At some point during our 30s, we start losing muscle mass at the rate of around 5% per decade, due to the aging process. This will affect things such as balance and your ability in performing day to day tasks.
WHO IS AFFECTED BY SARCOPENIA?
This condition will usually start to become apparent at around the age of 30 and worsens significantly past the age of 75. People who live a sedentary lifestyle, people who don’t exercise or stay active, people who don’t get enough essential vitamins and minerals and people who don’t get enough protein will be affected by this condition a lot more than others, who live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Although as of yet there is nothing we can do to completely stop this process happening, however there are many measures we can put in place to avoid it as much as we possibly can.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FEEL THIS MAY BE AFFECTING YOU?
If you feel like you live an active lifestyle and have proper nutrition but still suffer, there have been studies showing that supplementation can have a positive effect on the symptoms associated with Sarcopenia, symptoms can include such things as weakness, stiff joints and loss of stamina
Supplements such as creatine along with a weight resistance training programme, vitamin D and protein supplements have been shown to aid in maintaining muscle strength and physical performance.
Here’s a simple test in measuring the flexibly, balance and muscle strength of an individual. Developed by the Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araujo, who claims that this simple test can predict how long you would live. While we agree that flexibility, balance and muscle strength are key factors for longevity, it is no prophecy of your life expectancy. We do hope however you will find it motivational to make you move and exercise more.
1. Stand in bare feet with clear space around you
2. Without leaning on anything lower yourself down to a sitting position
3. Now stand back up trying not to use your hands, knees, forearms, or sides of your legs.
Scoring
The score is based on a ten point scale with a point subtracted every time a hand or your knees are used to support you.
Ever thought about cleaning up your eating habits? Sick of the same old snacks? Check out this daily meal plan for great tips and ideas on how to clean up your eating habits!
We’re all guilty of snacking, whether it’s on the right nutrition or not but there’s no harm in snacking, throughout the day our body needs to fuel up. Just walking around the office or lifting & carrying at work is burning up those calories. Obviously burning calories is what everyone requires to lose weight but our intake of foods and drinks are our daily sources of fuel. Let’s take a look at some healthy alternatives and meals that may come in handy to ditch that lunchtime sandwich & crisps!
Breakfast
Breakfast is often described as the ‘most important meal of the day’ but is it true? When it comes to working out it’s recommended to exercise as early as you can after fasting over night so that your body is using the last of its fuel stores. So maybe breakfast is the best meal to refuel for the day ahead? We all know the go to breakfast stables can be the bowl of cereal normally quite high in sugars or toast as they’re easy and on hand, but how about mixing it up with pancakes or overnight protein oats?
Pancakes
Ingredients:
· 3 Medium Eggs
· 2 Bananas (1 large if available)
· 150ml Coconut or Almond
· 5tbsp of Rice Flour (deduct a tbsp for Carob Powder for chocolate flavouring)
· 1tsp of Xanthan Gum (optional for binding)
· Coconut Oil
Method:
Combine all products in a mixing bowl, heat pan on medium heat, place your coconut oil into the pan and then ladle in your mixture, decorate with various fruits of choice, enjoy!
Over Night Protein Oats
Ingredients:
· 40g of Oats
· 40g of Natural Yoghurt (Fat Free Alternative)
· 80ml of Milk (Personal Choice)
· 1 Scoop of Personal Favourite Protein Powder.
· Fruit or Nuts (Optional Topping).
Method:
Combine your oats, yoghurt, milk & protein powder and mix well. Place into a bowl or Tupperware (for on the move) box of choice. Place into the refrigerator before heading to bed. Enjoy your delicious meal in the morning packed full of goodness and protein for your day ahead!
Mid-Morning/Afternoon Snacking
Everyone from time to time can find themselves feeling peckish between meals and that’s no different when it comes to the gaps between your breakfast, lunch and your evening meal. It’s very easy if you’re passing a shop or vending machine whilst out and about or at work to grab a packet of crisps or have a couple of biscuits with your hot beverage, admit it we’re all guilty of this! But what alternatives could you choose to help quell that between meal hunger?
· Fruit – Fruit is an obvious healthier choice when it comes to snacking. Everyone has heard the saying ‘consume 5 portions of fruit or vegetables per day’ so now there’s no better time! Grab yourself a banana, these come packed with potassium to boost your energy and are packed full of good starchy carbs.
· Nuts – There’s no better option if you’re looking to graze throughout the day than a handful of nuts, packed full of those good fats and protein! Try to stick to the natural alternatives rather than reach out for the pub favourite ‘Dry Roasted’. Almonds, cashews & walnuts are some of most popular choices when it comes to grabbing a quick snack.
