Creative Commons License photo credit: J M F Photography

New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that rats fed homobrassinolide, found in the mustard plant, produced an anabolic effect, and increased appetite and muscle mass, as well as the number and size of muscle fibers.

If you are looking to lean out, add muscle mass, and get ripped, a new research report published in The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) suggests that you might want to look to your garden for a little help. That’s because scientists have found that when a specific plant steroid was given orally to rats, it triggered a response similar to anabolic steroids, with minimal side effects. In addition, the research found that the stimulatory effect of homobrassinolide (a type of brassinosteroid found in plants) on protein synthesis in muscle cells led to increases in lean body mass, muscle mass and physical performance.

Scientists hoping for a drug alternative

“We hope that one day brassinosteroids may provide an effective, natural, and safe alternative for age- and disease-associated muscle loss, or be used to improve endurance and physical performance,” said Slavko Komarnytsky, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Plants for Human Health Institute, FBNS at North Carolina State University in Kannapolis, N.C. “Because some plants we eat contain these compounds, like mustards, in the future we may be able to breed or engineer these plants for higher brassinosteroid content, thus producing functional foods that can treat or prevent diseases and increase physical performance.”

To make this discovery, Komarnytsky and colleagues exposed rat skeletal muscle cells to different amounts of homobrassinolide and measured protein synthesis in cell culture. The result was increased protein synthesis and decreased protein degradation in these cells. Healthy rats then received oral administration of homobrassinolide daily for 24 days. Changes in body weight, food consumption, and body composition were measured. Rats receiving homobrassinolide gained more weight and slightly increased their food intake. Body composition was measured using dual-emission X-ray absorptiometry analysis and showed increased lean body mass in treated animals over those who were not treated. This study was repeated in rats fed high protein diet and similar results were observed. Additionally, researchers used surgically castrated peri-pubertal rat models to examine the ability of homobrassinolide to restore androgen-dependent tissues after androgen deprivation following castration. Results showed increased grip strength and an increase in the number and size of muscle fibers crucial for increased physical performance.

“The temptation is to see this discovery as another quick fix to help you go from fat to fit,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, “and to a very small degree, this may be true. In reality, however, this study identifies an important drug target for a wide range of conditions that cause muscle wasting.”

— Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

But if you’re engaging in any type of sport at all, there are a few food groups you’ll be interested in knowing about.

While most people think of the much-debated food pyramid, we’re using the phrase to mean certain groups of foods particular to sports.

Here are the four food groups you should be considering whether you’re a weekend warrior or a professional athlete:

1. Foods that support your heart and cardiovascular system

With exercise of every kind, the heart is engaged and, quite often, pushed to beat harder and pump more blood.

Some of the heart-helpful foods and herbs include hawthorne extract, garlic, brewer’s yeast, grape seed extract and bilberry leaf.

These foods help dilate the blood vessels as well as build their integrity.

2. Foods that give you energy

Most energy drinks offer sugar as a source of energy. This is not only bad for your health, it’s dangerous.

Sugar is a cheap, poor source of energy when it comes in the form of refined sugar.

The best energy foods create energy in the mitochondria of your cells without the use of refined sugar.

Some of these foods include alfalfa, kelp, liver, ginseng, quinoa seed, sunflower seed, astragalus, figs, gingko, and spirulina.

3. Foods that contain vitamin B complex

Vitamin B foods create cellular energy.

Individual B vitamins are poor substitutes for the actual foods because they do not contain any of the helper nutrients that you’ll find in nature’s whole foods.

Some of the beneficial vitamin B complex foods are yeast, rice bran, wheat germ, liver and barley.

4. Foods that contain Good fats

Fats provide a good source of energy. One of the best is organic coconut oil.

Fats are needed by all the cells used to engage in physical activity. They power the nerves.

Read about four separate whole food supplements that cover the four food groups mentioned in this article – CLICK HERE.

photo © 2008 Ed Yourdon

Creative Commons License photo credit: jontunn

by Vic Shayne, PhD

There are all types of supplements being used by athletes, but almost all are chocked full of synthetic ingredients such as niacin, thiamin, pyroxidine, vitamin A palmitate, and a bag-full of isolated amino acids and minerals. That’s not nutrition — it’s pharmacology in anybody’s book! But as of late, I have been hearing from a couple of doctor-colleagues, including an MD who’s big-time into bodybuilding, that there’s a new trend.

