Contest Preperation

Study finds that cleats and natural grass make the safest combination

(HealthDay News) — Wearing cleats on a natural grass playing field seems to offer athletes some protection from anterior cruciate ligament injury when they make a quick turn, new research shows.

“These are injuries where an athlete plants his or her foot while making a cut and blows out his or her knee,” Dr. Mark Drakos, a study co-author who, at the time of the research, was an orthopedic fellow in sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, said in a hospital news release. The ligament is commonly referred to as the ACL.

“We don’t know all the science behind why ACL injuries may be more common on turf than on grass,” Drakos said. The study begins to address that, he said, because “we need to optimize some of those environmental factors.

To that end, the researchers used lower extremities — knee, foot and ankle — from cadavers to test the strain placed on the ACL, one of four major ligaments in the knee, by four different combinations of shoes and playing surfaces: turf shoe and Astroturf; turf shoe and modern playing turf; cleat and modern turf; and cleat and natural grass.

Compared with the natural grass/cleat combination, the amount of strain on the ACL was 80 percent greater with the Astroturf/turf shoe, 48 percent greater with the modern playing turf/turf shoe and 45 percent greater with the modern playing surface/cleat combination.

When a similar cut, or quick turn, is made on four different surfaces, “the best strain profile is in grass/cleat combinations,” Drakos said. “So, there is less force occurring at your ligament for the same cut on that particular surface using this model.”

The finding is published in the January issue of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.

“As a former football player, I was always curious about why I was more sore after playing on artificial surfaces than playing on grass, and I wanted to find out the reasons behind that using a biomechanical model,” Drakos said.

“There are basically 200,000 ACL injuries every year in the United States alone, and this [type of playing field and type of shoe] is an environmental factor which has been shown to play a role in injury, but has yet to optimized,” he said. “I think it is a scenario that deserves attention and further research.”

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on ACL injury.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Hospital for Special Surgery, news release, Jan. 20, 2010

Follow these tips to improve on your personal best

(HealthDay News) — You may not be an Olympian, but there are lessons you can learn from them if you want to improve your athletic performance.
“The Olympics symbolize the chance for all of us to push the boundaries of human potential. As I tell my students, if you want to compete at a high level, mimic the strategies of those at the top,” Chris Sebelski, an assistant professor of physical therapy at Saint Louis University, said in a news release from the school.

Sebelski offered the following Olympian-inspired tips:

• Set a goal and break it down. For example, if you’re planning a long hiking trip, you might start by walking three miles a day for the first two weeks, gradually building up to 10 miles a day by the end of 10 weeks.
• Be sure to cross-train. It reduces the risk of overtraining, helps avoid injury, enhances muscle performance and helps prevent boredom.
• Work out with others. Sharing a spirit of competition and encouragement will help keep your motivation at a high level. You’ll also gain training benefits from working out with others with different levels of ability.
• Think of people who can help you achieve your goal, such as a trainer, nutritionist, physical therapist or physician. There are many different sources of help and you can select the one that works best for you.

While it’s impossible for most people to devote as much time to training as an Olympian does, you can approach the workout time you do have with the single-minded focus of a world-class athlete.

“Train for a couple of weeks with focus and discipline, and lo and behold, you’ll be surprised by what you can do,” Sebelski said.

Anyone can experience the sense of achievement and pride that comes from striving to improve on their personal best.

“It’s been said that running a marathon is now everyman’s Everest. But that’s true for every sport. You can train for the Sunday night bowling league, if that’s your passion. The bowling championship may be your Olympics,” Sebelski said.

“Regardless of the scale of your goal, you should have the experience, at least once, of training for and accomplishing a physical goal you set for yourself. Crossing that finish line is a feeling unlike any other.”

More information
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports offers guidelines for personal exercise programs.
– Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Saint Louis University Medical Center, news release, Feb. 5, 2010

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IS THIS YOU?

• Anyone looking for a healthy weight-loss system that’s portable and convenient
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• People who are looking for appetite control
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Persistence is the key to success! There is no such thing as a quick fix and you are setting yourself up for failure if you think there is. Good things come to those who wait and any health and fitness goals are going to take effort and commitment on your part.

Be persistent and patient! Violate this step and you’ll never achieve permanent results. A 10 year study was recently concluded which proves that persistence is the single most important aspect of any diet or exercise program. The study followed a group of people (group #1) who exercised and dieted very strictly, but sporadically and compared those results to a group of people (group #2) who exercised mildly and followed a very basic diet, but this group never varied from their routine. Even though group #2 exercised and dieted far less (but did so persistently) they got 68% better results than those who exercised and dieted VERY STRICTLY but only occasionally.

One way to ensure you don’t fall prey to bored, thus increasing your ability to persevere, is to use variety in your diet and exercise routines. The body is very adaptive. Performing the same routine over and over is not only boring, but your body will get used to the routine and quit responding. Change your exercises, the order in which you do them, the number or sets and reps, or change the weights. In one workout you may use weights, another you may use resistance bands, in another, machines. Make every workout different in some way.

Properly plan and monitor your diet and exercise routine to ensure continued success and motivation!

Carbs, carbs, carbs. That’s what everyone seems to want to talk about. How do I avoid carbs?

Well, what you should be talking about instead is, “How do I get more lean Protein into my eating plan?”

More and more research is coming out showing that protein is a major player in your weight loss success. One way it does this is through the “thermic effect” of food.  Some of you may have heard of this term, but don’t really understand what it means.

The definition of the thermic effect of food is the increase in energy expenditure (calories burned) above your resting metabolic rate due to the cost of digesting your food for storage and use.