· Beef Jerky – Here’s one for the meat lovers! Beef Jerky comes packed with protein, if you can bear the chewy delight that is Beef Jerky then you’re onto a winner!
· Water – It is very easy to be confused by your body’s demands, at times you may consider yourself hungry but really this is your body crying out for fluids! If you feel yourself becoming peckish try knocking down a glass of water first, wait for approximately 20-30 minutes and see how you feel after that, you may have just been feeling a little dehydrated!
· Protein Bar – An easy alternative to snacking on chocolate or crisps! A protein bar can come packed with protein ranging between 15-30g! These bars are usually low in carbs and sugars which in return means lower calories, making this a filling snack whilst on the go.
· Hummus – This chickpea delight from the Middle-East is an ideal snack whilst on the go! Easy to make yourself or cheap enough to buy from your local supermarket it comes packed with iron. A great accompaniment for this snack is sliced up vegetables especially red peppers or carrots adding to a higher vitamin intake!
Evening Meal
So it’s that time of the day! You’ve been hard at work all day, maybe you’ve crammed in a quick gym session after work and all you want to do is put your feet up! But how easy is it to go for the quick option when it comes to your evening meal? The correct answer is; very! It’s far too easy to put a frozen pizza into the oven or ring the local takeaway for your favourite stable of choice. Now it’s time to get creative in the kitchen & prepare some quick, tasty & wholesome nutritious meals!
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
· 2 Sliced Chicken Breasts.
· Chopped Broccoli.
· 200g Wholegrain Pasta (or your own personal choice).
· 2tbsp Reduced Fat Green Pesto.
· Salt/Pepper.
· 1tbsp Olive Oil (or try a spray for reduced calories).
Method:
· Firstly, prepare your pasta as directed.
· Gently heat pan on a medium heat and add in your oil.
· Add in your sliced chicken (add salt/pepper to season if required), add 1tbsp of reduced fat pesto and sauté until chicken is cooked through.
· Add in your chopped broccoli and continue to sauté your ingredients for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
· Now add your cooked pasta and the rest of the pesto and stir through thoroughly.
· Serve and enjoy!
Hot n’ Spicy Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
· 300g Roasted Red Peppers (drained).
· 250g Cherry Tomatoes (halved).
· 1 Crushed Clove of Garlic.
· 1 Vegetable Stock Cube.
· 1tsp Paprika.
· 1tbsp Olive Oil.
· 4tbsp Ground Almonds.
· 100ml Water.
Method:
· Place all the ingredients into a blender.
· Blend until the ingredients are of a smooth consistency.
· Season to taste and heat until piping hot before serving, enjoy!
Supper
Supper may not be for everyone but again a guilty pleasure is to grab a quick snack before bed. Sometimes it’s the foods we enjoy in the morning that we have before bed, but cereal etc. packed high in sugars and is the last thing you want to be putting away before getting your head down! You can always relate back to the snacking options earlier in the article or try these guilt free options before hitting the hay…
· Peanut Butter (or other variation) – Spread a little bit peanut butter on a rice cake for a guilt free tasty bite to eat.
· Oranges – Oranges come packed full of fibre which will give you that satisfaction of feeling fuller for longer!
· Avocado – Again spread half an avocado onto a rice cake to fulfil you hunger needs.
· Cherry Tomatoes – With hardly a calorific reading these little gems are a snack that you can eat until you’re literally ready to burst!
Different Healthier Sources
· Protein – Seafood, white meats, milk, cheese, yoghurt & eggs.
Hopefully this will have given you a greater insight on how to structure your eating habits throughout the day. We all know it’s not easy to stay on track but don’t forget this isn’t a strict plan, everyone needs their ‘cheat day! ´. Always reward yourself every now and again but don’t let that reward become an excuse for slipping into your old habits! There are always easy and simple guides out there to follow, but you are the judge of your own, everyone is different. It’s great to know we’re all unique! Combining healthy eating along with exercise sounds tough but seeing is believing, the feel good factor is where it’s at! Best of luck on your ‘Meal Switch Up’ journey!
Check out our range of Healthfoods to help aid your journey ‘here’.
Protein is one of the key ‘macronutrients’ that is essential to your diet, alongside Carbohydrates and Fats. Protein is made up of Amino Acids, Amino Acids are the foundations in which proteins need to develop. Eight out of around 20 Amino Acids have been deemed as essential to the human diet: Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Threonine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan and Lysine. All the key Amino Acids have different purposes that make up the molecular DNA of Protein.
Protein is a key component of your body, every cell in your body contains Protein and your hair and nails are mostly made of it as well. Your body uses it to build and repair body tissue, and it is needed to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals as it is a very important building block for body development.
How much Protein Should I Eat?
