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Ironman Magazine January 2014 Hardbody Feature

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Hardbody Main Image

Click to access IRONMAN-JAN2014-HARDBODY.PDF

Please read the full article by clicking on the link above. In this article I mention SWAT Fuel 9mm thermogenic fat burner. What I love about this particular fat burner is that I have never, ever gotten the jitters or shakes from it, yet it is extremely effective in giving me great energy and the ability to focus on whatever task I am engaged in, whether it is seeing patients at work, lifting weights at the gym, or writing articles. This product keeps me going on days when I may be at risk of going through an energy slump. I enthusiastically recommend 9mm and 9mm+P (which contains an appetite suppressant) to those of you who want to accelerate fat loss, maintain focus and energy, and avoid the jitters.

Fenugreek Enhances Performance

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Originally published on mensphysique.com on Wednesday, 16 January 2013

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-lab-supplement-school/7362-fenugreek-enhances-performance.html
fenugreek leaves and seeds (1)
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a plant indigenous to India and Northern Africa that has demonstrated effectiveness in treating sexual dysfunction and which can increase sexual arousal partially by boosting testosterone levels. Fenugreek also has a myriad of other benefits, among them reductions in cholesterol and lower fasting blood glucose levels in diabetics. For this article, let’s focus on performance related benefits which fenugreek offers.

A 2011 study which examined the effects of 600 milligrams of fenugreek extract versus placebo in men who suffered from erectile dysfunction found a significant increase in sexual arousal and stamina in the men who were supplemented with fenugreek. Fenugreek also helped to maintain a normal testosterone level in the test subjects. For many men, that is reason enough to supplement with this plant, but fenugreek also has a beneficial effect on body composition and strength.

One published study from 2010 examined 49 men who engaged in regular resistance training and had them supplement with either 500 milligrams of fenugreek extract daily or with a placebo. During this time, the participants continued a four-day per week weight training program. After eight weeks the subjects were assessed in their strength while performing bench presses and leg presses and also had their body fat measured. The men who were given fenugreek supplementation had significant improvements in both weight training strength and body fat percentage when compared with the group who were given the placebo. In addition, a measureable increase in testosterone levels was discovered in the men who took fenugreek.

The reason for the boost in testosterone which fenugreek confers is due to a substance known as diosgenin. Diosgenin is one of a class of substances known as steroidal saponins, substances which can be converted to the sex hormones testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen. In men, diosgenin increases the testosterone metabolite DHT, which is then converted easily to testosterone. For this reason, it may be especially helpful to take supplements with fenugreek in men who have fluctuating or low natural testosterone levels.

Why You Should Add Curcumin To Your Diet

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Originally published on mensphysique.com on Sunday, 09 December 2012. The original post was published with white text on white background, so the only way to read it on the site is to highlight the text. To make things easier for everyone, I have copied and pasted the article here for you to read.

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-lab-supplement-school/7143-why-you-should-add-curcumin-to-your-diet.html
Curcumin diagram
Antioxidants have become a hot topic in combating disease in recent years, and the list of these substances has grown thanks to extensive research which has been conducted and disseminated to the public. A particularly powerful antioxidant is curcumin. Curcumin, an extract which is derived from turmeric, has been used in Asian curries for many centuries and has also been used for treatment of arthritis and other health conditions. Only recently has curcumin received attention from the United States regarding its remarkable benefits as a potent antioxidant.

Perhaps the most exciting potential benefit of curcumin is that it may help to prevent and treat cancer by inhibiting cancer cell growth and the growth of blood vessels which feed into tumors. There is some speculation that curcumin can prevent cancer cells from multiplying and is also capable of causing self-destruction of cancer cells. As if this wasn’t enough, there is a possibility that curcumin may prevent Alzheimer’s Disease by decreasing the accumulation of amyloid which characterizes this disease.