Every time you consume food your body burns calories to digest that food.  The interesting thing with this is your body does not require as many calories to digest carbohydrates and fat as it does protein.

For every 100 calories of carbohydrates or fat you consume your body only requires about 3-7 calories to digest those carbs and fat.  If you consumed 100 calories of protein your body requires around 24-28 calories to digest that protein.

So roughly your body burns potentially up to 30% of the protein calories you consume just to digest that protein and only 3-7% of the carbs and fat you eat and digest.

This can be significant when it comes to successfully losing weight as you can see from this research study.

In 2005 a study conducted at the University of Illinois studied the interaction of 2 diets (high protein, reduced carbohydrates vs low protein, high carbohydrates) with exercise on body composition and blood lipids in women during weight loss.

The study was a 4-month weight loss trial and the diets were equal in total energy, but differed in protein content and the ratio of carbohydrates to protein.

The exercise comparisons were lifestyle activities which was the control vs a supervised exercise program of cardio and resistance training.

Subjects in the Protein and the Protein + Exercise groups lost more total weight and fat mass than the Carbohydrate and Carbohydrate + Exercise groups.  They also tended to lose less lean body muscle as well.

The exercise increased the loss of body fat and preserved lean muscle.

This study demonstrated that a healthy diet plan with higher protein and reduced carbohydrates combined with exercise improved body composition during weight loss.

Other studies have replicated these results and have shown that a higher protein diet of at least 1.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight and reduced carbohydrates of 120-200 grams per day appear to enhance and improve weight loss due to a higher loss of body fat and reduced loss of lean body mass.

Short-term studies report beneficial effects that include:

1. Satiety (fullness)
2. Increased thermogenesis (faster metabolism through the thermic effect of food)
3. Sparing of muscle protein loss (less lean muscle loss)
4. Improved glycemic control (your body uses the sugars more for energy instead of storing them as fat)

These results are likely occurring from lower carbohydrates, which result in lower blood glucose levels as well as higher protein providing increased Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine levels.

Increased protein intake also triggers the hormone glucagon, which is the counteracting hormone to insulin and helps to keep your insulin from spiking.  This minimizes your chances of storing blood sugars as fat.

A key element in a higher protein diet appears to be the higher levels of the Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine and its regulatory actions on muscle protein synthesis, controlling your insulin signal and the ability to use glucose for energy rather than fat storage.

If you are like many weight loss seekers you do not eat enough protein in your healthy diet plans and especially not enough protein that contains the key Branched Chain Amino Acid Leucine.

Saying you are going to eat a high protein diet for the next 3 months is great, but that isn’t going to help you with long-term weight loss.  Essentially you need to maintain a higher protein diet long-term and the research studies are showing that long-term weight maintenance is better when following a higher protein diet compared to a moderate to high carbohydrate diet.

Now the biggest obstacle is consuming enough protein.  Some are not big meat eaters and that is fine, but it does make it harder to get in the suggested amount of lean protein required to maximize your fat loss and long-term weight maintenance.

This is where a protein shake can be beneficial to your overall success.

A cold-processed protein powder that also contains plenty of Branched Chain Amino Acids particularly Leucine is what you want to look for so that you can benefit from the lean muscle growth, increased metabolism, and accelerated fat loss.  Make sure it is cold-processed protein because many cheaper protein powders use heat in their processing methods.  What this does is damage the fragile protein molecule and make the protein molecule less active and functional.  Essentially you get protein that is not as effective as it could be.

Resources:

Layman DK, Evans EM, Erickson D, Seyler J, Weber J, Bagshaw D, Griel A, Psota T, Kris-Etherton P.  A moderate-protein diet produces sustained weight loss and long-term changes in body composition and blood lipids in obese adults.  J Nutr. 2009 Mar;139(3):514-21. Epub 2009 Jan 21.

Layman DK, Evans E, Baum JI, Seyler J, Erickson DJ, Boileau RA.  Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women.  J Nutr. 2005 Aug;135(8):1903-10.

Layman DK, Boileau RA, Erickson DJ, Painter JE, Shiue H, Sather C, Christou DD.  A reduced ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein improves body composition and blood lipid profiles during weight loss in adult women.  J Nutr. 2003 Feb;133(2):411-7.

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Nutrient Ratios and Caloric Intake are the Keys to Fat Loss

To get ripped, should I be on a high- or low-carbohydrate diet?

Properly managing carbohydrate and calorie intake are vitally important for getting lean. Here’s what we recommend:

If you exercise for an hour, three or four times a week, you’ll typically need to consume a number of calories equal to about 10-12 times your bodyweight in order to lose bodyfat quickly, without sacrificing much hard-earned muscle.

Some people need more calories than this, and some people might need less, but this is a good starting point.

I weigh about 195 lbs now. For me to drop bodyfat rapidly, I need to keep my calorie intake down to right around 1,950 calories a day with about 40% of these calories coming from carbohydrates. For me, that’s about 800 calories of carbs, and since each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories, I consume no more than 200 grams of carbs a day.

Over the last decade, I’ve tried a lot of different cutting-up nutritional strategies, but keeping my carbs relatively low and controlling calorie intake always works well. However, I recently tried a new strategy—instead of dividing up my carbohydrate intake evenly among six different meals, what I do now is consume a “double serving” of carbs after my weight-training workouts, and I eliminate carbohydrates completely from my last meal of the day (making it almost all protein). Here’s an example: for my first four meals of the day, I’ll have around 30 to 40 grams of protein and 25 to 35 grams of carbs. Then, after I work out in the evening, I’ll have about 30 grams of protein and around 70 grams of carbs. Then, in my last meal of the day, I’ll eat around 30 to 40 grams of protein (2 chicken breasts and a salad) and virtually no carbs.

