Category Nutrition

Banish PMS Article For Oxygen Magazine Online

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Please check out original post here: http://www.oxygenmag.com/article/banish-pms-10130

Here are 9 ways to deal with moodiness, soreness, bloating and cravings when it’s that time of the month.

Go with the flow? Easier said than done. Your monthly visitor is not only inconvenient, but it’s also frequently preceded by annoying symptoms like irritability, fatigue, pelvic cramps, acne and bloating to name a few. While not every woman gets PMS, most women get at least one symptom a month.

Fortunately, there are numerous measures you can take to alleviate the symptoms of PMS. Exercising regularly, breathing and relaxation techniques, avoiding alcohol, sugar, salt and caffeine, and consuming small, frequent meals to stabilize blood sugar are all effective methods for easing discomfort, but there are numerous over-the-counter supplements that have demonstrated effectiveness in managing the most common symptoms.

Magnesium
Magnesium levels fluctuate during a woman’s cycle. The higher the estrogen or progesterone, the lower the magnesium, which in turn brings on PMS symptoms. That’s why supplementing with magnesium is a good idea. It has a calming effect, and it also reduces the swelling, breast tenderness and. A well-tolerated dosage is 400 milligrams before bedtime. Women who have more severe mood swings from PMS might prefer a more bioavailable form of magnesium called magnesium glycinate. This form also decreases the hot flashes, which some menopausal women experience.

Dose: Recommended dosage is 250 milligrams one to three times daily, and should be taken with food.

Calcium
Studies have found that women who take calcium supplements, experience less severe PMS symptoms than those who don’t. Calcium supplementation can reduce fatigue, depression, mood swings, tension and anxiety, bloating and breast tenderness, and cramping and generalized aches and pains.

Dose: Take 400 milligrams three times daily.

Vitamin B6
Women who experience mood swings right before their periods tend to benefit greatly from taking vitamin B6. It’s also effective for symptoms of menopause, morning sickness, depression, acne and bladder inflammation.

Dose: Take between 50 to 600 milligrams per day in two to three divided doses.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E reduces the production of prostaglandins, which are responsible for cramps and breast tenderness.

Dose: Take 400 international units daily.

Chromium Picolinate
Chromium picolinate affects insulin, glucose and serotonin in ways that can decrease sugar and balance mood and appetite.

Dose: A dose of 200 micrograms three times daily is optimal.

Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha lipoic acid, or ALA for short, is effective in regulating blood glucose, optimizing carbohydrate consumption and reducing sugar cravings.

Dose: Effective dose ranges are between 100 to 200 milligrams, taken two to three times daily.

Vanadyl Sulfate
This supplement has an insulin-like effect on the body and has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels, which makes it adept at curbing those wicked sugar cravings.

Dose: Take 10 milligrams three times daily.

B-Complex
B-complex formulations consist of the following: B complex capsule contains the following vitamins: folic acid, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), panthothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), cyanocobalamin (B12) and biotin. This complex supports memory, improves mood, decreases anxiety and combats the effects of stress. It also boosts metabolism, thus increasing energy. I have encountered remarkable responses to B-complex in people who have suffered from depression and who did not respond to prescription antidepressants.

Dose: I recommend 100 mg per day.

Gamma-Linoleic Acid
Gamma-Linoleic Acid is an omega-6 fatty acid, which are considered essential fatty acids, meaning, they are necessary for human health, but the body can’t make them. They play an important role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. They help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism and maintain the reproductive system. GLA helps fight inflammation which is why it’s effective in treating the symptoms of PMS, such as menstrual cramps and breast tenderness, especially when taken in tandem with magnesium and vitamin B6.

Dose: Take 500 to 1,000 milligrams per day.

I Am Proud To Be A MAW Sponsored Athlete!

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For the cleanest and tastiest meals, look no further than MAW Nutrition Inc.! I am so honored and grateful for the opportunity to promote this company, and can tell you first hand that the food is exceptionally delicious and completely guilt free!

Check them out at http://www.mawnutritioninc.com/ and be sure to enter my discount code: NAITO10 for 10% off your order!

Maintaining A Healthy Perspective With Contest Prep Plans

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The following article is featured on SportsNutritionSupplementGuide.com as well:

http://sportsnutritionsupplementguide.com/authors/authoritative-experts/stacey-naito/item/1496-maintaining-a-healthy-perspective-with-contest-prep-plans#.VVezzPlVikp
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Those of us who compete are well aware of the critical importance of following specific meal plans which are designed to optimize lean muscle mass and promote fat loss. However, these meal plans, especially during cutting phases, can be extremely restrictive. In our quest for attaining the ideal physique for whatever division we compete in, we may find ourselves in a spiral of obsessive nose-to-the-grindstone adherence to foods we may have grown to abhor, intertwined with strong temptation to deviate from the plan and indulge in forbidden foods, only to berate ourselves afterwards for doing so. After all, we are only human, and after weeks or months of eating clean, we may be so exasperated with daily servings of asparagus, tilapia, chicken breast, and sweet potatoes that our emotional food triggers may kick in and undermine our contest prep efforts.

