Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

If you’re starting out with a workout routine and your goal is to build up some muscle then inevitably you’ll want to know about Protein Powder and whether or not it helps. You probably want to know if you really need protein powder, does it really work, what kind of powder is the best and how much should you be taking in the first place. This article will give you some straight answers.

Do you really need protein powder?

The amount of muscle mass you gain is directly related to the amount of protein you take into your system. The average daily intake should be around 400 grams of protein a day if your goal is to build substantial muscle mass. No matter what food you eat, you will be very hard pressed to be able to take in that many grams with food alone. 125 – 157 grams is about the average that you can get through food and still eat healthy. So it makes sense to supplement your diet with protein powder.

Yes, protein powder is a supplement and should be used as one. That means that you use it to compliment and supplement your diet and not replace it. Protein powder is also more cheaper that a meal that has the same amount of grams per serving. Also powder cannot give you other nutrients that whole food can, so make sure you use the power as pure supplement. The bulk of your dietary protein should in from fish, meats, chicken and eggs.

Does it really work?

Yes it does. Protein has amino acids that are important to building and maintaining muscles if you combine it with a diet and exercise plan. It also helps the production of red blood cells and boosts your immune system and gives you strong hair and healthy skin.

Be carefully when choosing protein powder though because some powder will have bad ingredients like aspartame, fructose and artificial colors. Chose one that has natural ingredients and not artificially sweetened. Make sure you do your research before you buy any powders and make sure that the brand is trusted and other people are using it etc.

How much pure protein do you need?

It’s generally said to be 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Lets say you’re 175lbs and have 10% body fat. This means that 175 x (10/100) = 157.5lbs. That’s your lean body mass. So your daily requirement of protein is between 135 to 200 grams of fat per day. If you can get that amount with food alone, that’s great but it’s more economical and practical use powder to get to that level.

What kind of protein powder should you use?

That’s a good question. There a different kinds but the following are the most well known:

Whey Protein has a good amino profile and makes up about 25% of milk proteins. Take this type of powder when your body most needs it like before, during or after your workout because it is absorbed immediately.

Casein Protein is good but is more slower to be absorbed by your body so don’t take it before or during your workout. Take it when your body has enough time to absorb it like in the morning with your breakfast etc.

Soy protein have had some controversy associated with it because some people think that it doesn’t do your body much good and that it can sometimes be harmful. Either way it’s safer to stick with the first two types since those types have been used the most.

Protein Powder is a good supplement to your diet and make sure that you use them wisely. But remember that protein alone is not going to help you build muscle and that killer body you dream of. You need proven workout and exercises along with a healthy diet.

Chosing the diet of exercise routines can be unsafe to your health so be careful! The best way to chose fitness products that work well with Protein Poweder is to find out what other people have used and learn from them.

If your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be you are not alone.  Despite the known benefits, there are many reasons why people with diabetes may not achieve ideal blood glucose control.  Apart from the challenges of juggling medication with diet and finding time to exercise regularly, there are issues like stress, depression, pain and poor mobility, illness and the quality of the food you consume.

There are also many diabetics who don’t know the levels they should be aiming for, or maybe they don’t use a home monitor.

1.  Monitoring your blood sugars is a must.  Nothing has improved the life of  a diabetic as much as their ability to measure their own levels with just a drop of blood.  Once the only way was to test urine for glucose, this could tell you if the level was high but not if it was low.  Therefore it was not an effective way to control their levels.

2.  How often should you test?  This is determined by the kind of diabetes you have, the type of treatment you are using and the level of stability of your blood sugars.

if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and are using insulin, you need to test before each meal and at bedtime.  You do this to gain information you may need to adjust your medication dose.  Keep a record of your results with the date and time as this will guide you and your health care provider when making any adjustments.  Many test after meals also.
if you have type 2 and are controlled by tablets, diet and exercise, it is not unusual to just test twice a day, before breakfast and dinner
the home monitor is also useful to test your levels after you eat something not normally part of your diet and you want to check its effect
if you are about to exercise, a blood test can tell you whether you need to eat before starting to exercise, or whether the exercise will bring your levels down 
if your glucose levels have been unstable and you are about to drive, it is a good idea do a blood test before getting into the car to make sure you are not on the verge of becoming hypoglycemic

3.  Determine your blood glucose goal.  The best way to work out this goal is in consultation with your health care provider or diabetes care team.