This produces great results in terms of fat loss, and it also seems to help me maintain my energy and recover more quickly from my workouts. (Sometimes when I’m on a fat-loss program, don’t seem to recover from my weight-training workouts nearly as well.)

Some people have had success using diets that contain 60% carbohydrates or even more, but those don’t seem to work as well for me. Others have had success using very, very low-carbohydrate diets (less than 50 grams a day), but when I tried that, I couldn’t even function; it was really hard to work out or even think straight.

Remember, there is no ONE solution that will work for everyone. We are individuals and although there are some staples that should be included in EVERY fat loss program, the ratios of carbs-protein-fat best suited will most likely need to be adjusted person to person.

Time to Take Control of that Midsection

We all want a flat stomach, defined abdominal muscles and a toned torso to give us a great shape as well strong core. Here is the definitive guide to everything you need to know about how to achieve it including food advice, work outs and yes a bit of science for you nerds!

Research has shown that having a large waist is known to increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health condition. Studies also show that women who have a waistline measuring 35 inches or more have a great risk of heart disease and diabetes. For men the figure is 40 inches.

The Core Muscles

1. Obliques- these muscles rotate your torso and work with the transverse abdominis to support your centre during movement.

1. Rectus abdominis- this muscle is the fitness aesthetic, in other words it creates that all important 6 pack. However its main ‘practical’ function is to flex and curl the trunk.

1. Transverse abdominis- this is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and wraps laterally around your centre acting like a belt.

1. Psoas major / iliacus- better known as the hip flexors these lift the thigh up to the abdomen and limit excess joint motion in the hip.

1. Erector spinae- this collection consists of three muscles and straightens the back and spine.

Why We Gain Fat Around Our Waist

The reasons for gaining a little too much excess around your middle can be varied. One cause is stress and the related hormone cortisol as this tells the body to store fat around your vital organs (most of which are in the torso region).

To combat this factor try to make sure you are getting enough sleep, which reduces stress levels significantly as well as taking measures to actively reduce parts of your life that make you stressed, incorporating time in your life for relaxation and down time.

Of course one of the main reasons for belly fat is your diet. Certain foods make us retain water leading to bloating. So even if you have wonderfully toned core muscles, they are never going to show. The main culprits are wheat and dairy as many people are intolerant to these causing water retention. Other bloating prone foods are refined sugars, cakes, biscuits, pastries, cereals, sweets, white bread and rice.

Not only are certain foods prone to bloating a cause for concern but the fat content of certain foods can lead to excess fat storage around your middle. To many foods containing saturated fats and high fat percentages will overtime build up the size of your waist. So getting a diet rich in fruit and vegetables as well as low fat alternatives will cut down any unnecessary fat build up. Try Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) rich foods such as sesames, soya bean, walnuts, flaxseeds, avocados and dark chocolate as these are a healthier alternative to other fat rich foods.

A Few Fat-Belly Food Ideas:

• Caffeine

• Green tea extract

• CLA

• Protein rich foods

• Eliminate added sugar

• Don’t fear fat, just the bad ones

• Drink plenty of water to reduce water retention

Strengthen Your Core

This can be one of the most important factors in achieving a flat stomach. With a strong core, your abdominal muscles will be constantly working to pull your stomach in. Having a strong core, abdominals and back will stabilise and protect your spine which becomes more and more important the older you get. The more you work from the core, the lesser the load on your back, reducing the chance of injury.

The best way to train your core muscles is with uneven surfaces such as a BOSU balancer, stability disc or wobble board. When training on uneven surfaces such as these your core muscles ( transversus abdomunis and rectus abdomunis as well as obliques) will be activitated to stabilise your body, tightening your middle. To increase the difficulty of these movements as you gradually improve try using weights incorporated into the movement.

Weight training is an excellent way to build up total body strength but be careful about segmenting muscles too much as this can isolate different body parts instead of working the body as a whole. The focus should be on how your whole body connects and combining moves such as a lunge with a side twist and a bicep curl.

Exercise

Ok, I’m not about to suggest 1000 sit ups before you worry, but regular exercise will burn fat around your middle as well as toning up the muscles around your core. Daily cardio sessions will work to burn fat from the area but to see results this must be sustained over a period of time and working at a high intensity.

Additionally, other floor exercises will target the abdominals specifically such as: ‘the plank’, ’side plank’, ‘medicine ball twist’, ‘bicycle’, ‘gym ball crunch’ and ‘leg lifts’ and will tone the stomach even more. Making sure you add a variety of moves into your training will assure that all of the different areas of your core are worked.

Tips for a Great Ab Workout

1. Think of a functional workout- doing exercises that stimulate the way you move your body in everyday tasks and you’re on your way. Instead of simply doing the same old sit-up routine switch it up to stimulate a wider range of muscles. The key is to try and train all three areas of your core- ’sagittal’ (left and right halves of your torso), ‘transverse’ (upper and lower) and ‘frontal’ (back and front). Such moves as ‘ decline bench leg raise’, ‘heel to toe crunch’, ‘Russian twist’, ’side plank and front plank’, ‘oblique side crunch’ and ‘abdominal roller’ aim to work on all areas of your core muscles to give you maximum definition.

1. Save your abs until last- do abdominal exercises at the end of your workout. This way the abs won’t be tired early when you may need them for those core moves and in other exercises.

1. Use the ball- exercising on a gym ball forces your muscles, including your abs to work harder to stabilise your body than on a solid surface.

1. Maximise the range of motion- doing crunches using a gym ball allows you to work the abs through a greater range of motion than on the floor so engages more muscles.