With orthorexia, there is an unhealthy fixation on clean foods and one’s moods are dictated by how rigidly a clean diet is maintained. So how is this different from what competitors do in the weeks leading up to a competition? The mentally healthy approach is to regard food simply as fuel and to dismiss any emotional association with particular items. I have been witness to and a participant in the fantasizing of forbidden foods in a manner akin to lustful, sexual craving. I have heard competitors talk backstage at length about all the foods they were planning to indulge in immediately following their final visit onstage for the night.

What I find interesting about such food fixations is how they are distinguishable from anorexic behavior. When I was 19, I battled anorexia, dropping to 85 pounds on a 5’5’’ at my lightest. With anorexics, they have a clear and complete aversion to calorie-rich foods and have successfully turned off any interest or cravings for such items, whereas with bulimics, orthorexics and many healthy competitors in contest prep mode, coveting indulgent foods is rather commonplace. Among all these groups, there is a propensity for obsessive and compulsive behaviors. One may argue that such obsessions and compulsions are a vital component of contest prep and that without such tendencies a competitor will lack the focus necessary to succeed.

It seems apparent that competitors as a general rule, are dangerously close to that fine line which separates a healthy relationship with food from orthorexia. I remember quite well how rigid I was about the food I ate when I was anorexic and even kept a daily food journal in which I wrote down the calories and fat grams of every food substance ingested. I also recall how horrified and ashamed I was of myself when I would reluctantly consume a food I regarded as fattening.

Over 20 years later, I have a healthy relationship with food and for the most part regard it as fuel. Yet I am immersed in the world of contest prep and like many other competitors will balk and grumble about the clean foods I must eat. There are times when the mere thought of eating another spear of asparagus seems like the most disgusting activity in the world. On the rare occasion that I find myself in a restaurant, I find it an alien concept to peruse a menu and actually be able to order whatever I want from any part of the menu. There are also times during which my metabolism is in hyperdrive and I could eat almost nonstop for the duration of the day.

Here’s the thing: if I indulge in something that is not part of a contest prep meal plan, I don’t flog myself. Rather, I allow myself to enjoy the rare treat and move on. If you find yourself wallowing in extreme anxiety and prolonged guilt over ingesting a food item which is on the banned list, beware. This could signify the beginning of a food-related psychopathology.

The Value Of Having A Meal Prep Service

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As a competitor and fitness professional, I follow a clean meal plan throughout the year, regardless of whether I am training for a competition or just going through an off-season maintenance or growth plan. I am very familiar with the hassle of earmarking an entire Sunday afternoon to prep all my food for the week. For the past few years, it had become such a ritual that I planned my weekend around it, despite the fact that it cut into my time significantly.

Thankfully, there are meal prep services which do all the prep, freeing people from the shackles of the kitchen. Some people complain that such services are expensive, but when the costs of buying pre-measured and prepared food from one of these companies is compared to the costs of buying all the ingredients and spending half a day cooking them, the difference isn’t that significant. Ordering from a meal prep service takes the guesswork out of planning clean, healthy meals, and it is an incredible timesaver!

Check out MAW Nutrition Inc. for a completely clean meal prep service which offers protein, carb and veggie options a la carte so that you can fully customize your meals! This is great if you carb cycle or practice a certain degree of variation within your meal plan. For example, I will alternate between turkey loin and beef loin for one of my meals, and I have two days during the week when I spike my carb intake.

When ordering, enter the code NAITO10 at checkout for 10% off your order!

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Which Is More Effective For Weight Loss: Diet or Exercise?

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As a physician and fitness professional I regularly evaluate people who want to lose weight and have often been asked whether diet or exercise is more effective in helping them to reach their goals.  If I had to choose which type of weight loss strategy was more important, I would say that about 80 percent depends on diet.  In fact, research has shown that the majority of weight loss programs which focused on dietary changes produced 2-3 times greater weight loss than programs focused on exercise.  However, long term management of weight loss can be optimized by a consistent exercise program. 