The Daily Reference Intake (RFI) for Protein is 0.8g per kilogram of bodyweight or 0.36g per pound of body weight. However, it has been scientifically proven that increasing your Protein intake can boost your metabolism and reduce your appetite. One study showed that a Protein intake of 30% per day can help the metabolism by 80-100 calories per day. The more your body needs to repair itself, then the more Protein you would need to keep your body in a healthy way. There are claims that a high Protein diet causes problems within kidneys, however, this has never been proven but obviously having an obscene amount of Protein per day can be dangerous but there is no proven limit as it varies from person to person.
Using Protein to gain Muscle and Strength.
Muscles are developed using mostly Protein, and as with most components of the body, muscles are consistently being damaged and repairing themselves. Therefore, to gain more muscle, your body needs more Protein available for synthesising than it is breaking down. Because of this, people who want to increase their muscle need a higher Protein intake, which studies show is around 2.2g of protein per kg of body weight or 1g of Protein per pound of body weight.
High Protein Diets
There are numerous benefits for having a high Protein diet. Protein is proven to curb hunger, meaning the higher the protein content in your meal, the fuller you will feel after it – which can help you maintain a healthy weight. Protein also helps your body recover faster after a workout and can help build lean muscle which reducing muscle loss.
There are plenty of ways that you can up your Protein intake. The clear and obvious one is introducing higher Protein foods into your diet. Chicken Breast, Cottage Cheese, Lean Beef and Tuna are all foods that have a Protein content of over 50% whilst foods such as Yogurt, Eggs, Lentils and other types of Fish are still proven to have a very high Protein content.
The other big thing used to up a Protein intake is supplements, supplements often replace carbohydrates and fats with protein to help you feel fuller and make it healthier than normal food. There are plenty of different types of supplements used to increase a person’s protein intake across the day such as: Protein Powders like Whey, Diet Whey and Casein which is used to increase someone’s protein intake if they have not hit their protein goals for the day; RTG Shakes and Protein Bars, which are used to either help someone towards their protein goal or just as a snacking alternative. . Each supplement is designed to help its user in a certain way, for example Casein Protein is usually taken before bed and releases protein into the body throughout the night whilst you are asleep.
It is time to stop the war on carbs – carbohydrates are important in every diet, if your goal is to lose weight, gain weight or even just maintain, then you need to be using carbohydrates correctly to reap the rewards.
What are Carbs?
Carbohydrates are just one of the three macronutrients found in food, the others being proteins and fats. It is very rare to see a product with just one macronutrient – most contain a combination of all three.
Carbs can be broken down into three parts
– Sugar can be found naturally in foods such as fruit, fruit juices, milk and vegetables. Other forms of sugar will be found in food and drink such as chocolate, sweets and soft drinks.
– Starch is made up of sugar units which have been bonded together and is found in foods that come from plants such as; bread, rice, potatoes and pasta.
– Fibre is a compound found in the cell walls of foods that come from plants, such as; vegetables, wholegrain bread, whole wheat pasta etc.
Now you know a bit more about carbs let me tell you why we need them and why they are NOT making you fat.
Why we Need Carbs
Carbs are important for energy, without energy your body is not going anywhere!
Carbohydrates should be the main source of energy in a healthy and balanced diet. Carbs provide around 4kcal (17kJ) per gram and are broken down into glucose (sugar) before being absorbed into the blood stream (NHS, 2018). As mentioned above, energy is the main reason why we need carbs, the glucose in carbs is used by your body to fuel your day to day activities. This includes everything from picking the kids up from school, going for a run or simply just walking to the shops.
If you have not done much with your day and your overall energy output is a lot lower than usual, this is when the unused glucose you have consumed that day could be converted into glycogen (found in the liver and muscles). If this is the case, then the excess of glucose that has been stored as glycogen may be converted to fat for long term storage of energy. Try focusing on high fibre/starchy carbohydrates as these release sugar into the blood a lot slower than sugary products such as soft drinks and chocolate and keep you fuller for longer.
Why Carbs are NOT Making you Fat
Carbs have been recently linked to weight gain, it is common to hear people say, “I’m lowering my carbs this week” or “I’m not eating carbs anymore I’m getting fat”. This is a common misconception that has been misconstrued in the media and has led to thousands of people thinking that the reason they are not happy with their body image or plain simple fat, is because of carbs. This could not be further from the truth! If your diet consists of high fat foods or high carb foods it will have the same effect dependent upon your energy output appose to how much energy (calories) you are consuming. This is also simply put by the NHS ‘if you frequently consume more energy than your body uses you are likely to put on weight’.