1. Stand up- working out your abdominals ensures your back muscles are also used. Some floor move can switch off you back leading to imbalances. Try wood chops and jack-knives.

1. Work the lower abs- the lower section of the abs can be tricky to work. To ensure you get a six pack and not only a four pack try reverse crunches on a gym ball or leg lifts.

Posture

Good posture can work wonders to improve the shape of your silhouette and general physique. Learning to stand up straight elongates the back and prevents slouching which can be bad for your spine. A great way to develop the correct posture is by trying out a yoga or Pilates class where posture and form is a key component.

Ab Facts

1. The configuration of your abdominals can’t be changed with exercise, diet or anything else- but you can improve it
2. As a rule of thumb torso training works the upper abs while leg raises work the lower abs.
3. Only perform side bends with heavy weights if you want to thicken your waistline.
4. To gain a muscular body don’t perform excessive ab exercises as strenuous exercises on the abs shut down its growing process. However if your goal is taught tight abs, work to your limit.
5. Contrary to popular belief sit ups do work the abdominals but crunches and leg raises are superior.
6. A clean eating diet is a must for a 6 pack.
7. Regular cardio will aid the fat burning process making your abs more refined.
8. Lower reps (8-12) with higher resistance build muscles whereas higher reps with lower resistance tone and condition.
9. Don’t neglect the rest of your body when look for toned abs
10. Regular ab exercises should always be balanced with regular back exercises to maintain balance.

While it is certainly true that some of us must work harder at creating a flat, strong core and midsection, it is also absolutely true that ANYONE can do so. Follow the above tips and tricks and you will be well on your way to reaching your ab goals!

Author Gemma Carter is a qualified life and fitness coach. She offers online coaching for a diverse range of needs. Visit her website www.cartercoaching.co.uk or email her at gemma@cartercoaching.co.uk

By now, everyone should know the importance of physical fitness and fitness training programs, but not very many of us recognize the true value of healthy meal plans as well. Irrelevant of the types of fitness training you use, be sure you have a balanced healthy diet to go with it.

For those that need a little extra assistance, direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our fitness training plans and weekly diet meal plans can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. Our goal is to teach you the values of physical fitness and how to create healthy meal plans for a lifetime! All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.

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AdvoCare MNS® Max 3

Multinutrient Dietary Supplement

KEY BENEFITS:

• Provides a comprehensive system for weight loss and weight-management*
• Supports advanced core nutrition and wellness*
• Provides sustained-release energy*
• Includes 50 percent of the daily recommendation of calcium
• Offers excellent nutritional support for bones and connective tissue*
• Contains a full gram of omega-3 fatty acids in each serving
• Supports the digestive and intestinal systems*
• Encourages great skin tone and elasticity*
• Helps support visual acuity and performance of sustained visual tasks*
• Provides more than 50 vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, antioxidants, and other nutrients for comprehensive health and wellness*

IS THIS YOU?

• Anyone looking for a healthy weight-loss system that’s portable and convenient
• Those wanting well-rounded, full-spectrum nutrition
• Individuals who want it all – appetite control, energy and wellness

THE ISSUE:
According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s report, overweight and obesity are associated with heart dis­ease, certain cancers, type II diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems and other serious health issues. Obesity is directly related to 300,000 deaths each year in the United States and cuts across all ages, racial and ethnic groups, and genders.

A study by the National Center for Health Statistics revealed that 66 percent of adults in the U.S. or 133.6 million people are overweight or obese, with more than 31 percent in the obese category. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that by 2005-2006, the number of obese adults in the U.S. had increased to more than 33 percent, equating to more than 72 million people. Furthermore, excess abdominal fat has been linked to increased risk for metabolic syndrome.

Even more alarming is our children will follow our lead. Between 70-80 percent of obese teens go on to become obese adults. Unless measures are taken to reverse this trend, some experts are forecasting members of this generation may have shorter life spans.

THE SOLUTION: MNS® Max 3
The Director of the CDC recently reported the United States doesn’t rank in the top 10 for health among all nations. On one list it’s ranked 26th, on another, 47th. Due to our national health crisis, the CDC wants to remind the public that health care doesn’t only take place in a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. The message is clear: Americans need to think more about how to prevent going to their doctor in the first place. Key points in any prevention plan include a varied schedule of exercise, a healthy diet and in many cases, nutritional support in the form of dietary supplements. AdvoCare can provide a total nutritional support package in the form of MNS Max 3.

MNS® Max 3 is our most comprehensive system yet! Not only will you benefit from appetite con­trol, but you will receive the best core nutrition as we have added Amplify A.T., Calcium Plus and an additional OmegaPlex® to this system.* Max 3 also offers sustained-release energy, which means energy will last throughout the day.* And with approximately half the caffeine of MNS® Maximum Energy and MNS® Maximum Appetite Control, it is a fantastic alternative for anyone looking for a lower-caffeine solution.* For energy, appetite control and overall outstanding core nutrition and wellness, Max 3 is the answer.*

Included in every strip pack of MNS® Max 3:

MNS Max 3 Contents:
Before Breakfast Color Packet
Calcium Plus – 2 caplets
ActoTherm SR – 1 caplet
ProBiotic Restore – 1 capsule

Before Lunch Color Packet
Calcium Plus – 2 caplets
BioTherm – 2 capsules

White Packet
CorePlex – 3 caplets

White Packet
OmegaPlex – 2 softgels
Amplify A.T. – 1 softgel

ActoTherm: Based on an exclusive blend of botanicals including cinnamon, gotu kola, ginger and peppermint, this time-honored AdvoCare original product has been reformulated. This new version features a sustained-release to aid in preventing a spike and drop-off of energy throughout the day.*

