Is Coffee a Good Pre Workout?

A Special Thank You to

Kyle "The Muscle Maximizer" Leon

It seems that research is backing up the use of coffee as a pre-workout drink for a number of different reasons. If you look at just about any pre-workout drink, you're going to find some sort of stimulant. Since ephedra was banned, it's fairly likely that the exact stimulant that you'll find is going to be caffeine.

That's exactly what's in coffee. What you won't find in coffee is artificial flavors, sweeteners or a ton of calories: just good old fashioned caffeine along with serious antioxidant power and a nice, rich, wake-me-up flavor.

Coffee Boosts Fat Burning

A neat little trick that was discovered during research is that coffee triggers your body to burn fat instead of glycogen for energy during a workout. This means that you're quite literally burning fat while you're working without having to burn through your glycogen stores first.

Coffee Increases Mental Clarity

One of the benefits of caffeine is that it helps you to focus on the task at hand. When you're working out, that means that you can concentrate more easily on performing each exercise precisely and completely without your mind wandering off in a million directions.

Coffee Decreases Pain

Caffeine affects a system in your brain and spine that deals with pain, which is why it may help reduce muscle pain and burn during workouts. A study conducted at the University of Illinois in 2009 supports this. College-age men were first given a placebo before hitting the cycles, then a week later were given a caffeine pill before cycling. Significant reduction in calf pain during exercise was reported during the caffeine phase of the study.

This could help you work out longer and harder without experiencing muscle pain and burn that can reduce the number of reps or the amount of weight that you can lift. That's a pretty big bonus to any workout plan!

Caffeine Improves Performance

When you look at the combination of increased energy and focus and decreased workout pain, caffeine is bound to improve your performance. This leap in logic is supported by numerous studies, which show that caffeine consumption (with as little as one cup) can increase performance by about 12%.

Possible Downsides of Drinking Coffee as a Pre-Workout

If you're extremely sensitive to caffeine, drinking coffee may not be for you. Also, coffee is a diuretic. While that's great if you're retaining water, it's not-so-great when you're trying to hydrate your body during and after a workout.

I give a nice strong, black cup of coffee a 2 thumbs up for an inexpensive alternative to a traditional pre-workout!

Why "instant" brown rice may be HEALTHIER than regular brown rice

You probably already know that, generally speaking, brown rice is a healthier option than white rice.  It contains more fiber, vitamins and minerals while also having a lower glycemic index.

You've probably also heard that the "slow cook" version of brown rice is much healthier than the "instant" versions, which have been pre-cooked to allow for faster cooking times.  After all, anything that's "easy" has to give you some sort of health trade off, doesn't it?  So perhaps like many looking to obtain a trim, tight waistline, you labor over the stove for 45 mins to prepare your healthy brown rice.

But alas, this simply isn't true.  Did you know that many brands of "instant" brown rice contain just as much fiber as regular brown rice and have even been tested to have a lower glycemic index than regular versions?  In fact, the ONLY brands of brown rice to score a glycemic index in the 40's are ALL instant!  The regular versions generally score in the 60 - 80s range.

Now, with that said, this same "quick cook" phenomenon doesn't apply to other foods like oatmeal, where the glycemic index generally increases significantly when comparing instant versions vs their regular counterparts.

But when it comes to brown rice, it seems that there is little negative trade off and actually some positive benefits to gain with a lower glycemic index.  Not to mention, it's ready in a few minutes instead of nearly an hour!

The BEST fruit for weightloss (even great before bed)

Thanks to Joel & Josh - BioTrust Nutrition

You've probably heard the tip that if you're interested in losing weight, it's a good idea to eat slowly and chew your food at least 15-20 times before swallowing.  Doing so allows your brain and body to actually sense that it's full, instead of cramming a bunch of food down your throat only to find out 30 mins later that you're WAY stuffed.

And for that reason (and a few others), I'm picking cherries as my #1 fruit for weight loss.

With cherries, you can't just pop 30 in your mouth in two mins like you could, and probably often do, with grapes or blueberries.  Instead, the pits force you to eat them slowly, allowing your satiation sensors to chime in a prevent you from over-indulging.

