to mayonnaise and can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Just watch your portions. One-quarter of a medium-sized avocado contains 65 calories, so you don’t want to overdo it.

3. Sweet Potato. A medium-sized sweet potato (about the size of your fist) fulfills your daily requirement for vitamin A and provides 4 grams of fiber. And you’ll save half the calories compared to a white potato: A medium-sized sweet potato has only 150 calories compared to nearly 300 for a white one of the same size.

4. Salmon. This, as well as other fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and lake trout, is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. At only 160 calories for a 4-ounce serving, baked or broiled salmon is a great main course for those watching their weight. Add steamed broccoli and a sweet potato for a nutritious, low-cal meal.

5. Raspberries. They’re a terrific dessert when paired with plain yogurt and a great natural way to tame those sugar cravings while keeping your calorie count to a minimum. A 1-cup serving of fresh berries contains just 60 calories. Raspberries are also a great source of B vitamins, flavonoids, fiber, and vitamin C.

6. Onions. A cup of chopped onions only contains 60 calories and using them in stir-fries, soups and casseroles is a great way to integrate the plant chemical quercetin into your diet. Quercetin has been found to have “anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties,” according to the American Cancer Society, and may prove to be protective “against a wide variety of diseases, including cancer.”

7. Greek Yogurt. At 150 calories per cup, it makes a filling snack and also provides you with a hefty dose of protein. Eating adequate amounts of protein will help boost the results of any strength-training you do, helping you put on muscle—a key component for weight management. Every pound of muscle you add burns an extra 35 to 50 calories per day.

8. Quinoa. This grain has more fiber and protein than most grains with 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per quarter-cup serving. That means it’s more effective at keeping your blood sugar levels stable, leaving you feeling satiated and less likely to start eating again hours later. For this reason, it’s also a smarter carbohydrate option than white rice and pasta if you have diabetes. Cook quinoa with fresh herbs, an array of vegetables, and a small amount of olive oil for a complete meal.

Links:
Health USNews

Another fact that I found beneficial from a nutritional aspect. Is one cup of edamame ( boiled soybeans) contains 298 calories, 29 grams of protien, 17 grams of carbs
and 15 grams of fat. One scoop of soy protein powder contains 120 calories, 25 grams of protein, 1 gram of carbs and 1.5 grams of fat. Wow! That is impressive.

I am off to get some soy   Check this months issue of Muscle and Fitness one of my favorite magazines that always has useful information.

Booze
Limit your alcohol intake to one drink a day; two or more can increase your risk for dementia later in life. After you’ve downed your daily allowance of tequila sunrises, try nipping an unsweetened iced tea instead.

Brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash Yes, again. On nights when you’d rather just collapse into bed, chew on this: According to an article in the The Journal of the American Dental Association, your mouth harbors 400 to 800 species of bacteria–and they’re making a beeline for your tooth enamel.

Turn off the TV and close your laptop an hour before bed. The glowing screens emit a blue light that keeps you up by suppressing melatonin, a hormone that regulates your body clock.

Crank Corinne Bailey Rae, take a warm bath, or slurp a cup of herbal tea: Calming pre-bed rituals like these can help you decompress both mentally and physically. Do them every night and they’ll start to cue your brain that it’s snooze time, making you nod off faster.

Set your coffeemaker Java is the No. 1 source of cancer-fighting antioxidants in our diets, and studies show that a good brew can help you perform better on tests that measure concentration, memory, and learning and even help protect against ovarian cancer. Limit yourself to two or three cups a day–or decaf–to avoid jitters and late nights staring at the ceiling.

Work out before work
Early workouts are easier to squeeze into your hectic schedule, and they save you the need to shower twice. That saves up to 72 gallons of water each year. And the good news continues: Studies also show that AM exercisers are more likely to stick with the program than those who hit the gym later in the day.

Unplug
Researchers from the University of Minnesota found that people who spent five or more hours of free time each day working on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games exercised 11 fewer minutes a day than people who didn’t. Pulling the plug may help you downsize not only your ass but your carbon footprint too: 25 to 40 percent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are plugged in but switched off.

Mash up your workouts
Logging 20 minutes on the elliptical, then 20 minutes in the weight room, then 10 minutes on a yoga mat may sound like a kick-ass workout, but it doesn’t mimic how we use our bodies in the real world. (Shoving that heavy box of winter boots into the upper reaches of your closet, for example, requires you to use balance, flexibility, and strength…at the same time). So make your workouts like your favorite DJ Shadow CD and mix them up: Try a short burst of cardio exercise, then jump right into a quick power strength move, immediately followed by a flexibility drill. Repeat. You’ll see results sooner.

Add intervals to your cardio
Interval training (alternating short bursts of high-intensity activity with lower-intensity activity) has been proven to fry body fat and boost cardiovascular fitness more quickly than working out at a constant, moderate pace. Try a 30-second sprint for every five minutes of treadmill time, or in the pool, one lap of speed after a few laps of slower strokes.

