Free Diet Menu 1

Meal 1

• Protein powder shake with 1 tbsp of flax seed oil. One scoop of protein mixed with fat free or skim milk;
• ½ cup of strawberries;
• 1 tbsp of oat bran

You can usually get a good protein powder at your local health food stores. I suggest you try and get a fast acting protein such as whey powder. Optimum Nutrition is a popular brand and is quite good. Simply add the skim milk, protein powder, oat bran, and strawberries to a blender and mix.

Meal 2

• 3 oz of cooked ham with one pack of instant oatmeal;
• 2 glasses of water

Meal 3

• 3 oz of lean roast beef slices and 1 slice of low fat cheese;
• 2 slices of whole wheat bread;
• ½ cup of low fat cottage cheese;
• 2 glasses of water

Meal 4

• 3 tbsp of mixed nuts;
• 3 tbsp of dried fruit;
• ½ cup of fat free yogurt

Meal 5

• ½ cup of cooked brown rice;
• 1 cup of mixed vegetables;
• 3 oz of grilled chicken breast;
• 1 tsp of olive oil;
• 2 glasses of water

I simply add a bit of Mrs. Dashes all season mix to the chicken and cooked in a pan with the olive oil. Remember, to cook the rice first and set aside while your cooking the chicken. For the vegetables, I use Green Giants mixed vegetables.

Meal 6

• ½ cup of fat free frozen yogurt;
• ½ cup of strawberries;

Free Diet Menu 2

Meal 1

• Protein powder shake with 1 tbsp of flax seed oil. One scoop of protein mixed with fat free or skim milk;
• ½ cup of strawberries;
• 1 tbsp of oat bran

You can usually get a good protein powder at your local health food stores. I suggest you try and get a fast acting protein such as whey powder. Optimum Nutrition is a popular brand and is quite good. Simply add the skim milk, protein powder, oat bran, and strawberries to a blender and mix.

Meal 2

• ½ cup of fat free pudding topped with ½ sliced banana;
• 2 tsp chopped nuts;
• 2 glasses of water

Meal 3

• 1 large whole wheat tortilla;
• ½ cup of fat free refried beans;
• ½ cup of fat free shredded cheese;
• ½ cup of lettuce;
• 2 tbsp of sliced green onions;
• 2 tbsp of low fat sour cream;
• 2 tbsp of salsa;
• 2 cups of water

Add beans, cheese, onions, and lettuce to the tortilla and roll up. Top off with sour cream and salsa.

Meal 4

• ½ cup of cottage cheese;
• ½ can of mandarins;
• 1 cup of water

Mix mandarins with cottage cheese.

Meal 5

• 4 oz lake trout;
• 1 small baked potato;
• 1 tbsp of fat free sour cream;
• 1 cup of cooked asparagus;
• 1 tbsp of onion;
• 1 tsp of grated Parmesan cheese;
• dash of lemon juice;
• 1 cup of broccoli;
• 1 cup of water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash trout and lay on a slice of tinfoil. Add lemon and sprinkle cheese over trout. Add pepper and wrap trout in the tinfoil. Place trout on a cooking tray and put into over for 20-30 minutes. Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces and wash. Put broccoli into a small cooking pot along with garlic and 1/4 cup of cold water. Heat until the water boils and reduce heat and simmer cover for 5-8 minutes. Serve trout, broccoli

Meal 6

• 1 slice of whole grain toast spread with 1 tbsp peanut butter;
• ½ banana;

Free Diet Menu 3

Meal 1

• Protein powder shake with 1 tbsp of flax seed oil. One scoop of protein mixed with fat free or skim milk;
• ½ cup of strawberries;
• 1 tbsp of oat bran

You can usually get a good protein powder at your local health food stores. I suggest you try and get a fast acting protein such as whey powder. Optimum Nutrition is a popular brand and is quite good. Simply add the skim milk, protein powder, oat bran, and strawberries to a blender and mix.

Meal 2

• ½ cup fat free yogurt;
• 1 apple;

Meal 3

• 1 can water packed tuna (Not vegetable oil);
• ½ tsp of parsley;
• Dash of lemon juice;
• 2 tbsp of low fat mayo;
• ½ whole wheat pita;
• 1 celery stalk, chopped;
• 1 cup of low fat yogurt;
• 1 cup of water

Mix tuna, celery, lemon juice, and mayo. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Top with parsley. Spread the mixture onto pita and serve with yogurt and water.

Meal 4

• ½ cup of fat free pudding topped with ½ sliced banana;
• 2 tsp chopped nuts;
• 2 glasses of water

Meal 5

• 2 tbsp fat free mayo;
• 1 ½ tbsp mustard;
• 1 medium red apple- cut into strips;
• ½ tsp lemon juice;
• 2 whole wheat tortillas- large;
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves;
• 4 oz turkey breast-sliced;
• 2 thin green onions or chives;
• 1/4 cup grated carrot;
• 1 cup of water

Combine mayonnaise and mustard. In a small bowl, toss apple with lemon juice. Spread a generous tbsp mayo mixture over each tortilla, layer a lettuce leaf and 2 oz turkey on top. Place 1 green onion 2 tbsp grated carrot and one quarter on apple strips at one end of tortilla. Roll up, jelly roll fashion secure with wooden pick, if necessary.

Meal 6

• ½ cup low fat cottage cheese;
• 1 apple.

Remember, this 3 day menus is meant to give you an idea of what you need to eat in order to get rid of those love handles. What you will have to do is decide on a menu that is good for you and contains a variety of foods with plenty of well balanced nutrients.

Often, people feel they need to lose a drastic amount of weight, when in fact their weight is at a healthy level.