So that's reason #1 – built in portion control.

Reason #2, and it's a BIG one, is that cherries have the LOWEST glycemic index of all fruits, and one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any carbohydrate source—period.

Scoring at a ridiculously low 22, you can even snack on cherries in the evening without much detriment as their effect on insulin is minimal at best.  Again, it's not late-night eating that's the problem, it's eating the wrong foods (those that cause a substantial rise in fat-loss halting insulin) in evening hours that is.

So next time you're in the mood for a sweet, satiating snack, reach for a small bowl of cherries and enjoy the goodness.  My new favorite variety is Rainier cherries….Mmm mmm good :)

Do this exactly ONCE per week (for max fatloss)‏

If there’s one thing that causes more unnecessary panic and stress to cross my email inbox, it’s the dag on scale.

 

People literally FREAKING OUT because the scale reads one pound more today than it did yesterday.

 

So today, I’m here to help you with some facts and a bit of advice.

 

#1 – that’s NORMAL.  If you weigh yourself every day, you’re going to see fluctuations in weight throughout the week (mainly due to daily water fluctuations).  That’s normal and to be expected especially if you’re utilizing a program that cycles carb and calorie intake like many popular diet programs do today.

 

The solution?

 

NEVER weigh yourself more than once a week.  Period.  Anything more than that and you’re just screwing yourself psychologically.  The scale will inevitably jump around and instead of staying focused on your fatloss plan and your goals, your thoughts become consumed with a number (that for all intents and purposes is unreliable on a daily basis).

 

So when should you weigh yourself?

 

The key is to keep things as consistent as possible throughout the measuring process:

 

*Same scale

*Same day each week

*Same time of day

*Same circumstances

 

For example, if you have a Cheat Day on the same day each week, I recommend taking your scale reading on that day, first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything, on the same scale each week, unclothed.  Taking measurements in this fashion will give you a pretty good idea of the type of results you were able to achieve from the previous week.

 

Perhaps an even better indicator of progress is your waist measurement, and as such I recommend taking a waist measurement along with your scale reading each week.  Again, same measuring tape, some spot (around the navel), same set of circumstances, etc.

 

Even if for some fluke reason the scale doesn’t budge one week, as long as your waist measurement decreases you can rest assured that you’re losing fat because your fat stores are shrinking.

 

So, if you’re someone who steps on the scale daily, or even worse sporadically throughout the week at different times of day, do yourself a favor and STOP.  Move to once-a-week progress measurements for a much more reliable, stress-free indicator of progress.

All U Can Eat Buffet (fat loss trick)

When asked: "What's My Favorite Food?" 

My answer is: "All U Can Eat Buffet!"

There's just something enticing about having an endless supply of food available to eat until your hearts content.

But did you know that there is a simple "trick" that you can use the next time you are at a buffet that will allow you to enjoy yourself without packing on unwanted bodyfat in the process?

There is some new research from Cornell University that uncovers a powerful insight that will be very helpful to you as you visit your next buffet... if you put it to use.  

What is it?

Well, the study discovered that two thirds of an individual's plate is typically filled with the first 3 items they choose at the buffet table.  Now, how can you apply this simple finding to your bodybuilding nutrition program?  Easy.  Reach for salad, veggies, and lean protein before adding other items to your plate.

The study also found that folks are more apt to choose foods similar to the first item they put on their plate, so if the first item is a healthy choice, it's much more likely that you will follow up that choice by placing another healthy food item on your plate.

Even better, when choosing salad greens, veggies, and lean proteins, these foods come with high volume and low calories.  That means you'll be able to pile your plate high, leaving your belly full while still supporting your fat-loss goals.

High fruit and veggie diet linked to lower risk of heart disease, death

 

By Kathryn Doyle

Reuters - Friday, August 8, 2014

 

The idea that fruits and veggies are good for you isn't new, of course. What’s new in this study is that researchers saw a dose-response relationship: the more fruits and veggies people ate, the less likely they were to have heart problems or die while researchers were studying them.

The protective effects of fruits and veggies leveled out at five servings per day, which supports current dietary recommendations, senior author Dr. Frank B. Hu, of the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, told Reuters Health by email.