A Little ‘Carby’ Advice
Aim to limit the volume of sugary foods you consume day to day, instead include healthier sources of carbs such as whole grains, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. You can also do this by increasing your protein intake using protein bars/snacks. These products usually have a lower carb profile than most household snacks which means you can enjoy the things you love without feeling guilty! Protein bars fill you up and allow you to enjoy some chocolate but with less than usual carbs.
So, let’s stop neglecting carbs and give them the loving they deserve, it is winter after all!
*This article has been constructed using the information gathered from the NHS article ‘Why we need to eat carbs’ *
In 2019, almost everyone has an iPhone, Android or some other smartphone in their pocket – having a mini laptop on your person always makes everything in life so much more convenient, especially in fitness. That is why we are going to look at our top picks (in no particular order) for health and fitness apps, compatible with both Android & iOS.
All apps on this list are free to download but offer some sort of in-app purchase.
6. Charity Miles
Charity Miles is a brilliant app where when you exercise you earn money for a chosen charity. They have gathered a corporate sponsorship pool that donates money to the charity you have selected! The app measures distance via GPS and accelerometer so they can get an accurate description of what you’ve done. The further you run, the more the charity earns – in fact, Charity Miles say they have donated over US$2.5 million since they started in 2011. From Stand Up To Cancer to WWF to Army Veterans, there is bound to be a charity you are passionate about to get you up and active.
Couch to 5k helps people who have never run before to completing a 5k run in just 9 weeks. With its tried and tested programme, supported by Olympian Michael Johnson, comedians Sarah Millican and Sanjeev Kohli as well as many more who can help and support you during your 9-week journey. You go at your own pace and it has cool features such as a half-time bell for when it is time to turn around, it also supplies you with tips and advice as well as working with music players – automatically dipping the volume when the in-app trainer speaks to you.
With a 7-person, in-house science department, Headspace sets itself apart from the other meditation apps by showing innovation and scientific research into the ancient practises. Research undertook has shown that Headspace can help your body cope with: Stress; Focus; Mood; Compassion; Aggression; Self-compassion & Work, whilst also having preliminary evidence it supports anxiety & depression. It is a must have app for those who want to focus up!
Find it hard to get yourself up in the morning? Sleepcycle analyses and learns your sleeping patterns so it can wake you up feeling refreshed in a morning. One of the reasons why you wake up feeling so tired all the time is because your loud alarm clock is waking you up during deep sleep, whereas Sleepcycle has a nice, soft tune that wakes you up at your lightest point of sleep during a 30 minute period.
Strava, meaning strive in Swedish, epitomises Strava’s culture, as a group of athletes have designed a clean and crisp looking app. The app itself is compatible with the GPS features of your smartphone, and its enhanced build lets you track, compare and target with extreme accuracy what you have done and what you wish to do. You are also able to have friends and followers on the app, enabling you to share your achievements with other people and have healthy competition between friends – the running social media.
MyFitnessPal tracks your diet and exercise output to determine your ideal calorie intake to help you achieve your personalised goal. Their best feature allows you to search their 300,000,000 item food database to measure your calories at extreme precision – brands have their own verified nutritional information so all you have to do is search for it using the search bar. You can also enter your weight goals with your current weight, and it will advise you on the calories you need to take in each day either to help you lose or gain weight.
In the 19th Century, James Mease created the first ever tomato-based ketchup recipe, a recipe that has been replicated all over the world by people like Henry J Heinz. Since then, condiments have been a big part of people’s meals, with great taste that compliments the original food item. However, a lot of people do not track their calorie intake for condiments, when you should…
If you’re like me and love mayonnaise, you’d be shocked to know that in Mayonnaise, there are 94 calories per 1 tbsp, with 10 g of fat. If you’re like me and you need more than one tbsp, you could be getting closer to 150-170 calories per your own serving. Think about it, if you have Mayo on your sandwiches for lunch and then as a dipping sauce for your tea, you could be adding 300-350 calories of mayonnaise to your diet per day which averages 2,100 – 2,450 calories per week.
All products that you can buy from a supermarket or convenience store in the UK have nutritional facts, so you can always count your calories, check out one of our previous articles that will show you the best fitness apps that can help you track your calories.
As previously mentioned, people don’t track things such as sweet tomato ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, mayonnaise, barbeque sauce etc. and they all add up. If you had a takeaway one night, you’d track it wouldn’t you? All the sauces you have throughout a week add up around the waistline, so why not check out our zero calorie sauces and zero calorie syrups.
The brand Skinny Food Co. pride themselves on producing zero-calorie free condiments that you can add to your meals that still taste good whilst having basically no sugar, fat or calories! We currently stock the Skinny Food Co. sugar-free, zero calorie syrups & sauces Check them out free and make sure the condiments you use are guilt-free!