Diabetes Type 2 is a chronic illness that is an imbalance in the metabolism of carbohydrates. If you have diabetes your blood sugar could get too high and sometimes too low. Therefore it will be necessary to check your blood glucose during the day. There are steps to take to manage your glucose such as monitoring your glucose daily, stick to a diabetic diet and exercise.

Your doctor will give you a target range for your blood glucose level. A range of 90 to 130 mg/dl is usually normal before you eat your meals. About one to hours after eating your glucose you will be in the 180 mg/dl range. Before going to bed at night the range should be around 110 to 150 mg/dl.

You physician will tell you you how often to check your blood glucose. For diabetes type 2 your doctor will usually recommend that you check your blood sugar at least once a day.

To test your blood glucose you will need a glucose monitor or glucometer.

With a little drop of blood on the test strip the glucometer can tell you within seconds how much glucose is in your blood.

If you have a blood sugar level that is out of range then you will need to follow your doctor’s instructions or contact his office.

Fact: There are free diabetic meal plans online today.

If you follow the diabetic diet meal plan and exercise at least four to five days per week you should be able to normalize your blood glucose, lose weight and take diabetes out of your future.

Any strong diabetes treatment plan is going to incorporate aspects such as the right diabetes supplies, diet and exercise.  That being said, patients themselves hold a good deal of responsibility in determining what components of their plan best suit their personal needs.  Not every body is identical and each person responds to dietary elements a little differently. However there are certain foods that can and should be incorporated into the diabetic diet.  So relevant is diet, in fact, that many patients with diabetes have found they can lessen their reliance on diabetes supplies over time simply by making a few significant changes to their daily lifestyle.

Changes to diet and exercise over time are necessary for most people, not only those with diabetes.

But because this group of individuals is more aware of their overall health and must monitor using diabetes supplies, paying attention to diet becomes that much more important.  In this article we take a look at how adding fiber to the diet can positively impact how the body functions.

One of the biggest benefits of consuming fiber with every meal is that fiber is filling.  This is in contrast to refined carbohydrates like pasta or white rice, which cause a person to crave more.  Consuming refined carbs with meals generally leads to overeating, whereas eating high fiber foods leads to maintaining portion control.

Those who add or increase the amount of fiber consumed daily have found that they feel full longer after each meal.  The result of feeling full is a reduction of the desire to snack between meals (typically on foods that will cause a spike in blood sugar).

Many high fiber foods are also rich in antioxidants, which are very good for overall health as these element fight free radicals.  Free radicals are highly unstable, and hence attack the body’s healthy cells in order to stabilize themselves.  This process within the body weakens cells, which then weakens all of the body’s organs and tissues.

A change to consuming high fiber foods is not difficult, and clearly very beneficial.  Below are a few examples of high fiber foods which could be incorporated into the diabetic treatment plan:

Oats
Whole-grain breads, cereals, and pastas
Vegetables – Avocado, Beans, Carrot, Eggplant, Greens — collards, kale, turnip green, Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Peppers, Mushrooms, Peas — black-eyed peas, green peas, Rhubarb, Broccoli*, Brussels sprouts*, Cabbage*, Spinach*
* These vegetables tend to be goitrogenic, promoting thyroid enlargement (which can cause or aggravate hypothyroidism).  Cooking these vegetables will eliminate most goitrogenic properties.
Beans
Brown rice
Peas
Lentils
Fruits – Apples, bananas, berries, figs, prunes, raisings, dates, kiwi, guava, pears, oranges, avocado
 

While the patient with diabetes will want to confer with the health care team, and constantly monitor changes using the recommended diabetes supplies, it is important to remember that each individual is ultimately the most familiar with his or her own body and motivation to make the right changes is the most important factor in maintaining a vibrant, healthy lifestyle.