To increase their performance, athletes under these doctors’ care (as well as the doctors themselves) are making a smoothie containing just two supplements made by NutriPlex Formulas — Cell Power and BFood. The reason, they say, is that these help create energy, reduce fatigue and increase endurance.

This magic recipe is currently being used in these sports (as far as I know): jiu jitsu, women’s basketball, jogging, body building and rowing.

For extra measure, to get the essential fatty acids you need, you can also add a squirt of hemp oil to the mix.

If you’re an athlete, either professional or amateur (or if you just want to mow the lawn without gassing out), consider these two supplements in combination form. And, by the way, there are many, many other benefits to taking them besides athletic performance, if you read the product descriptions on this website.

You can’t exactly be a couch potato, but the good news is that you can get your exercise without ever leaving home with these tips.

Colleen Greene, wellness coordinator with MFit, the University of Michigan Health System’s health promotion division, says that in order for a workout plan to succeed a person must realize that pounds won’t come off within the first clutch of a dumbbell. Instead, exercise must become part of a regular routine rather than be thought of as a short-term solution.

One main way people jump into a fitness routine is by joining a gym. But often the motivation disappears only weeks after a new membership. Greene offers several tips on how to start and stick with a new workout plan.

1. Join a fitness center that is convenient to your lifestyle. “It’s great if you see that a fitness center across town is all new and sparkly, but if you have to fight cross-town traffic to get there it’s probably not a good choice,” advises Greene. It is also important to make sure the center’s hours mesh with your schedule, if it offers child care or other programs you may need and that it has a qualified staff.
2. Ask questions. Don’t be shy about learning all that the fitness center has to offer, says Greene. Most gyms have specialists and personal trainers that can help you navigate equipment and devise the best plan for your fitness needs. You should also get the OK from your doctor as you begin a new workout routine, and ask any questions that you may have about your health.
3. Try things you’ve never done before. “If you think Pilates is something for dancers only or if you think yoga means standing on your head, most gyms will have some sort of special drop-in rate for either the first week or first few sessions of a class,” says Greene. “Go ahead and try it! You may find that you like it.”
4. Aim to meet your goals gradually. Greene notes that the most common mistake people make when they join a gym is coming in and doing everything at once. Instead, work toward your goals at a steady pace so that you can sustain your new fitness routine.
5. Schedule time to exercise into your calendar. “Sometimes people burn out because other things happen; they have this or that responsibility. Remember that you have a responsibility to yourself too,” says Greene. Incorporate exercise into your daily routine so that it becomes part of your day and not something you can easily blow off.
6. Get a support system. Find people you can count on, whether it is an exercise buddy or someone taking care of your responsibilities at home or on the job, so you have time to work out.
7. Make your exercises fun! Working out does not have to be drudgery. Many fitness centers have intramural leagues and an assortment of classes. Also add a variety of workouts to your routine to prevent boredom. “Find out what you like and switch it up every so often,” Greene suggests.

As the winter months roll along, you may begin to feel less motivated. But Greene notes that there is one thing to always remember: “Fitness is a time for you and a time to take care of yourself,” she says. “You will end up feeling good because you’ll be getting fit and feeling better.”

• Ephedrine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system. It is a common ingredient in weight-loss products and decongestants, but it often poses a threat to the health of the heart.
• Taurine is an amino acid (part of a protein) meant to regulate heartbeat and muscle contractions. As a drink additive it is just plain unpredictable in how your body will react.
• B-vitamins that are chemical isolates are used as an artificial means of producing energy, but causes deficiencies.
• Carnitine is an amino acid (part of a protein) that is meant to utilize fatty acids, but it should not be taken as an isolate.
• Creatine is an  acid that is taken for muscle contractions, but acts as a pharmaceutical agent and poses a risk to your liver and kidneys.
• Inositol is an isolated chemical part of the vitamin B complex (not a vitamin itself, because the human body can synthesize it) meant to act as a transmitter of intra-cellular information.

As you can see, these types of ingredients, and these are only a few of what’s out there, are BY NO MEANS FOOD and by NO MEANS NATURAL. If you want real food energy, make your own energy drink. Use a tablespoon of Cell Power and add a shot of BFood Complex. These two whole food supplements are all natural and actually uplift your health while also letting your cells make energy from the kinds of raw ingredients your body requires.

Energy drinks made with these two products contain NO CAFFEINE OR artificial ingredients. And you can drink them every day whether you are involved in sports or just want a boost. Plus, no side effects!!