The findings are from a fresh analysis of 16 existing studies that involved more than 800,000 people. The studies lasted at least four years, and sometimes up to 26 years. Around 56,000 participants died during the studies.

Six studies included data on vegetables in the diet over time, six examined fruits, and four included both. The studies were conducted in the U.S., Asia and Europe.

Compared to people who ate no fruits or vegetables, those who ate one serving per day were roughly five percent less likely to die of any cause over the course of the studies. And with every additional serving, the risk of death decreased by another five percent, according to the combined analysis published in BMJ.

The risk of dying from heart disease decreased with more fruits and vegetables in a similar way, but the risk of dying from cancer did not appear to change.

More than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily didn't confer any additional benefit.

Most of the studies took into account people’s age, body mass index, smoking and alcohol consumption, which can all affect the risk of dying from heart disease or other problems. But since it only included observational studies, the review can't prove that these dietary habits will protect people from heart disease and death, only that the two are connected. People in the studies could have been making other lifestyle choices that would influence the results.

It would not be feasible to do a randomized controlled trial on consumption of fruits and vegetables because it would involve thousands of people eating the same diets for many years, Hu said. In the absence of those, large prospective cohort studies like the ones he looked at are the best available evidence, he said.

Randomized trials have found a connection between a generally healthy diet and delayed onset of heart disease, Hu’s coauthor Wei Bao told Reuters Health by email.

“For instance, the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the PREDIMED study have shown a significant reduction of cardiovascular events by a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern which includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables,” said Bao, a postdoctoral fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland.

The vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables may improve blood lipids and blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, Hu said.

Eating more than five servings daily may confer benefits in other areas, like stroke risk, and even if it does not, there is no evidence of harm from a high-plant diet, he said.

"Since the average consumption of fruits/veggies in the general population is far below five servings per day, there is still a long way to go before meeting the recommended intakes," Hu said.

They did not look at individual fruits and vegetables, and more research will be needed to examine the health effects of specific foods in this category, he said.

“For instance, the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the PREDIMED study have shown a significant reduction of cardiovascular events by a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern which includes a large amount of fruits and vegetables,” said Bao, a postdoctoral fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland.

The vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables may improve blood lipids and blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, Hu said.

Eating more than five servings daily may confer benefits in other areas, like stroke risk, and even if it does not, there is no evidence of harm from a high-plant diet, he said.

"Since the average consumption of fruits/veggies in the general population is far below five servings per day, there is still a long way to go before meeting the recommended intakes," Hu said.

They did not look at individual fruits and vegetables, and more research will be needed to examine the health effects of specific foods in this category, he said.

Don't eat this in the morning!

Let me ask you a question:  Do you eat oatmeal for breakfast? While it certainly can be a solid, healthy option, most are heavily processed and absolutely TERRIBLE for you.

For example, the next time you are at the store, take a look at a brand of "heart-healthy" instant oatmeal (their claim), the "Maple and Brown Sugar" flavor.

First, there is no maple in it. There is also no brown sugar in it. Instead, it's packed with artificial ingredients, colors, and flavors. It's also packed with regular sugar and I've even seen some varieties with the "flavor" gel packets full of high fructose corn syrup...talk about royally screwing up oatmeal!

This product also has a significantly higher glycemic index than regular "old fashioned oatmeal" due to it's instant nature where it's been pre-cooked via high-heat processing. This high heat processing also robs the oatmeal of many important vitamins and minerals, making it an overall less nutritious product.

So, if you're going to go with oatmeal, please stay away from the instant, processed, sugar-laden versions.

Instead, the best choice is plain ol' steel cut oats. While they take a few extra minutes to cook, it's certainly worth it for the lower glycemic index, extra fiber, and greater vitamin and mineral content...all while avoiding all that processed garbage.

Steel cut oats will also leave you feeling fuller, longer, and you'll probably find that you enjoy the more firm texture and nuttier flavor a LOT more than mushy instant oatmeal anyway. 

Thank you Joel and Josh from BioTrust Nutrition.