So whether it’s having their zero-calorie sauce on your sandwich or their zero-calorie syrup on your breakfast, Skinny Food Co have you covered.
Whilst it may be straight forward on how to use their sauces, it turns out their syrups are extremely versatile. For starters, you can add them to your hot drink on a morning to flavour it to your heart’s desire, no paying the extra 50p for the extra shot at your local coffee shop as well as having considerably fewer calories.
1 medio shot of caramel at Costa Coffee is around 41 calories. If you were to have that extra shot, it would take you either 6 minutes of cycling, 4 minutes of running or 15 minutes of running to burn out. However, with one 25ml shot of Skinny Food Co’s Salted Caramel Skinny Syrup, it would only be 1 calorie, which you would burn just by drinking it!
All in all, the sauces you use to compliment your food and drink can have a serious build-up of calories during the week, which can add to your waistline or hinder your efforts in the gym. So why not give one of the Skinny Food Co’s sauces or syrups ago and snack #guiltyfree today!
The Keto Diet, also known as the Ketogenic Diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet – similar to other low carb diets and mirrors the Atkins diet.
The Keto Diet Works By…
It involves you reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. Nutritional ketosis reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called Ketosis and helps promote fat loss.
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; helping you to lose weight, this results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body. These ketones in the blood can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels and can also supply energy for the brain. This is why this diet has been cited for having numerous health benefits including reducing body fat.
Keto Diet Benefits
Some 20 studies show that this type of diet can help support weight loss and improve your health. These health benefits sometimes include helping to reduce diabetes, cancer, treat epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease in varying forms and levels.
Ketosis Duration
It typically takes 2–4 days to enter ketosis if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. However, some people may take longer depending on factors like physical activity level, age, metabolism, and carb, fat, and protein intake.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I’M IN KETOSIS?
Some people have reported feeling somewhat run-down or “flu-like” (referred to as keto flu) in the first few days of following the diet. People have reported feeling fatigue, lethargy, and some experience stomach upset, this may be due to the body having massively reduced sugar levels, which it normally seeks out to produce energy. Think of the symptoms of Keto-flu as a type of carb withdrawal.
REDUCING “KETO-FLU”
You can try to reduce the effects of keto flu by drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of sleep, making sure you eat the similar amounts of calories (don’t go low carb and low fat together). Try consuming natural energy drinks such as green tea, organic coffee and sports drinks with electrolytes eat foods high in healthy fats and clean carbs, such as non-starchy vegetables, extra nuts and seeds, a few low-sugar berries.
Keto-Friendly Foods
GoodHouseKeeeping have informed us of some brilliant foods of which you can use in your keto-diet, we have listed a few of theirs below alongside our own ideas.
Salmon and other fish are rich in B vitamins, potassium and selenium, and relatively low-carb!
Non-starchy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Vegetables can be great substitutes for carbs in some instances, with cauliflower-rice used for multiple recipes, zucchini and carrot can be spiralised to use mimic spaghetti.
Cheese -there are lots of delicious types of cheese. All of them are very low in carbs and high in fat, which makes them a great choice for the keto diet. One ounce (28 grams) of cheddar cheese can provide just 1 gram of carbs and 7 grams of protein.
Berries are natural and delicious, and thankfully are low carb and high in fibre, great for a quick snack or to add to breakfast or curb cravings.
For 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of the following berries:
Blackberries: 5 grams net carbs (10 grams total carbs)
Blueberries: 12 grams net carbs (14 grams total carbs)
Raspberries: 6 grams net carbs (12 grams total carbs)
Strawberries: 6 grams net carbs (8 grams total carbs)
Poultry and Meat- have virtually no carbs and are rich in B vitamins, they are a great source of high-quality protein that keeps hunger at bay for longer. Try to buy grass-fed if possible.
Beef, lamb, veal, venison, or goat are good choices. These types of meat yield zero grams of net carbs per five ounces.
Poultry is great for your keto diet as well. You can add turkey, chicken, goose, duck, pheasant, hen, or quail to your meal. With zero grams of net carbs per five ounces, poultry is another good protein choice.
Dark Chocolate & Cocoa-Yes, that’s right, you can still have chocolate on keto! Providing its at least 70% dark. One ounce (28 grams) of unsweetened chocolate (100% cocoa) has 3 grams of net carbs. The same amount of 70–85% dark chocolate contains up to 10 grams of net carb.
Eggs-One large egg contains less than 1 gram of carbs and fewer than 6 grams of protein, they can be made a variety of ways, they are really filling and taste great.