Question

Answer: The word “damage” is relative. Exercising breaks down muscle. Though this doesn’t sound so good, it really is quite a normal process. In fact, it’s the means by which a person becomes stronger. Muscle breaks down and regenerates into stronger fibers. This occurs in the rest period after your workout is over. You need the right nutrition to make a strong comeback and heal your body.

As your muscles are recovering, they require protein to be refurbished and grow back stronger. An organic protein shake is helpful for this (click here for a natural source). Plus, we recommend the nutrients in ProMin Complex because not only does this product contain proteins specifically for the musculo-skeletal system, but it also has a good source of calcium. And calcium is needed any time there are injured, healing, damaged or torn tissues. Calcium is the healing mineral.

One of the key sources of energy you get from an intense workout is from glycogen, a sugar in your body. But when this source becomes depleted, your body starts to break down protein for energy, which is all the more reason to replenish with supplementation and a well-rounded diet.

Glutamine is an amino acid (building block of protein) that is depleted during exercise. You want to make sure you eat glutamine-rich foods if you exericse regularly. It can be found in poultry, fish, beef, chicken, and most dairy products.

In a nutshell, here’s a good guideline for building muscle (How to Build Muscle: The Definitive Guide to Building Muscle):

Eat Whole Foods. You’ll achieve a lower body fat, so the muscles you’ve built show better. And the vitamin & mineral content helps recovery. Stop eating food coming from a box. Eat whole foods 90% of the time.

Proteins. Meat, poultry, fish, whey, eggs, milk, …
Carbs. Brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta, quinoa, …
Veggies. Spinach, broccoli, tomato, salad, carrot, …
Fruits. Banana, orange, apple, pineapple, peers, …
Fats. Olive oil, fish oil, real butter, nuts, flax seeds, …

It’s nothing to be proud of, but the United States makes it into the top nine among the fattest people per country, worldwide. Mainly this is due to three factors: lack of exercise, a junk-food/sugary diet, and laziness. You can’t easily quantify the last one, but the number of remote controls and cars will give you a hint as to how little people get up off their duffs. The world’s fattest people list, from top to bottom, includes:

1. Nauru (in the South Pacific, where 94% of the region is overweight)
2. Micronesia
3. Cook Islands
4. Tonga
5. Niue
6. Samoa
7. Palau
8. Kuwait
9. The United States of America. Mississippi takes the cake for the fattest state.
10. Kiribati

Thinnest people live in Korea, Japan, Norway, Italy and Austria. Italy? Sure, more people in the U.S. eat pizza and pasta than the Italians could dare to compete with. The tiny republic of Nauru is the fattest nation on earth. About 94% of its adult population is overweight. (BBC News)

Does this motivate you to get on a good diet? CLICK HERE.

Source: Streib, Lauren, “World’s Fattest Countries, Forbes, Feb 07

Unless otherwise directed by your doctor,

IDEAL SUPPLEMENTS:

• GreenNutrients
• GTF Complex

EAT ORGANICALLY GROWN FOODS (IDEALLY) ONLY FROM THESE CATEGORIES (NO OTHER FOODS OR DRINKS DURING THIS DIET):

• Green vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, spinach, kale, peas, green beans, snap peas, peppers, etc.
• Cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
• Sulfur-bearing vegetables such as onions and garlic
• Fruits such as oranges, pineapple, lemon, pears, apples, grapes & strawberries (especially need to be organic), kiwi
• Salads (no iceberg lettuce) with green leaf, red leaf, romaine and spinach, oil and lemon juice dressing, olives, onions, mushrooms, radish — no bottled dressings
• Meats: no red meat or ham; no bacon, but rather fish, organic (to avoid drug & hormone residues) chicken, turkey
• No grains (cereals, rice, oats, bread, bagels, pasta)
• Dairy: use butter only, sparingly
• Oil: use only organic olive oil or flaxseed oil
• Vegetables may be lightly steamed in oil, lemon juice and garlic.
• Vegetable soup, fresh, not from can.