BioTherm: A unique weight-management aid developed by AdvoCare that combines oolong tea, effective botanicals and B vitamin, biotin, to support weight control.*

The synergistic combination of ingredients in BioTherm helps your body convert fat into energy.* biotin is also used by the body to facilitate the conversion of food to energy. It acts as a coenzyme in several metabolic reactions that aid in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and the conversion of amino acids from protein into energy.*

CorePlex®: Supplementation with an optimally-formulated multivitamin can help decrease the prevalence of insufficient vitamin and mineral levels in adults, improve their micro-nutrient status to levels associated with a reduced risk for chronic diseases, and improve their quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks.* CorePlex is an optimal formulation of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and trace elements needed by the body to promote and sustain long-term health and well being.* By combining this synergistic blend of 36 nutrients, CorePlex supports healthy bone structure and growth as well as provides optimum nutritional support for healthy muscle, connective tissue and skin.*

OmegaPlex®: OmegaPlex Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary Supplement is a safe, convenient and easy way to get the omega-3 fatty acids that may be missing in your diet. OmegaPlex contains a concentrate of at least 500mg long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, 300mg EPA and 200mg DHA. omega-3 fatty acids such as those present in OmegaPlex help support cardiovascular health in combination with a healthy diet and exercise.* These critically important oils even help regulate the body’s inflammatory processes, support healthy joints and are important for the maintenance of healthy skin.*

ProBiotic Restore™: Our immune systems are under daily assault from environmental factors, physical and emotional stress, inadequate rest and poor nutritional status. Additionally many individuals do not consume adequate dietary fiber, drink enough water or exercise regularly, which often results in occasional problems with elimination. Even though some individuals supplement their diets with probiotic products, all probiotics are not equal. Lack of proper probiotics may lead to poor digestion and absorption of nutrients.

ProBiotic Restore helps replenish normal beneficial intestinal microflora and supports healthy intestinal function while aiding good digestion.* The special formula of ProBiotic Restore incorporates ingredients to help relieve symptoms of occasional constipation*

Calcium Plus: Bones and teeth need far more than calcium alone to stay strong and healthy. They need a balanced array of minerals including magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, silicon and potassium plus vitamins C, D, K and more. Calcium Plus is an incredibly effective way to ensure you receive enough calcium to keep bones and teeth strong and healthy.* Calcium Plus delivers two types of highly absorbable calcium, combined with other minerals, vitamins and botanicals.

Amplify A.T.: A revolutionary formula that combines two potent and unique natural ingredients that produce advanced nutritional benefits.* These two super-nutrients, astaxanthin and tocotrienols, are the real secret behind the power of Amplify A.T. For anyone who wants to fight the aging process, Amplify A.T. can help by strengthening the immune system, maintaining healthy blood pressure levels already in the normal range, and providing excellent nutrition for joint health and mobility.* It provides excellent support for skin too, by vitalizing the appearance of skin, helping to reduce the formation of wrinkles and maintaining healthy skin tone.* Its ability to help reduce muscle fatigue and muscle damage while enhancing muscle recovery provides an edge to any athlete.*

Directions For Use:
For ages 12 and older.
Consume contents of one (4-packet) strip pack each day.
Take contents of one Color Packet 30 minutes before breakfast.
Take contents of both White Packets with a meal, preferably with breakfast.
Take contents of remaining Color Packet 30 minutes before lunch.

CAUTION:
Do not take more than the contents of one strip pack per day. If you are pregnant or nursing, please seek the advice of a healthcare professional before using this product.

This product contains herbal sources of caffeine comparable to one cup of coffee per day.

CONTAINS omega-3 fatty acids DERIVED FROM FISH (SARDINES, HERRING, MACKEREL).

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN:
In case of accidental overdose, seek professional assistance or contact a poison control center immediately.

Key Ingredients:
Vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, B-12, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, omega-3 fatty acids, astaxanthin, calcium, citrus flavonoids, green tea extract, lutein, lycopene, guarana, biotin, oolong tea, taurine, lactobacillus acidophilus, bifdobacterium, bifidum, artichoke, magnesium, zinc, chromium

For more information, please see separate product detail listings for these AdvoCare products:
CorePlex®, OmegaPlex®, ProBiotic Restore™, Calcium Plus, Amplify A.T.

Amplify A.T. uses patented AstaReal® Haematoccocus pluvialis algae extract. AstaReal and TocoTrol™ are trademarks of Fuji Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Sustain Optimal Hydration

Rehydrate
Electrolyte Replacement Drink

KEY BENEFITS:

• Helps the body stay hydrated during physical activity
• Provides a full spectrum of crucial electrolytes for improved electrolyte balance
• Includes amino acids to help feed your muscles
• Fuels your body with carbohydrates for energy production and sustained muscle endurance
• Contains antioxidants to fight free radicals commonly produced during exercise
• Helps prevent cramping during and after exercise

IS THIS YOU?

• Someone who wants to sustain hydration and energy during physical activity
• Someone who wants a superior sports drink
• Someone who wants to enhance your exercise regimen
• Someone who wants a healthy drink for everyday use

ORDER REHYDRATE NOW

THE ISSUE:
Water is the basis for all body fluids and is involved in numerous vital metabolic processes. When we lose fluid, we also lose minerals such as calcium, potassium and sodium, which are electrolytes that help regulate the body’s fluid balance and metabolic processes. Just a two-to-five percent decrease in body fluid can reduce blood volume, decreasing oxygen delivery to muscles and organs when you need it most. Prolonged exercise, outdoor activities at elevated temperature or humidity, and occasional gastric imbalances are associated with loss of body fluid and dehydration. Decreased carbohydrate availability may also occur, resulting in low muscle glycogen levels.