Coconut Oil-Versatile and ever-popular, coconut oil can be used to cook with, as an ingredient and even a hair product. The main fatty acid in coconut oil is lauric acid, a slightly longer-chain fat. It has been suggested that coconut oil’s mix of MCTs and lauric acid may promote a sustained level of ketosis.
Plain Greek Yoghurt -5 ounces (150 grams) of plain Greek yoghurt provides 5 grams of carbs and 11 grams of protein. Whilst slightly higher in carbs than other foods are still high in protein and make a great option to have at breakfast with or without berries/nuts or as a snack.
Avocados-A massive favourite for our friends over the pond in Oz and super healthy. 3.5 ounces (100 grams), or about one-half of a medium avocado, contain 9 grams of carbs. However, 7 of these are fibre, so its net carb count is only 2 grams!
Nuts and Seeds
1 ounce (28 grams) of nuts or seeds:
Almonds: 3 grams net carbs (6 grams total carbs)
Brazil nuts: 1 gram net carbs (3 grams total carbs)
Cashews: 8 grams net carbs (9 grams total carbs)
Macadamia nuts: 2 grams net carbs (4 grams total carbs)
Pecans: 1 gram net carbs (4 grams total carbs)
Pistachios: 5 grams net carbs (8 grams total carbs)
Walnuts: 2 grams net carbs (4 grams total carbs)
Chia seeds: 1 gram net carbs (12 grams total carbs)
Flaxseeds: 0 grams net carbs (8 grams total carbs)
Pumpkin seeds: 4 grams net carbs (5 grams total carbs)
Sesame seeds: 3 grams net carbs (7 grams total carbs)
Unsweetened coffee and tea -drink black to be super good, but adding heavy cream to coffee or tea is fine, just don’t opt for lattes or anything non-fat that may have carbs lurking in them.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil also is brilliant for the keto-diet.
Keto-friendly Supplements
Quest Nutrition Bars-Box of 12 (60gram bars) £14.99-These bars have a total of 5g of net carbs and 21g of protein per bar. Quest bars are a decent tasting protein bar, the perfect keto diet supplement snack.
PrimaForce Keto Shake (620g 20-servings) £30.99-PrimaForce Keto Shake is an ideal fuel source if you are on the keto diet! Anchored with Coconut Oil and Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs), which the body converts to ketones helping to keep you in ketosis, this shake is not too grainy, tastes good and also helps to boost your metabolism. A 31g serving provides 7g of protein 13g fat and 4g net carbs.
Rich Piana 5% Nutrition Keto-Asalt (252.8g) £24.79-With 16 servings in every tub, this product is stacked with a lot of BHB salts in their unique keto formula. It’s perfect for those on the keto diet and perhaps struggling a little to keep on track, with the great taste and impeccable formula – this product will definitely support you on your keto journey.
Grenade Killa Ketones 60 caps £17.99-Killa Ketones is the perfect weight loss solution for those on keto. With the same powerful effects as the multi-award-winning Grenade Thermo Detonator® this formula deploys serious dosages of Ketones, L-Carnitine, CLA, Acai, African Mango and more.
Keto-Diet Side Effects
People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes should not follow the keto diet without seeing a doctor first.
For people with diabetes, ketosis can trigger a dangerous condition called ketoacidosis. This occurs when the body stores up too many ketones—acids produced as a byproduct of burning fat—and the blood becomes too acidic, which can damage the liver, kidneys, and brain.
For some rising cholesterol levels is a concern when starting a high-fat low carb diet, there has been mixed research into the effects of different “fats” in the body when following these kinds of diets. Clean and natural high-fat foods such as oily fish are healthy fats we need in our body, and these are what’s recommended for keto, saturated fat, that is found in items such as fatty red meats are limited.
Also, you can also expect to have some bad breath when on a keto diet, so maybe a few mints may help you on that front.
However, much research into Keto is indicating that a low-carb ketogenic diet usually results in improved cholesterol profile by lowering triglycerides and increasing HDL (good cholesterol).
A study conducted by The University of Chicago found that a keto diet could lower blood pressure and induce kidney stones & constipation as well as increasing the risk of contracting heart disease.
As always when you start a new diet, you should always consider your overall health and wellbeing before starting one and consult a medical professional if you have any doubt. Especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
Vegan diets are a great way to help people lose weight. However, they also offer several other health benefits. A diet high in plants is also high in nutrients, antioxidants, fibre and is low in calories.
A vegan lifestyle was not something you could easily do if you led a gym-heavy lifestyle up until quite recently. Protein powders and protein bars mostly all contained whey, and the vegan-friendly products were very expensive – until now. Due to the larger audience of those against using animal products, a lot of companies now manufacture their own high plant-based protein blends.
Since there are so many health benefits of plants and now plant-based diets have become more popular, it seems that a lot more people are going vegan every day.
