Exercising on an empty stomach can boost muscle building

Exercising on an empty stomach can boost muscle building

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A hungry womanWorking out on an empty stomach can boost your overall health and fitness.

Simply skip breakfast and exercise first thing in the morning and then have a protein recovery meal 30 minutes after your workout. Whether you choose to exercise on an empty stomach or not, your post exercise meal is crucial to stop the catabolic process in your muscle and shift the process toward repair and growth. An example of a catabolic process is knowing that your muscles actually endure a break down phase because of hormones released during each workout, and that you have the ability to counteract this process by consuming high-quality nutrient sources before, or after your exercise sessions.

If you fail to feed your muscle at the right time after exercise, the catabolic process will go too far and can potentially damage your muscle. The correct time to eat is within 30 minutes after your workout. Your meal should include fast-assimilating proteins, such as a high-quality whey protein shake with no sugar added.
Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Vanilla)

If you cannot exercise in a fasted state due to fatigue, or simply opt not to for some other reason, you can also consume whey protein before exercise. It’s an excellent breakfast choice. A 2010 study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that consuming whey protein 30 minutes before resistance training can boost your body’s metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout.

Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate)Certain amino acids, such as leucine found in high-quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms which promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. They have also have been found to improve performance in high intensity exercise.

Leucine helps you lose weight and builds muscle when dieting

Leucine triggers muscle growth. Leucine is an essential amino acid, which simply means our bodies cannot produce it and we must get it from dietary sources. Researchers have known about leucine for decades, but exciting new research has shed a new and broader light on this important health-promoting amino acid. Much of protein’s benefits may be attributable to leucine due to its ability to stimulate protein synthesis, help turn on the body’s switch to build muscle and spare muscle when dieting.

Whether you’re interested in building muscle or preventing muscle loss that normally occurs during dieting and aging, stimulating protein synthesis is absolutely key. Most people know that consuming protein induces an increase in muscle protein synthesis, which is why protein supplements are popular to consume after exercise.

A large number of studies have shown that high protein diets help spare muscle loss during dieting and weight loss. Researchers at the University of Illinois conducted studies that examined weight loss diets containing 10 grams of leucine per day and 125 grams total of protein per day.The groups consuming high leucine diets had greater weight loss, greater fat loss and better preservation of lean body mass. In these studies, the high leucine diets also resulted in better glucose control.

The best food sources of leucine include any proteins from animals that naturally contain all the essential amino acids. The protein source with the highest leucine content is whey, which contains about 10% leucine or 10 grams per 100 grams of protein. If you drink a whey protein shake that has about 25 grams of protein, you would get about 2.5 grams of naturally occurring leucine.
Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate)

Eating too many carbs in relation to protein and fat is a big mistake

Scientists have found that as you age, the ratio between protein and carbohydrates is critically important. Research shows that a high-protein/high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet is most effective both for muscle building and weight loss. In order to build muscle, you clearly need calories, but there’s compelling evidence showing that calories from fat are far better than calories from carbohydrates.

To maximize the benefits of exercise, you’ll want to avoid fructose and other sugar drinks, unless you are engaged in intensive and prolonged cardio exercises that will allow you to burn these sugars and not store them as fat. Most casual exercisers and those seeking to mostly improve body composition and optimize health and fitness need to stop using energy drinks, sports drinks, like Gatorade and most energy bars that contain fructose  and even “healthy” drinks like vitamin water.

These fructose laden drinks sabotage your exercise benefits by tricking your body into gaining weight by turning off your body’s appetite-control system. It’s also important to realize that consuming fructose, including that from fruit juices, within two hours of your workout (before or after) will also decimate your natural human growth hormone (HGH) production.

If you are doing high-intensity interval training, such as CrossFit, a major benefit of such exercise is an increase in your HGH, HGH is also known as “the fitness hormone,” and some athletes pay a lot of money for HGH injections. But the combination of eliminating fructose and doing high-intensity interval training while fasting is a natural and the preferred way to optimize your HGH.

Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate)

The Juice of Life – Holly’s Story

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Juicing has been used for years to rid the body of toxins, promote physical well-being and encourage mental clarity. Since 95% of vitamins come from the juice of fruits and vegetables, no amount of synthetic medicines or supplements can ever match the power of the healing properties in leafy green vegetables and fruits.