One hour of moderate-intensity exercise at a temperature of 70o Fahrenheit results in an average loss of 27 ounces of sweat. Even low-intensity exercise or activity can cause significant fluid loss. At this point, performance declines due to increased reaction time, and decreased concentration and judgment. Of even more concern is the fact that the individual may be completely unaware of these occurrences until it’s too late.

THE SOLUTION:
Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides the necessary nutrients to maintain proper metabolism and delay the onset of fatigue. It hydrates your body by re-establishing your electrolyte balance with its superior formulation. Rehydrate Drink has a low glycemic index that produces a more gradual insulin response and is isotonic, thus providing rapid gastric emptying and rapid rehydration. Furthermore, this drink helps support the body’s energy cycle and provides carbohydrate fuel necessary for energy production.

Unlike other sports drinks, Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink includes antioxidants, carbohydrates, electrolytes and other nutrients that effectively promote optimal hydration and recovery. Rehydrate Drink has a 1:1 ratio of sodium and potassium, two of the most vital electrolytes that are lost when we sweat. Rehydrate Drink helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of the muscles.

This amazing sports drink also helps sustain carbohydrate energy by including chromium in its unique formulation, strengthening endurance at any activity level. Furthermore, the antioxidants in Rehydrate Drink help fight the effects of free radicals, and the amino acids support blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system. Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides a complete spectrum of ingredients for hydration that far exceeds other leading sports drinks, making it a superior choice for the serious or casual athlete.

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Directions For Use:
For ages 4 and older.
To prepare, shake or stir contents of one pouch or scoop into 8 fluid ounces of water.
Drink liberally before, during and after physical activity.

Key Ingredients:
L-arginine, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chromium, L-glutamine, thiamine (B-1)

Even the best intentions with enthusiasm and motivation don’t ensure that you’ll definitely reach your ideal goal. In order to succeed you need to know how to set your goals in a way you’ll stick to them and achieve the best you can. Read on to find out more.

Why Set Goals?

Setting goals provides a focus in your life. It guides your actions and efforts in an efficient and positive manner towards where you want to be, giving you something to aim for.

Clearly defined goals will have a stage by stage milestone where you can monitor your progress and assess if adjustment is needed. These are very important when planning out a change in your life or working towards a goal as it’s easy in everyday life for all of us to get lost, side tracked and distracted so these keep you much more focused.

Goal setting is beneficial as it’s an opportunity to think about your life, what your real priorities are and where your time and energies are taken up. It gives you a chance to put any negativities and past troubles, failures and unhappiness behind you and turn over a new leaf.

How to Set Goals Correctly

The first part of the process is sitting yourself down and actually clarifying what exactly it is you want to achieve. Here you need to be very specific as without clearly defined goals it is easy to lose focus therefore having less chance of being successful.

Having now some clearly defined goals written down permanently you are already on the way to achieving them. These give you a feeling of control over your life, empowerment and higher self esteem.

SMART goal setting is a fantastic way of thinking about the goals you want to achieve. Here SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

Now you need to make a plan. Another good technique when goal setting is the ‘backward planning’ technique. Here the focus is on the end result and then you can work back through the stages toward the start on what you need to do to achieve this.

Now you have a step by step plan, write down what you need to do and achieve day by day, week by week, month by month. Having a log of your progress in these little baby steps towards your bigger goal gives you a constant sense of achievement every time you write down your progress.

Staying on Track

To make sure you don’t get side tracked you need to make sure you are taking regular and consistent actions. There is no way you are going to achieve running that marathon if you don’t run all week and then try to catch up all the miles at the weekend! Long term goals take determination, effort to make sure you move forward progressively

Tips for Keeping Motivation High

1. WHY am I doing this? Know the reason for your efforts is a great motivator as you know through all the pain there will be an end result.

2. Use POSITIVE LANGUAGE- repeating a mantra to yourself every time the going gets tough is a sure fire way to keep your morale up. Say something like ‘ I’m doing this for me’ ‘ I can do this, I am strong’ ‘ I won’t give up’.

3. Let others know it is important- having a support network around you will reinforce a positive environment for success. Additionally, people are less likely to interfere in your efforts when they know how important it really is.

4. Find an alternative way to reward yourself when you achieve a small stage towards your goal (such as an item of clothing, a film or music). Oppositely, give yourself a small punishment for any laziness when you give up on a small target (such as hoovering the house, washing the car or not going out)

5. Talk to others who are doing a similar goal to you- the camaraderie and extra support with boost your desire to get to your target.

6. Never let negative thoughts get in- it’s easy when times are tough to give up and believe it will never work. Shut these voices out and only listen to the positive.

Anyone can achieve pretty much anything they set their minds to with enough careful planning, determination and drive and a properly set out goal. So go for it! Have a good think about what you are unsatisfied with in your life and what you want to achieve.

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase- just take the first step!” – Martin Luther King.

Author Gemma Carter is a qualified life and fitness coach. She offers online coaching for a diverse range of needs. Visit her website www.cartercoaching.co.uk or email her at gemma@cartercoaching.co.uk

By now, everyone should know the importance of physical fitness and fitness training programs, but not very many of us recognize the true value of healthy meal plans as well. Irrelevant of the types of fitness training you use, be sure you have a balanced healthy diet to go with it.

For those that need a little extra assistance, direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our fitness training plans and weekly diet meal plans can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. Our goal is to teach you the values of physical fitness and how to create healthy meal plans for a lifetime! All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.