The Vegan Society says that “Well-planned vegan diets contain all the nutrients we need to remain strong and healthy. When people go vegan, they often eat more fruit and vegetables, and enjoy meals higher in fibre and lower in saturated fat”. Which is 100% true, however, us gym-warriors need a lot more protein than others do. Quorn products have a protein in them called ‘mycoprotein’, which contains all the essential amino acids your body needs to thrive on a gym day – although we do not always get our daily protein intake from food, hence why there is a need for cheaper high protein vegan products.
There are many benefits of turning to plant-based protein supplements.
FRIENDLY FIBRE
Vegan food and vegan protein snacks are packed with fibre. Fibre is really good for your digestive system. It helps keep everything running smoothly and also gives you the feeling of being full, which is really helpful when trying to lose weight. Fibre can also help support heart health which is a great benefit.
METABOLISM BOOST
Another really good advantage of vegan protein powder is the way it works with your metabolism. Protein itself takes longer to digest than other foods like carbs and fat. This means that your metabolism will be working harder when you have a high protein intake. With plant-based protein, it also takes a long time to digest because of all the fibre too. Therefore, your metabolism will be working extra hard to digest the protein and fibre. The more your body works on metabolising the plant-based protein you’ve just eaten, the better your body will be at burning the extra fat you’re trying to lose.
SLIMMING SATURATED FATS
Plant-based protein still contains fats, but that’s fine. You need fat in your diet to absorb certain vitamins and to perform other important functions. Certain fats, like the ones that come from coconut, can actually help with your weight. Coconut fat gets called the most weight loss friendly fat. It has been studied to help people lose weight.
EXTRA VITAMINS AND MINERALS
As we know, plant-based diets offer a lot of extra vitamins and minerals to your diet. By using a protein powder that offers more than just protein alone, you are able to intake tons of vitamins and minerals that you wouldn’t necessarily get from animal protein alone.
Calcium Dairy foods are rich in calcium but if you are not eating these, you will need to ensure you’re obtaining calcium from elsewhere. Fortified plant-based snacks and protein powder can help you with that. By incorporating enough calcium into your diet, you will lower the risk of bone fractures.
Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin, needed for a lot of reasons. Too little can result in fatigue and anaemia. Vitamin B12 is usually acquired by eating animal products. However, if you are vegan you will have to incorporate it into your diet another way. That’s where fortified food supplements come in to play. Plant-based protein supplements will enable you to incorporate vitamin B12 into your diet easily.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids These fats have been shown to be important for health and will usually be found in fish. However, if you are removing fish and other meats from your diet, you will have to find other ways to incorporate omega 3 into your diet. Plant-based supplements again will help you do this, as well as other fortified vegan foods.
Try some vegan products today and see the health benefits for yourself!
Sports supplements are becoming increasingly popular, you probably know the benefits of using the protein powder and the pre-workout to increase athletic performance, but maybe you don’t understand how supplementing creatine whilst weight training can help when you are looking to gain muscle.
A study from the ‘International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand’ found that using creatine can lead to improved strength, increase muscle mass & exercise performance.
What is it?
It’s a compound that is naturally found in your body’s muscle cells, it helps your body produce the energy it needs for lifting weights for HIIT training. The University of Florida conducted an investigation into Creatine and found that around 95% of the body’s creatine is stored in your muscles as something called Phosphocreatine, which rapidly distributes the element around your body as well as the brain to recycle Adenosine Triphosphate (which provides muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, and chemical synthesis to the body). Creatine’s compound shares many similarities with amino acids, your body can produce creatine by utilising the amino acid Glycine and Arginine.
CREATINE BENEFITS
Several ways actually, it is used to boost the phosphocreatine levels in your body, which then fuels your muscles for the workout – especially during high-intensity exercises. If you have the energy and additional levels after or even if you don’t do high-intensity exercises, it will send Adenosine Thiphosphate throughout your body and help you get through the rest of a gruelling workout. There are five, simplified key benefits of supplementing creatine into your workout.
Improved signalling within cells: The introduction of Adenosine Thriphostate into your body helps your brain know which muscles need help repairing themselves whilst making room for muscle growth.
Flow water through your muscles: Building muscles is everyone’s dream, with hydrated cells, it is more likely you will be able to see more volume in those biceps.
Enhanced workout: Supplementing creatine enables you to lift heavier weights or even your usual weight load for longer!
Increased levels of anabolic hormones: Levels of hormones such as IGF-1 have been shown to appear after supplementing creatine.
Reducing the breakdown of proteins: It has been shown that your body’s source of protein supporting the muscles may not be reduced as rapidly when supplementing Creatine, leading to an increase in muscle mass.