Reach for it
If you spend your days stuck in Cubeville (Population: You), you’re losing mobility, and that sets you up for muscle strains and tears when you finally get out from behind the desk. Your hamstrings, calves, and pectoral (chest) muscles tend to be the most drum-tight. Abide by the wisdom of the American College of Sports Medicine and stretch them out two to three days a week. Aim for four 10- to 30-second reps per muscle group.

Sidestep knee injuries
Studies show that women are more likely than men to be weak in the knees. Your joint-saving solution: hips of steel. The stronger you make the muscles around your hips, the better you can control your femur (the thigh bone), which helps stabilize your knee. One easy hip-strengthening move: Tie a resistance band around your ankles, squat slightly and step side to side with as wide a stride as you can manage.

A multivitamin
While national surveys show that up to 80 percent of Americans think they eat well, only 1 percent actually meet minimum standards for a balanced diet. Choose a multi that contains at least 100 percent of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and E and folic acid.

Vitamin D
Studies show that popping 1,000 IU each day cuts your risk of breast and ovarian cancers in half.

Fish oil
Your breath may smell like the seafood counter at Kroger for a while, but these gill pills work wonders on the body–inside and out. Fish oil not only keeps your skin and hair healthy but also reduces the risk of heart disease and helps squelch inflammation. Experts suggest one gram per day.

Munch wet snacks, not dry ones Water-rich, fiber-packed foods like fresh fruit, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, corn on the cob, broth-based soup, or baked potatoes pack fewer calories into bigger servings so you feel full on less. On the flip side, dry foods like chips, crackers, candy, bagels, pretzels, and granola bars cram lots of calories into itty-bitty servings. Can you say snack attack?

Toss salads with Romaine, not iceberg. It may not provide the same satisfying crunch, but the darker leafy green has twice the fiber, B vitamins, folic acid, calcium, and potassium and seven times the vitamins A and C of iceberg.

Sip a skim latte, not black coffee Studies show that caffeine may contribute to osteoporosis by increasing calcium loss. But you can sidestep this risk by adding milk to your brew: Even two tablespoons will offset the negative effects on calcium. Sneaky, eh?

Drink coffee, tea, and red wine between meals, not during them These beverages all contain tannins, which compromise your body’s ability to absorb iron from food.

Use regular, not antibacterial, soap It KOs just as many germs, and some scientists argue that using too many antibacterial cleansers may tamper with the effectiveness of some antibiotics.

Men’s Health has great content is well written and provides it’s readers with a all
around health advice. But man the site “sucks”.  I  prefer the magazine over the
site any day. The content on the site is truly hard to navigate .
I subscribe to Men’s Health Eat this, Not that email newsletter which gives you some teaser content than drive you to their site to learn more.  I found this email to  be partially interesting because I am always looking for advice on food. 12 Foods for 6-Pack Abs hey I am all about maintaing what I have worked so hard for. When I went to the site I was confused on how navigate  through the content. Some one thought that it  would be cute to design a navigation based on “ABS DIET POWER” phrase. Each letter in the phrase is associated with a piece of content. ie A is for “ALMONDS”.Awwwee that is so cute, last time I checked  nursery school was out. Despite the pain in the ass content the content was worth dealing with the nursery navigation.

Below is a list of the 12 food all with different properties that will help you with your
6 pack mission.

“A” Almonds -
“B” Beans and other legumes
“S” Spinach
“D” Dairy
“I” Instant Oatmeal
“E” Eggs
“T” Turkey and other lean meats
“P” Peanut Butter
“O” Olive oil
“W” Whole-Grain Breads and Cereal
“E” Extra- Protein Powder
“R” Raspberries and other berries

To get the reasons why, recipes and advice on each food click here.

Originally this was supposed to be part of my newsletter; But reality kicked in and said “you can’t do it.” So in an effort to keep things fresh and share what I learn as I go, I decided to be more aggressive about my blogging.

I get a ton of questions regarding getting a flatter stomach.

I am presently in the best shape of my life. In my twenties I had a flat stomach but didn’t have a six pack; Probably from all of the beer I was drinking ;o) I did work out and was training heavily in martial arts. I would practice six times a week, two hours a day and jogged four miles three times a week.  I didn’t know what I know now, which is getting a six pack or flatter stomach has a lot to do with type of training and alot more to do with of what you eat.

Diet and Nutrition

Here is a  basic over overview  from Men’s Fitness -
Cut the junk food out of your diet, along with starchy carbs (pasta,*bread, potatoes, white rice etc.). Replace them with vegetables and fruits. Aim to consume 1.5 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get it in kilograms.) The best protein sources are lean meats, beef, chicken, fish, pork and dairy.

*Breads I eat  wheat, multigrain or sprout varieties. In general, whole grains are better for you as the body breaks down whole grains much easier.  It’s refine enriched flour stuff like white bread or wonder bread that can do you in.