Learn the benefit of physical fitness and a balanced healthy diet NOW! Get started and provide you and your family with a healthy lifestyle! Risk-Free Trial, take advantage today!

Not All Dietary Fat is Bad

Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) are known to boost stamina and muscle recovery after exercise as well as keeping your joints supple. They are named essential as the body cannot produce its own supply and therefore must be found in our diet. The two main essential fats are Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) and Linolenic Acid (LA). As well as helping recovery after exercise EFA’s can improve energy levels, flexibility, concentration as well as general health and mood. Here’s a bit more detail on the different types of EFA’s.

Omega 3

Omega 3 is one of the essential fatty acids also known as Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), Elcosapentaenoic Acid (EPA); Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Omega 3 lowers cholesterol, improves immune system function. It is best found in food sources such as salmon, mackerel, trout, hemp oil, rapeseed, flaxseed and free range eggs. Recommended dosage suggests 90 mg of ALA, 250 mg EPA/DHA daily.

Omega 6

Omega 6 on the other hand (also known as Linolenic Acid (LA) and Arachidonic Acid (ARA)) is great in conjunction with Omega 3 to balance the metabolism and maintain bone function. To maximize your omega 6 levels food sources like sunflower and corn oils, avocado, nuts and seeds are best. Recommended doses suggest in the region on 7g a day.

Omega 9

Found in olive and rapeseed oils, nuts and avocados, omega 9’S are monounsaturated fats. Although omega 9 isn’t necessarily classified as an essential fat it is beneficial for the body. They lower cholesterol and can be a great alternative to saturated fats found in butter and other oil alternatives.

The arising problem seems to be that these days although we are aware of a general need to get enough essential fatty acids, we are not getting the correct ones in the correct doses especially omega 3. It is suggested that we should eat 3 or 4 times more omega 6 than omega 3 but the average westerner is eating about 20 times the amount of omega 6 than omega 3 due to the amount of fried food and pan grilled dishes.

In order to maintain a healthy balance and boost your omega 3 levels the best way can be by replacing some of your meat dishes with 2 or 3 portions of fish per week. Take a tip from the Japanese also and try steaming your fish instead of grilling to maximize health benefits and reduce excess omega 6 fats used. If you find it difficult to eat fish consider trying a supplement but make sure to go for a good quality one where the pill has been purified to remove heavy metals from it.

Author Gemma Carter is a qualified life and fitness coach. She offers online coaching for a diverse range of needs. Visit her website www.cartercoaching.co.uk or email her at gemma@cartercoaching.co.uk

By now, everyone should know the importance of physical fitness and fitness training programs, but not very many of us recognize the true value of healthy meal plans as well. Irrelevant of the types of fitness training you use, be sure you have a balanced healthy diet to go with it.

For those that need a little extra assistance, direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our fitness training plans and weekly diet meal plans can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. Our goal is to teach you the values of physical fitness and how to create healthy meal plans for a lifetime! All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.

Learn the benefit of physical fitness and a balanced healthy diet NOW! Get started and provide you and your family with a healthy lifestyle! Risk-Free Trial, take advantage today!

According to one survey- 92 percent of us are stressed at work! Additionally, a stressful job can alter the body’s chemistry and make you 70 percent more likely to develop heart disease by upsetting the nervous system.

Stress can leave us feeling out of control, in constant fear and state of panic and a chronic feeling of pressure and tension. Eventually stress can lead to range of emotional, mental and physical conditions. Here are just a few!

Short Term Effects of Stress:

• Pale face
• Wide eyes
• Sweaty hands
• Faster breathing
• Tense muscles
• Less sensitive to pain
• Edginess
• Flared nostrils
• Dry mouth
• Faster heart rate
• Butterflies in stomach
• Needing the toilet
• More sensitive to touch
• Feeling cold

Longer Term Effects of Stress:

• Chronic nervousness
• Sleeping badly
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Depression
• Crying easily
• Frustration with others and yourself
• Tension
• Neck ache
• Shoulder ache
• Back ache
• Sex drive suffers
• Leg aches
• Headaches
• Higher blood pressure
• Skin conditions
• Hair loss
• Heart disease
• Appetite loss
• IBS and ulcers
• Poor circulation
• Lower immune system

The Body Under Stress

Autonomic Nervous System

Chronic stress prevents your body from separating between the sympathetic (flight and flight) system and the parasympathetic (relaxed) system. This means you literally don’t know how to relax.

Heart

When you are under stress the cortisol and blood sugar levels rise meaning there is pressure on your heart and causing it to pump furiously. Over time this can put your heart under real strain.

Genitals

Its estimated two thirds of men will suffer erectile dysfunction due to stress at some point in their life. Under stress blood flows away from the genitals to more vital organs and muscles. Even women when under stress suffer a low of libido.

Brain

We have a built-in gauge to stress in our brain but with chronic stress the brain becomes oversensitive to it, flood chemicals to the brain in a self medicating fashion. This leads to subconscious behaviours such as smoking, drinking, oversleeping and overeating.

Intestines

When stressed your stomach and intestines are of the lowest priority. This is great when fleeing danger but on a daily basis can cause intestinal problems as there is no blood flow to support the digestion of food. This leads to such problems as IBS, constipation or stomach cramps and even meaning poorly used food becomes stored as fat.

Muscles

When stressed your muscles react, becoming primed for action. They tense up and can make you jittery. Tension in your upper back and shoulders are especially common symptoms and are the root cause of major back pain.

However, not all stresses are bad for us. Stress is a natural occurring reaction in our body using the chemical cortisol to make us more alert and work harder and faster in reaction to a threat. This can be great for finishing work by a deadline or competing in a race.

