Archive for January, 2009

Buyer Beware-Part 3

Brian January 28th, 2009

In my other “Buyer Beware” blogs I discussed creatine and fat loss/energy products. In this section I will discuss protein and meal replacement supplements.

What you want in your protein!

  • Type of protein: the product should contain whey concentrate and isolate as the primary ingredients. Casein is a good protein source if you will be fasting for a length of time (before bed or if you can’t eat a meal for a while).
  • Calories: if you are trying to lose weight stick with a protein supplement that can give you at least 25-30 grams of high quality protein with under 200 calories.
  • Amino acids: a high quality whey protein supplement should contain a good dose of amino acids. Look for between 1,000-2,000 mg. of each BCAA (valine, leucine and isoleucine). Some companies add additional amino acids to their products which is an added bonus.
  • Taste: unless you are a die hard who does not care about taste, you want to search out a good tasting protein (not many people eat Brussels sprout even though they are good for them). Do some searches on the web and try to get unbiased feedback about the product. I like the Met-Rx Extreme Chocolate Meal Replacement.
What you don’t want in your protein!
  • Soy protein and collagen: although soy is good for women, men should stay away from the stuff. It has a low bioavailability and may cause a rise in estrogen levels in men. Older women without breast cancer, or a history of breast cancer, should use a soy supplement. Collagen is listed as a protein source in some supplements. However, this is a connective tissue protein and cannot be used by the body.
  • Excessive fillers: stay away from supplements that have excessive amounts of maltodextrin (a dextrose derivative). This sugar gives taste and thickness, but adds needless calories.
  • Artificial Sweeteners: look for aspartame and saccharin near the bottom of the ingredient list and try to avoid these products. There are safer alternatives such as stevia and sucralose.
In Health,
Brian

Bored? Mix it up!

Brian January 20th, 2009

Nobody should ever be “bored” when it comes to their exercise routine. There are an infinite number of routines that can be devised to keep from getting bored while still getting an effective training session. If you currently only do aerobic based training or only strength training then you are missing out on almost half of your possible options. Below are some different training options to try.

Routine # 234 (C)

  • Treadmill sprint: 30 seconds at 8-10 mph
  • Walking Lunges: 20 steps
  • Push-ups: 10 reps
  • Pull-ups: 10 reps
  • Russian Twists: 50 reps
  • Single arm overhead dumbbell press: 10 reps/side
  • Dips: 10 reps
  • Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat 3 times
Routine #461 (C)
  • Punching bag combinations: 30-45 seconds
  • Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
  • Dumbbell push-ups and row (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vShvVGKc31o): 10 reps each side
  • V-ups: 12-15 reps
  • Alternating DB curl: 10 reps
  • Overhead dumbbell extension: 10 reps
  • Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat 3 times
Routine # 1,256 (S)
  • Squat: 5-8 reps
  • Incline DB press: 5-8 reps
  • Cable row: 5-8 reps
  • Military press: 5-8 reps
  • Rest 2 minutes and repeat 2-3 times
Routine #1 (S)
  • Deadlift: 3-5 reps
  • Standing OH press: 5-8 reps
  • Bench press: 5-8 reps
  • Dumbbell row: 5-8 reps
  • Rest 2 minutes and repeat 2-3 times
** (S)= Strength focus, (C)= Conditioning focus
These sessions can be very taxing so start slowly and modify the rest periods to your tolerance.
In Strength,
Brian

Recession Weight

Brian January 13th, 2009

In the blog “Recession Foods” I talked about the importance of buying quality, non-processed foods in bulk to save your wallet and your waistline. Now, it seems, the media has coined the phrase “recession weight” to describe the potential weight gain from people eating boxed macaroni and cheese, pasta, the dollar menu and other processed foods. I will give some suggestions below to make it easier on your waistline, while still saving you some money.

Pasta:  Try to buy whole wheat pasta instead of white. It doesn’t cost a whole lot more, tastes similar to regular pasta and is much better for you. 

Boxed mac and cheese:  I don’t know of any way to make this healthy. Try using whole wheat noodles with reduced fat cheese.