I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT NOT INCREASE MUSCLE MASS, CAN I STILL USE IT?
Creatine is great for weight loss, it goes great with weight training which is one of the most popular forms of fat loss! However, if you’re trying to slim down your muscle size, it might not be a great option.
When using weights to burn fat, your muscles will still fatigue, so supplementing creatine will still give your muscles the hydration and protein protection it needs. Whilst it is primarily used to increase muscle mass, you can use it to lose weight – with the added benefit on increased muscle health. An important thing to note is that it when supplementing creatine to lose weight, you may not see a weight reduction in the short term as your body will be building the muscles to cope with the workout you were doing and muscle weighs more than fat. Over time though, you will see your muscles fatigue less and the fat dropping.
SIDE EFFECTS
A study was carried out by researches with several decades of conducting studies on Creatine, concluding that it was one of the safest sports supplements available on the market. Another study was conducted over a 21 month period which found no adverse effects which can be found here.
CAPSULES OR POWDER, WHICH IS BETTER?
Now, that is entirely up-to-you. It all depends on which form you’d prefer. Our records show that capsules are more popular, but you can add the powder to a protein shake for convenience, all depends on your preference.
Optimum Nutrition’s Creatine comes in powdered and capsules form, as do AAEFX Sports and Reflex Nutrition, you can find a full list of all our creatines here.
Amino acids are organic compounds. They’re made up of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.
Although there are nine essential amino acids, your body needs 20 different amino acids to grow and function properly.
The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
The nonessential amino acids can, fortunately, be made up by your body. However, the nine essential ones cannot. These will need to be obtained through your diet, or supplements.
When you eat protein, it’s broken down into amino acids. These amino acids are then used to help your body with various processes, such as building muscle and regulating immune function.
The nine essential amino acids perform a number of important and varied jobs in your body:
Phenylalanine: Phenylalanine exists in two forms or arrangements: L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. Your body is unable to produce enough L-phenylalanine on its own. This is why it’s considered an essential amino acid. Phenylalanine has been studied as a treatment for several medical conditions including skin disorders, depression and pain.
Valine (BCAA): Valine is found in many proteins. It’s mostly found in the interior of globular proteins. This helps to determine the three-dimensional structure. Valine also helps stimulate muscle growth and regeneration and is involved in energy production.
Threonine: Threonine is a principal part of structural proteins, such as collagen and elastin. These are important components of the skin and connective tissues. Threonine is changed in the body to a chemical called glycine. Glycine works in the brain to reduce constant and unwanted muscle contractions.
Tryptophan: Tryptophan is needed for nitrogen balance. Although it does have other benefits. It is a precursor to serotonin, which is a hormone that transmits signals between nerve signals. L-tryptophan is naturally found in animal and plant proteins.
Methionine: Methionine plays an important role in metabolism and detoxification. Methionine also plays an important role in producing new proteins in your muscles. Especially after a heavy exercise session which caused damage to them.
Leucine (BCAA): Leucine is critical for protein synthesis and muscle repair. It can also prevent the breakdown of muscle proteins after trauma or serious stress.
Isoleucine (BCAA): Isoleucine is involved in muscle metabolism and is heavily concentrated in muscle tissue. Isoleucine has various physiological benefits. These include assisting in wound healing, detoxification of nitrogenous waste, stimulating immune function and promoting the secretion of several hormones.
Lysine: Lysine is very important in protein synthesis, hormone and enzyme production. It helps the body to absorb calcium, iron and zinc. It’s also important for energy production, immune function and the production of collagen and elastin.
Histidine: Histidine is used to produce histamine. Histamine is a neurotransmitter which is essential to immune response, digestion, sexual function and sleep-wake cycles.
BCAAS
Of these nine, three are referred to as Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) because of their chemical structure. The three BCAAs are valine, leucine and isoleucine.
Athletes consume these BCAAs to rapidly increase amino acid levels in the bloodstream, promote protein synthesis, and prevent muscle protein breakdown.
One of the main effects of BCAAs is that it can increase muscle growth.
The BCAA, leucine, activates a certain pathway in the body that stimulates muscle protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is the process of making muscle.
In one study, people who consumed a drink with 5.6 grams of BCAAs after their workout, had a 22% increase in muscle protein synthesis, compared to those who consumed a placebo drink.
While BCAA supplements can increase muscle protein synthesis, they can’t do this to the best of their ability without using other essential amino acids. It is a good idea to get the rest of your amino acid intake from whey protein, or other complete protein sources.
Instead of only concentrating on BCAA supplements, you should ensure you are consuming all of the essential amino acids, for the best results.
Try our Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard range to get all of your Amino Acid intakes in one place!
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