The fact is that most people are prone to consuming foods which contain large amounts of fat, hidden sugar and salt, and preservatives.  Quite often the portions consumed at one sitting are so large that the body ends up in storage mode which can lead to weight gain.  By becoming aware of the value of nutrient-dense foods and re-patterning one’s eating habits so that such foods form the foundation of a daily meal plan, long-term weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight can be accomplished.  However, the media pushes “quick fixes” by promoting severe caloric restriction and plans which are nutritionally unbalanced, thus creating a state of malnutrition.  For this reason I discourage fad diets as they almost invariably cause rebound weight gain to occur.  There are also different types of pills which by various mechanisms can assist in weight loss.  However, a number of such products can have deleterious adverse effects and should be taken with caution, if at all.  I do make an exception with thermogenics, which, if used properly, can serve as an effective aid in weight loss. 

But what about exercise?  It is true that exercise can often stimulate hunger, but it also boosts metabolism, has a positive effect on brain function, and builds muscle.  There is also some evidence that intense exercise may lower levels of ghrelin (an appetite stimulant) while raising levels of peptide YY (which suppresses appetite).  In other words, if you plan to incorporate exercise into a weight loss regimen (and I highly suggest that you do), make sure to engage in workouts which are intense and challenging.  One caveat:  the aforementioned satiating effect on hunger is short-lived, so don’t be surprised when your body begins to crave food in an effort to replenish depleted energy stores.  Before you begin to think that exercise is a bad idea when trying to lose weight, consider this: apparently, frequent exercise restores sensitivity to brain neurons that control satiety, thus placing you more in tune with your hunger signals. 

Over the long term, the combination of smaller, more frequent meals, nutrient-rich foods and regular exercise can act as an insurance policy of sorts which will protect your weight loss or weight maintenance efforts.

Clean Eating or Eating Disorder?

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Most people are familiar with anorexia and bulimia, but there is a lesser known eating disorder which has high prevalence in the world of competitive bodybuilding.  Though it is not classified as an official eating disorder, orthorexia meets the criteria of one:  obsession, social isolation, and emotional lability.

Orthorexia is an obsessive-compulsive disorder which involves an obsession with healthy eating.  The orthorexic will go to great lengths to avoid foods which contain substances he determines to be unhealthy, such as fats, preservatives, processed foods, etc.  For an orthorexic individual, the focus is on the quality of food, which is in stark contrast to the anorexic’s focus on quantity.  Frequently this disorder may begin as a normal diet or an effort to eat in a healthier fashion, but after some time is taken to the extreme.  In the quest for pure, clean foods, the sufferer becomes obsessed and self-imposed food restrictions become a primary focus.

The distinction between normal individuals and orthorexics is that the health conscious person will practice moderation and won’t wallow in guilt if they indulge in a food which may be deficient in healthy nutrients.  In contrast, the orthorexic individual will obsess about the quality of food and will feel extremely guilty after straying from a self-imposed rigid diet.

Physical Signs and Symptoms of Orthorexia:

  • Because orthorexics limit themselves to foods they deem healthy, they may appear emaciated or malnourished

Behavioral Signs and Symptoms of Orthorexia:

  • Social isolation
  • A tendency to eat alone
  • Aversion to certain foods which have been deemed dangerous or disgusting
  • Criticism of people who don’t engage in healthy eating
  • Experience extreme pleasure in eating properly
  • Feel guilty when they deviate from a rigid diet
  • Strong desire to eat forbidden foods when under stress
  • Has difficulty eating foods prepared in a restaurant or by another person

Medical Signs and Symptoms of Orthorexia:

  • Malnutrition
  • Hypotension
  • Weakness
  • Calcium deficieny
  • Anemia in those who avoid animal protein
  • Decreased gastric motility
  • Abdominal bloating
  • Constipation

An essential element in contest preparation for competitive bodybuilding, physique, fitness, figure and bikini divisions is rigid meal planning.  As a result of this, competitors often dance along, and sometimes cross, the fine line that separates clean eating from a psychopathological relationship with food.  When taken to the extreme, sufferers may experience medical signs of malnutrition similar to anorexia.  While it is common for a competitor to experience feelings of guilt when a specific contest prep meal plan is not adhered to, warning flags should go up when a competitor becomes so obsessed with such transgressions that compensatory behaviors are adopted, such as excessive cardio sessions, laxative usage or starvation.   If such behaviors are commonplace for an individual, behavioral intervention will become necessary in order to restore one’s emotional and physical well-being.

Since prepping for competitions places excessive pressure on an individual and underscores the pursuit of “perfection” in the sport, orthorexic behavior may be so irresistible that it is rationalized as a necessary component of one’s prep.  This in and of itself makes orthorexia particularly insidious and dangerous.