When I heard my friend, Holly’s story then I was really convinced of these healing powers firsthand. She had been a vibrant athlete who found herself stricken with an at first undiagnosed disease which took a terrible toll on her body. Only through juicing did she find a way to heal herself of this disease.

Here is her story….

“I started martial arts at the age of twelve, and have remained in it to this day. I have practiced seven different styles, achieving a black belt in Taekwondo and also Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu. Aside from hiking, biking and rock climbing, I played rugby in college, and also for the Berkeley All-Blues.

Up until 2002, I was always super fit and healthy, or so I thought. In July of 2002, I developed a relatively rare auto-immune disorder called Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder or MCTD. My life as I knew it was over. This illness has every nastiness one could imagine. I developed chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Reynaud’s syndrome, scleroderma, trigeminal neuralgia, facial numbness, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing and loss of motility and digestive capabilities. My life was filled with one misery after another, and it seemed each day brought a new type of pain or suffering. My brain was in a fog, and I couldn’t distance myself enough from my misery to formulate a healing plan. I took many harsh western drugs. Methotrexate, prednisone, morphine, and neurontin, to name a few.

I felt my body wasting away and my life energy leaving. Realizing that the Western drugs were only speeding my descent I discarded them in 2004, but I continued to spiral downwards. In 2005, I was at a lifetime low, the epitome of misery, and I came within a hair’s breadth to ending it all.

Holly – Before, During & After her illness

In trying to end my life, I had to give up, completely. In that moment of letting go, I opened myself to receive guidance. I realized I wasn’t finished with this life yet, and I wanted to stay. My guidance revealed the universal truth that led me to know I could change things. I took responsibility for creating my life as it was, and resolved to manifest a new one. I embarked on an inner journey of exploration in order to change my outer journey.

There wasn’t much left of my physical body, I had gone from 148 lbs. of solid muscle, to 115 lbs. of skin and bones. I couldn’t digest solid food, but knew I needed intense nutrition, lots of it, and fast. I consulted with a nutritionist and put together a juicing program, along with protein shakes. For an entire year, I stayed on my super nutritious liquid diet, drinking 48 to 64 oz. of my juice every day.

I noticed improvements in pain, inflammation, and energy within days of starting. When I was strong enough I added my herbal formulas back into my wellness program. I opened myself to receiving help from people, experiences, and from spirit. I discovered treasures of healing: a useful tip overheard; watching someone accomplish a task; a line in a song; a book reread that I had forgotten about; a workshop that inspired. If what I learned helped me, I kept it, if it didn’t, I moved on. Slowly, inch by inch, I made progress. It was hard work, and sometimes it seemed as if I moved backwards. I learned to be grateful for all the little miracles, celebrating my successes. All the while, I did not let anyone tell me I could not be well again. I held tenaciously to visions of my own wellness, constantly creating positive affirmations and working to surround myself with positive inspirational objects.

Now, there is not a trace of chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia, I have full use of my hands, having beaten back the scleroderma. My acid reflux is gone and I can eat and digest solid food once more. There were so many things that came into my life to help me become well, and each one was indispensable. But, I absolutely would not be alive right now, if I had not started drinking my ‘Juice of Life’ as I have fondly named it. It contains a cornucopia of vegetables and fruits, more servings in one glass than most people get in a month. I continue to drink it almost every day, and will continue to do so, happily for the rest of my now healthy life.

It contains a combination of the following organic fruits and vegetables: Carrots, red beets, beet greens, cucumber, parsley, spinach, celery, chard, kale, dandelion greens, zucchini, broccoli, yams, green peppers, red/orange peppers, red cabbage, green cabbage, apples, pears, kiwis, and either cantaloupe, honeydew, or blueberries depending upon availability.

I happily talk about my ‘Juice of Life’ to friends, or anyone who is curious, and now unexpectedly, I have several people who wanted in on my juice. They started buying it from me on a weekly basis, and are hooked on the ‘Juice of Life’. My clients have told me that their energy has improved dramatically, their diets have improved because of reduced sugar cravings, they feel more mental clarity and focus, and continue to see positive changes in their well being on a weekly basis.”

Where you can buy juice:
The Can Can Cleanse – San Francisco
Living Greens – San Francisco

Need more ideas for Cooking Healthy Meals, then check out: The Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook The Healthy Urban Kitchen is a simple, step by step system for shopping, cooking and eating the world’s healthiest foods. It was created for busy people who want to improve health, have more energy, and prevent disease.