Here is a list of other benefits which curcumin confers:
· Accelerates wound healing
· Acts as a cleanser for the liver
· Regulates metabolism and assists in weight loss
· Reduces LDL cholesterol and raises HDL levels
· Decreases severity of inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis
· Acts as a natural painkiller

If these reasons are not enough to compel you to add curcumin supplementation into your meal plans, consider the fact that curcumin reduced the COX-2 enzyme in the body, thus decreasing the pain and swelling of arthritis. In fact, recent studies revealed that curcumin was even more effective than ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) in its anti-inflammatory effects. One particular study in Italy which was conducted on 50 patients, all of whom had confirmed knee osteoarthritis, found a 58 percent decrease in reported overall pain and stiffness as well as an improvement in physical functioning among the curcumin group versus the control group.
Curcumin bottle
How To Take Curcumin
Some individuals may prefer to ingest curcumin in the form of straight turmeric powder which can be added to meals or tea. However, I prefer to take curcumin in capsule form. If you opt for the capsule version, look for formulations which contain piperine, or black pepper extract. Piperine augments the gastrointestinal absorption of curcumin. Recommended daily dosage is 400 to 600 milligrams per day. For acute flare-ups of arthritis or other musculoskeletal pain, you can double the dosage until the acute phase abates.

Emotional Eating

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Originally published on RxGirl.com on Monday, 12 November 2012. The original post was published with white text on white background, so the only way to read it on the site is to highlight the text. To make things easier for everyone, I have copied and pasted the article here for you to read.

http://www.rxmuscle.com/rx-girl-articles/6941-emotional-eating.html

emotional-eating ice creamRather than discuss well-known emotional eating disorders such as bulimia, I will concentrate on binge eating which many women engage in from time to time. It is important to recognize this behavior if it becomes a regular pattern, because frequent emotional eating warrants a diagnosis of binge eating disorder and requires treatment and intervention.

Binge eating is characterized by eating compulsively to cope with negative emotions and stressful situations. A binge eater is rarely hungry when she begins to eat and will continue to eat well after she is full. Such episodes can last for up to two hours or can occur off and on throughout the day. The binger feels guilty both during and after the episode, but will not attempt to counteract it by fasting, taking laxatives, vomiting, fasting or over-exercising. A strong lack of self-control as well as feelings of shame will accompany this behavior pattern. There is a strong association between binge eating and depression. Binge eating is also driven by social components such as social pressure to be thin, emotional and sexual abuse, parental criticism of a child’s weight, and the use of food as reward or punishment.

Food cravings are usually the strongest when you are in emotional crisis. You may reach for food for comfort or to serve as a distraction. Consider the following highly stressful events and think about whether you reached for comfort foods during such times:

· Financial problems
· Health problems
· Work issues
· Relationship issues
· Fatigue
· Family issues

Though some people will lose their appetites when stressed and will refrain from eating, many others will engage in impulsive eating in an effort to deal with negative emotions. This may be relatively harmless if such emotional eating occurs on a very rare occasion, but becomes a serious problem when it is used as the only coping mechanism for stressful situations or negative emotions. Just bear in mind that if you have a rare moment of weakness, it is important to recognize it as just that and to prevent yourself from spiraling into excessive feelings of guilt over the incident. If you engage in an episode of emotional eating, learn to forgive yourself and have a fresh start the following day.

Why We Engage in Emotional Eating

What occurs almost invariably when we eat emotionally is that we turn to cookies, cakes, candy, fried foods and breads rather than to healthy foods. There is a biochemical basis for such behavior. Carbohydrates which are high in sugar or fat release dopamine in our brains which in turn stimulates the brain’s pleasure center, creating a sense of euphoria. These foods are usually associated with pleasurable memories, such as cake which you may have looked forward to on your birthday, or macaroni and cheese as a treat after school when you were a child.

Food can also serve as a happy distraction from conflict or stressful events by stimulating the aforementioned pleasure centers. What will frequently occur is that an excessive amount of these foods will be consumed. However, if you remain aware of such automatic connections between food and mood and realize when you are eating for reasons other than hunger, you can break this cycle and get back on track with healthy eating habits which are associated with true hunger.

How To Combat Emotional Eating

· Keep a food diary. Get in the habit of writing down everything you eat and drink, including the quantity, the times at which you eat, your emotional state while eating the meal, and your level of hunger. By doing this you may see patterns which will reveal your emotional relationship with food.

· Remove tempting foods. Avoid stocking comfort foods in your home if you find that they are difficult to resist. And by all means avoid making trips to the grocery store if your emotions are spiraling out of control!

· Practice stress management. Yoga, meditation, and relaxation techniques are effective methods of managing your stress.

· Determine whether you are truly hungry. Many times people may believe they are hungry when in reality they are actually emotionally distraught and desperately searching for a way to defuse such emotions.