The real problem is that in the modern world most stress is unnecessary and leads to real problems as listed above. We all need to find ways that can help us combat our own individual stresses and learn to control how we react to them.

So in order to tackle stress and its many related ailments you need to take positive action fast. Find out what works for you and what stress- relieving activities are most suitable for your lifestyle.

A Few Stress Busting Ideas to Get You Started:

• Smile- just smiling (even when we don’t feel like it!) makes us feel much better.

• Do some exercise! – Whether it’s going for a run, boxing out your stress ( on a bag not someone else!) or working out in the gym, the endorphins will help raise your mood and the distraction will help you take your mind of it and refocus.

• Go to a museum and view art

• Take up gardening

• Have a brew!- teas such as camomile have a calming effect

• Smell lavender- lavender is a renowned stress reliever and sniffing aromatherapy oil or air freshener of this scent will bring some calm into your life.

• Cut your units- alcohol raises your blood pressure and can induce stress.

• Try yoga

• Or dancing!

• Take time out- think about when was the last time you took time just to relax?

• Go for a cycle

• Listen to calming music

• Stretch- tense bodies lead to tense minds.

• Keep a diary- this can help you recognise when and what specifically triggers your stress.

• Talk to a friend

• Go to bed earlier and rise with the larks

• Have a massage

• Remove the clutter

• Sit quietly

• Have a relaxation ritual- anything that you can rely on to get you de-stressed.

• Get more sleep

• Remember the worry will pass

• Make good choices- instead of stressing over life’s little decisions, take more time before you act and then you will be happier with your choice.

• Breathe properly

• Try meditation

• Watch your body language- if you are tense your body will reflect that with a furrowed brow, hunched shoulders and knots in your stomach, which will make you feel even more stressed.

The Three Fundamentals to Creating a Stress-Free World

PERCEPTION – ask yourself is it really that bad? Will I feel this stress in 5 minutes, an hour or a day?

RESILIENCE – learn to take control of the situation and make proactive choices to relieve the stress instead of mulling it over and feeling hopeless.

ACCEPTANCE – we can’t prepare for everything that occurs in life and sometimes stressful things will happen that are out of our control. Learning to release ourselves from this and letting go can help you overcome feelings of pressure.

If you feel you need support and help to deal with the stress and the effects it is having on your life talk to a therapist or life coach who can give you the support and advice you need.

Author Gemma Carter is a qualified life and fitness coach. She offers online coaching for a diverse range of needs. Visit her website www.cartercoaching.co.uk or email her at gemma@cartercoaching.co.uk

By now, everyone should know the importance of physical fitness and fitness training programs, but not very many of us recognize the true value of healthy meal plans as well. Irrelevant of the types of fitness training you use, be sure you have a balanced healthy diet to go with it.

For those that need a little extra assistance, direction or motivation, visit eFitness for Life now and see how our fitness training plans and weekly diet meal plans can help you make the most of your investment, in the shortest possible time, with the greatest return. Our goal is to teach you the values of physical fitness and how to create healthy meal plans for a lifetime! All done online! All done with certified coaches! Truly, the Future of Fitness! Stop by today and we will be happy to build your starter programs to ensure you learn to live longer, healthier lives.

Learn the benefit of physical fitness and a balanced healthy diet NOW! Get started and provide you and your family with a healthy lifestyle! Risk-Free Trial, take advantage today!

Consuming protein and carbs immediately after a workout `turbo-charges’ muscle growth!

Are you doing everything you need to do to boost muscle building and speed recuperation after you exercise or are you missing this very important, easy to ride, boat?

This is a very important topic! Unfortunately, it is quite often overlooked or mishandled because it seems too simple to actually work. It seems as if everyone out there, whether their goal is to build significant amounts of muscle or burn that extra, unwanted bodyfat they carry around, is still looking for some magic pill instead of merely paying close attention to the simple things they can do to reach their goals, quickly and efficiently.

Stop worrying about this or that latest, well-marketed formula and start paying close attention to what you put in your body immediately following a workout. Focus on how macro-nutrient (protein, carbohydrates, fat, and water) consumption, composition, and timing can dramatically affect the muscle-building and fat loss processes.

The use of nutritional supplementation for this meal is highly recommended due to the ability to quickly absorb a liquid, as opposed to the time required to break down a whole food. Protein shakes, meal replacement shakes, etc are excellent choices for post-workout nutrition for this very reason.

There is tons of solid scientific evidence that shows how consuming the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and even some fat, as well as other nutrients, immediately following exercise, can have major impacts on your success. This one meal or snack, assuming the right foods are ingested, can make a HUGE difference in how fast your muscles recover from exercise and probably even how much they grow, thus having a direct effect on your fat loss as well.

There is no doubt that following resistance training exercise, the actions of insulin (a hormone that escorts amino acids and glucose into muscle cells) are highly efficient; therefore, consuming the right amount (for you) of carbs and protein after such a workout provides amino acids and glucose that will “turbo-charge” muscle growth!

As far as vitally important things you can do to accelerate recovery and improve the body’s anabolic drive (minimizing cortisol elevations and speeding up protein metabolism), this is, without a doubt, right up there at the top of the list! On the days you perform your resistance training, this post-workout meal second in importance only to breakfast (first if your training is done first thing in the morning obviously).

Be sure, whether your goal is to lean up or increase your overall mass that your post-workout meal is built to your personal needs. Do not blindly follow something you see or read! Check with your coach or trainer to get the details on your required intake.

Lastly, this post-workout meal can pay even greater dividends for those individuals looking to increase their sports performance, as proper nutrition for athletes has become almost an exact science in many ways.

Bottom line, if you’re training with weights, your post-workout meal is of the utmost importance!