Dollar menu: Every fast food chain out there seems to have a dollar menu these days. Most are filled with garbage that will save you money for the bypass you will need at 45. Check out the following items for some healthy alternatives:

  • Wendy’s small chili (now $1.19): Only 190 calories, 14 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat and 19 grams of carbohydrates. The large size could be a full meal and still has only 280 calories.
  • Wendy’s baked potato: Add this to the small chili and you have a filling, complete meal for under $3.
  • McDonald’s Hamburger: At only 250 calories, 9 grams of fat and 12 grams of protein this is your best bet on their menu.
  • Subway: I know this isn’t cheap, but it is probably the healthiest fast food out there. Get a veggie deluxe on wheat and add meat. 
  • Taco Bell: Get a burrito with just beans and meat. Stay away from the sauces and cheese
In Health,
Brian Ramage

Buyer Beware-Part 2

Brian January 4th, 2009

There is a cornucopia of fat burner/energy supplements on the market and they all say they are “x” amount more effective than their counterparts. When ephedrine was banned in 2004 there was an explosion of fat burners that came onto the scene . They all had the best formulation that could get better results than ephedrine (although not for everyone, it is hard to dispute the results from ephedrine). In this section I will cover some of the more popular fat burner/energy formulations and what to avoid.

Excessive caffeine- some of the newer fat burner supplements are nothing more than high dose caffeine. This is not only a waste of money (coffee will do the same, and you get the benefit of polyphenol antioxidants), but it can also make you jittery and susceptible to crashing. Make sure the dose is 300mg or less.

Bitter Orange Peel-bitter orange peel supplies a compound called synephrine which acts similar to ephedrine. The side effects from this compound are similar to ephedrine so watch the dose. Make sure the dose is under 50mg.

White/Purple Willow Bark- this supplies salicylic acid (aspirin), so be careful if you are advised to avoid aspirin because of a medical condition or medications.

Yohimbe- the purported benefit of yohimbe is to raise testosterone levels. Females should stay away from fat burners with this compound.

Garcinia Cambogia/Hoodia- these are designed to blunt the appetite and reduce caloric consumption. Although fairly harmless, there is not a lot of evidence proving their effectiveness.

Tyrosine- Tyrosine is a starting material for neurotransmitters and increases plasma neurotransmitter levels (particularly dopamine and norepinephrine). This compound will elevate mood and energy levels. 

Stay tuned for more,

In Health,

Brian

A Walk in Progress

Brian January 2nd, 2009

I was reading the Wall Street Journal Health section the other day and came across a good article about keeping track of daily energy expenditure for weight loss. There are charts which can be referenced for different activities (gardening, housework, bowling etc.) to get a rough estimate of your energy expenditure throughout the day. I find these cumbersome to use, so here is a much easier method (although the charts could be used along with the pedometer) to track progress. 

A pedometer is a simple device which tracks how many steps you have taken in a day. The steps can be converted into miles once you enter your stride length into the unit. Start with 3,000 steps (great if you are already doing more) and try to add 300 steps per week until your each 10,000. Most people walk around 2,000/day (roughly 1 mile). By hitting 10,000 steps you will be getting the recommended exercise to be considered active. This simple change in daily activity can drop pounds of fat every year and lead to a big change in blood pressure and fitness levels.

 

In Health,

Brian

Buyer Beware- Part 1

Brian January 1st, 2009

When it comes to buying supplements caveat emptor certainly applies. The supplement industry, while largely unregulated, does have some checks and balances in that if a product doesn’t work it will not be around for long. Between internet forums, chat rooms and word of mouth a poorly produced supplement will be relegated to the discount rack faster than you can say “1,000% more strength gained than the other leading brand.” Below I list some common supplements and what to look for when purchasing.

Creatine:

Creatine should be tasteless and odorless, so keep this in mind when you use it. Creatine now comes in creatine ethyl ester, creatine citrate and creatine malate. The supplement companies would have you believe that these are superior to creatine monohydrate, but that just is not the case. Stick with creatine monohydrate and you will see great gains.

EAS creatine- well run company with a great reputation; they make plain creatine in a couple sizes and also have their Phosphagen HP which is creatine with dextrose to help absorption.

Muscletech- this company is probably the most prolific advertiser in the entire industry so don’t get swept up in the hype. Their CellTech is a great product with a good formulation. 

Dymatize- this is a lesser know company, but they put out some pretty good products.

Some other products which have a great following are SizeOn and Cell Mass.

Check back soon for more.

In Health,

Brian