Protein - Protein in your diet is essential whether you’re trying to gain mass or lose weight. The body actually burns calories to digest it. So if a piece of meat is a hundred calories, you will burn thirty calories digesting. Leaving you with seventy calories to deal burn off with exercise.

To lose weight  you should consume 1,500 -2000 calories a day. Cutting 500 calories out of your diet a day it should help you lose a pound a week without exercise but its not something I would suggest. Subway’s Jared is a great example of eating healthier. My only issue is he doesn’t necessarily look healthier.

Drink water! Water flushes the extra sodium out of your body which makes you retain water weight, making you look bigger. Making sure you get your 8 glass of water will help you shed 10 – 15 pounds.

Consume 5-7 small meals instead of three big ones. Eating smaller meals in the day will curb your hunger and increase your metabolism rate which burns more calories.

Fat - In order to see your stomach you need to eat low fat foods and fat burning foods.  Here are some examples of food that are low in fat or burn calories.
Eggs, Salmon, Dairy ( low fat cheese, skim milk ), Green Tea, Grapefruit, Chili Peppers, Almonds / Walnuts ( one ounce (22 almonds ) (14 halves walnuts) due to it’s high fat content one / two servings a day, Bananas, Oatmeal, Fat free yogurt / Greek yogurt,  Coffee, Cinnamon, Beans, Blueberries, Broccoli, Chicken, Lean Beef, Quinoa, Whey Protein, Red Bell Pepper, Low Fat Cottage Cheese, Shrimp, Apples.

All of these foods have different benefits which would take me forever to explain.  Basically they all are either high in fiber, have beneficial fat burning vitamins in them or are low in fat.
( Sources Men’s Fitness and Muscle & Fitness)

Lastly, if you’re going to cheat save it for one day out of the week. Its called “The Cheat Meal,” but I call it keeping my @#$! sanity meal. I plan my keeping my @#$! sanity meal out for the week or break it up into two days. I always make sure that I am going to work out the day after I cheat.

The  May 2010 Muscle and Fitness has some of the food above and great meal plans. Here is an example:
Diet for 180 lb man
Sample Rest Day -
Breakfast 1: 1 Scoop of Whey protein, 1 apple
Breakfast 2: 3 eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 scoops of whey protein, 1 cup of green tea
Morning snack; 6 oz. plain Greek yogurt, .5 cup of blue berries
Lunch: 1 Slice of sprouted bread ,1 oz of salmon, 2 cups of spinach, 1 cup
of read bell pepper
2 tsp. olive oil, 1 cup of black coffee
Mid afternoon snack: 1 scoop of whey protein, 1 cup of milk
Dinner: 6 oz. chicken breast, 5 cup black beans, 1 cup of broccoli
Bedtime snack: 8 oz. low-fat (1%) cottage cheese,1 oz. walnuts.
Total : 2,547 calories, 291 protein, 182 carbs, 79 g fat

In order to make this type of meal plan work for your goals, adjust the food to the calories you need to consume keeping in mind 5-7 small meals a day and protein that you need for the weight you want to achieve.

I use meal plans as I guide to give me an idea of what to eat. Planning your meals in advance really helps you focus on the calories that your consuming.  That’s why diet meal plans work because it forces you to plan you meals ahead of time. Leaving you little room to deviate to eating bad food. Also it takes the “I am hungry but I don’t know what I want to eat” out of your diet. By planning ahead you will become more aware of what your putting into your body.

I am still learning about food and diet, and I will keep sharing food and meal plans as I find them.

Presently I am reading The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto
It’s a great book so far a full review is coming soon.

Exercise:
To get rid of fat with exercise you want to start with circuit training. Circuit training burns fat faster  because it is generally a full body workout utilizing all of your muscle groups.

The Spartacus workout is a great example of this.

Spartacus is brutal, if your just starting out do 15 – 20 reps of each
exercise instead of using time for measurement.

Here is another example of Circuit training. Found in the Jan/ Feb. issue of
Maximum Fitness.
Do 10-12 reps, 2 minutes of rest at the end of the circuit. Do 3 Circuits.

Wide-Stance Dumbbell Squat

Push-Up

Walking dumbbell lunge

Two-arm dumbbell row

Stiff – legged dumbbell dead lift

Medicine ball crunch

Dumbbell reverse – grip bicep curl to shoulder press

When you’re lifting weights it’s good to mix up what you do every four weeks.  By doing this your muscles don’t get lazy and used to what your doing.  Keeping your muscles guessing will keep them burning.

Ab workouts -
Now from what I have been reading if you want great abs you should work them
out three times a week.

Here is example of a routine:
2-3 sets, 12-15 reps

Dumbbell V-Up: ( Do these with or without weight)

Hanging leg raise:

Weighted swiss ball crunch

Shotgun

oblique crunches

twisting leg raises

Bird Dog no reps use time 60 seconds

Check out my Maximum Fitness video review 3000 Abs Workouts for more Ab exercises.