AVOID:

• All sugars except raw, unfiltered honey
• Ice cream
• All nuts, and peanuts
• Margarine or fake butters
• Sauces, including tomato sauce
• Artificial sweeteners
• Coffee
• All drinks except organic green tea, decaffeinated tea and water
• Any processed food (foods in packages except for grains): this includes chips, boxed cereals (organic oatmeal is okay), canned soups, canned food, crackers, snack foods, junk foods
• Fried foods
• Eggs
• Bread

After this diet, add only real foods which do not include margarine, artificial ingredients or other nonfoods. Add no more than 1 new food every 5 days. Do not eat/add any foods in packages that contain artificial ingredients on the label/packaging to avoid consuming chemicals. Organic produce is preferred to avoid pesticides.

Gaining weight is primarily about eating more calories than you can burn. This is a simple idea: During the course of a day our bodies use up calories, or units of energy. If you are very active, say in sports or at work, then you burn more calories. If you sit around all day, you burn up fewer calories. But if you eat fewer calories than your body burns, then your body starts to burn its own stores for energy. This means that your body can use its fat and protein for energy, which results in loss of weight.

To gain weight, eat more calories, but not junk food. Sugar will make you gain weight because it’s high in calories, but it will also result in disease and ill health. It’s a bad way to do it. Instead, eat high calorie foods. Buy a diet book that shows you the calorie content of foods, and read the calorie contents of foods on the food labels. Then, if you’re a man, eat at least 2400 calories a day (may vary for your size and the degree of physical activity you are engaged in); if you’re a woman, eat at least 1500 calories. If you eat all during the day, this helps more than trying to cram in all these calories in two or three meals.

Here are some examples of high calorie foods:

• Peanut butter and jelly
• Bread, pancakes, waffles
• Potatoes
• Oatmeal
• Beef
• Orange juice
• Honey
• Milk and cheese
• Butter
• Nuts

And another thing… If you decide to start lifting weights to add bulk to your body, remember that lifting weights burns calories, so you have to compensate by eating more in your daily diet.

Eliot Marshall holds his bottle of GreenPower

by Vic Shayne, PhD

I began studying and practicing martial arts when I was 20 years old and in college. There were four black belts in Tae Kwon Do who started teaching their art in the basement of the old gym building at the University of Florida. With encouragement from my closest friend, a judo brown belt, we started taking classes together. That was the begining of my lifetime practice of martial arts. Since that time in 1978, I received my third degree black belt certification from 8th degree master Ji Young Song in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and have also studied judo and Chinese systems. Then, several years ago, I discovered Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

When I first set foot in Amal Easton’s jiu jitsu school in Boulder, Colorado, I realized all my years of martial arts would not work against this unique and daunting practice that was brought to the United States by Rorion Gracie, son of Brazilian national sports hero Helio and brother of Royce who won the first Ulitimate Fighting championships against all comers, as well as brother of Rickson who fought more than 400 fights without ever losing. The photo below is of Rorion Gracie locking yours truly in the Gracie’s patented chokehold when we spent some time together in Carlson, California

Although I was approaching my 50s when I first started training in jiu jitsu, I had been used to intense workouts. But unless you’ve been a wrestler, you can’t imagine what this is like. Conditioning is superb with this sport and the men and women and kids who do it regularly are in incredible cardiovascular shape.

Vic Shayne and Rorion Gracie

Having been involved in Nutrition for many years, I quickly realized that this kind of tremendous expenditure of energy leads to the need for certain nutrients.

I found that the best source of nutrients for my training was NutriPlex Formulas’ GreenPower. Why? Because almost all other supplements and sports powders contain parts of foods and a whole bunch of isolated, synthetic ingredients, in particular, fractionated amino acids and even sugars. GreenPower, on the other hand, is all food. That’s all it is, real, natural, organic foods that contain:

• electrolytes
• vitamins
• minerals
• carotenoids
• flavonoids
• fiber
• chlorophyll
• amino acids
• essential fatty acids
• synergistic plant nutrients

The foods in GreenPower aren’t just for jiu jitsu artists. They benefit anyone involved in sports performance, from cyclists to tennis players and from weight lifters to runners.

The nutrients in GreenPower are for: performance, endurance, recovery from injury (especially combined with ProMin Complex) and support of glands, internal organs, skin, respiration, digestion and musculoskeletal health.

Nowadays my teacher is half my age and is a heavily medalled, winning ultimate fighter who is also twice my size and strength. Pictured is Eliot “Fire” Marshall holding a bottle of GreenPower after one of my training sessions. Eliot never broke a sweat, but what you can’t see is me lying on the floor trying to catch my breath and wonder what on earth I’m doing this for at the ripe old age of 51!

You can find more information on Green Power here.