· Make sure you consume adequate calories. Individuals who are trying to lose weight will often restrict their calorie intake too much, and will turn to the same foods in an effort to remain on track without rewarding themselves with an occasional treat. Adding variety to your meal plan will also help to keep you on track.
Emotional_Eating cake
· Distract yourself. If you get an urge to snack when you aren’t truly hungry, distract yourself by watching a movie, calling a friend, reading, listening to music, or taking a walk.

· Consume healthy snacks. If an urge to snack between meals strikes, choose a low-calorie snack such as vegetables with seasoned nonfat Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, low fat cottage cheese or rice cakes.

· Get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep is an important component in decreasing cravings for comfort foods.

· Eat at regular intervals. Consume smaller meals every three to four hours to keep you from feeling hungry or deprived.

· Focus on the experience of eating. Learn to eat in a mindful manner, in which you pay attention to your meal and only your meal. Become aware of the sensations associated with eating.

· Reward yourself. It is both physically and emotionally unhealthy to practice excessive calorie restriction for prolonged periods. Allow yourself to have a favorite food or meal once each week.

· Connect with your emotions. When a food craving hits during an emotional time, write down the emotions you are experiencing, such as sadness, loneliness or anger.

· Seek professional help if emotional eating is frequent. There are countless support groups which you can join which will help you to develop insight as well as the skills to avoid engaging in such behavior.

Protein Denaturing And What It Means For You

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Originally published on mensphysique.com on Wednesday, 05 September 2012

http://www.rxmuscle.com/blogs/the-lab-supplement-school/6456-protein-denaturing-and-what-it-means-for-you.html

protein denaturing
Proteins are comprised of amino acids arranged like beads on a string (primary structure) which are then folded upon themselves by means of hydrogen bonds (secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures). This intricate folding can be very complex, conferring specificity which defines a protein’s biological activity. If such higher structures are disrupted, such as by temperature extremes, altered salt concentration or changes in pH, a protein’s biological activity can be reduced or completely obliterated.

When most proteins are heated beyond 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit), the bonds are broken, thus resulting in denaturing of proteins. When you consider the fact that normal body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, not much heat is required to break down a protein. Most stoves have broiling air temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, with the surface temperatures of food reaching higher temperatures as a result of direct radiation from the heating elements. In essence, normal cooking practices heat proteins well above the temperatures at which they become denatured.

In addition to denaturing, cooking temperatures can cause cross-linking of some proteins, best exemplified by hardening of bread or eggs during the cooking process. This reduces the digestibility of the proteins, but it is important to consider that the majority of those proteins is absorbed and utilized by the body. Most whey protein has been processed at temperatures exceeding 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 72 degrees Celsius, qualifying it as hydrolyzed protein. However, despite the fact that the peptide bonds in the protein are broken during pasteurization, denatured protein still contains all of the amino acids that are found in unhydrolyzed protein and which provide the building blocks for muscle.

What this translates to is the fact that there is still nutritional benefit to be gained from denatured protein despite the argument by some that such proteins are useless. During the critical post-workout window, the body needs protein in order to repair and build muscle. Most of this is absorbed and utilized by the body, with a small portion excreted as waste which is often characterized by a particularly pungent “protein bomb” odor.

Why have I brought up the subject of denatured protein? Because I have heard people argue that hydrolyzed whey protein is useless because it is not bioactive. It seems to me that the considerable muscle mass found on individuals who ingest large amounts of whey protein flies directly in the face of such a short-sided argument. Furthermore, I do not believe that the baking process to which whey protein used in high protein breads is subjected poses any greater risks on the constituent amino acids themselves since they are already hydrolyzed to begin with. Until I see an individual who shows no increase in muscle mass despite proper weight training and sufficient protein intake which relies heavily on whey protein sources, I will continue to hail hydrolyzed whey protein as an excellent source of protein for those who are trying to gain muscle.

Great Bombshell Poster From Team U 2013 When I Went Pro

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bombshell TU

The titles here aren’t completely correct here. I was the Over 35 B Champion as well, with a First Place finish to complement my Over 40 B First Place finish and my Overall Title in Over 40, but because I had already won my Pro Card, Second Place finisher Lindsay Oxford got her Pro Card as well. I guess that is why they decided to make it sound like Lindsay Oxford had won her class.