The best advice is to visit your Physician who can perform a complete physical and let you know if he or she has any concerns with your weight. Often, we can have a misguided image as to what is healthy weight due to the extreme slim images we are bombarded with in the media each day. In fact, the average North American women are five feet 4 inches and weighs 138 pounds.

Consider taking your body mass index (BMI), which can help you determine if your weight is within a healthy range. Below is a BMI chart and directions on how to determine your own BMI.

· The chart on the next page has completed the math formulas and metric conversions. To use this table, find your appropriate height in inches in the left hand column. Most across the row to the given weight. The number at the top of the column is your BMI for your height and weight.

o If your BMI is less than 19, you are considered underweight, which can have negative health implications.

o If your BMI is 19-24.9, you’re in the normal range.

o If your BMI is 25 – 29.9, you are considered overweight and have an increased risk of associated disease.

o If your BMI is 30 – 34.9, you are considered in the obese range and have a high risk of associated disease.

o If your BMI is 35 – 39.9, you are considered in the obese range and have a very high risk of associated disease.

o If your BMI is over 40, you are classified as obese with an extremely high risk of associated disease.

Body Mass Index

As active weight trainers, we are bombarded with different views and advertisements as to the kinds of protein we needand how much protein we need to consume.

When it comes to protein, two of the most critical issues we face is how much protein to consume and what sources to rely on. Protein is the primary food element of the human body, and is of special importance to the active weight trainer.

Of the food intake that the body needs, protein is of primary importance. The only thing that your body needs more thanprotein is water.

Every person needs quality food high in protein, especially the active weight trainer who is trying to build his/her body.

You see, when the body is in a growth state, it needs protein desperately and guess what, we are in a growth state simply by training day in and day out!

Simply put, you need quality food high in protein and enough of it to build quality muscle. However, how do you know how much protein do you need to take for optimum growth?

According to the RDA, it is recommended that you get 1 gram of protein for every 2 pounds of bodyweight. This recommendation is for the average person, who is sedentary and of course, someone who is training to build muscleis not sedentary. Recent data indicates that active people need much more protein.

The active weight trainer trying to build his/her body needs more protein than the average person. Therefore, 1 gramof protein per pound of body weight is sufficient to cover your protein basis. Of course, you will need to experiementa little to determine how much protein you need for your body.

To find out how much protein you need to build muscle, simply take your bodyweight and multipy it by 1. For example,if you weight 175 pounds, multiply that by one and you get 175 grams of protein per day for building muscle.

Theimportant thing to remember is to experiment a little to find out if this is your optimum protein intake. It mightbe a little more or a little less.

Building muscle requires food high in protein because as acvite weight trainers, we are trying to add strength andbuild muscle. In comparison to other atheletes, we need even more protein because we are trying to add lean tissueas opposed to maintaining a muscle base.

You see, a regular athelete is just taking enough protein to maintain his/her muscle structure. The main focus here is on complex carbs but a person who is building the body has a muchdifferent focus and that is to build the body. To do this, we need much more protein.

Simply put, to build bigger muscles, you need to eat alot of high quality food high in protein.

Let’s take a look at some high quality food high in protein.

Food high in protein - Pure Protein Sources

These types of protein sources are thought to be as close to pure protein sources as you can get. The percentage ofcalories from these types of foods high in protein are quite high.

These types of pure protein sources can be eatenby active bodybuilders, weight trainers and atheletes all the time. Athletes who are trying to shed bodyfat should get the most of their protein from sources that are 70% or higher in calories from protein.

For those of us who are trying to build muscle, we can eat as much of these foods high in protein as we want, providedthat we consume plenty of calories from other sources.

Remember, it’s not only protein that you need to build muscle.It’s hard to take in adequate calories for adding muscle if you eat too much lean protein - it fills you up.

You need quality fuel from complex carbs and fat to complete the nutrition cycle. Muscle growth depends not onlyon protein consumption but also total calories consumed.

Pure Protein Sources

Food high in protein - High Protein Sources

These types of foods high in protein are great for adding mass and strength because they offer a generous amountof protein and also contain enough fat to boost total caloric intake.

By boosting overall caloric intake, thesetypes of protein sources will help you add the necessary mass to lift those heavy poundages. When your trying toincrease your bodyweight and overall muscle mass, you need to consume alot of quality calories (especially for youhard gainers out there).

These types of food high in protein include a wide range of percentage of calories from protein. However, you willhave to be careful because some of these protein sources contain more calories from fat than protein.

High Protein Sources

Food high in protein - Quality Protein Sources

These types of foods high in protein are excellent choices for most people trying to build muscle.

These protein sourcesare loaded with healthy fats, such as omega 3’s and omega 6’s which are notoriously missing from most diets. Alot ofactive weight trainers and bodybuilders shy away from these types of protein because they fear that they will add morebody fat.

In fact, you should be consuming more healty fats and reduce the consumption of processed carbs such assugars and bleached flour.

What if your on a diet? You can certainly benefit from some of these foods high in protein. The omega 3’s found insome of these foods may help your body store carbs as muscle glycogen - muscle fuel. These foods high in proteinare a great source of muscle building food.

Quality Protein Sources

Food high in protein - Milk Proteins

We’ve all heard that milk products are fatty and should be avoided if your trying to lose weight.

Milk productssuch as cheese, yogurt, skim milk are thought to contribute more to weight gain than weight loss. In reality,calcium in dairy foods actually trigger hormonal support to facilitate fat loss during a reduced calorie diet.

Active weight trainers should try and incorporate plenty of fat free dairy products in their diets - even a fatloss diet.

If your trying to bulk up, low fat milk, cheese, and yogurt are great choices because they’re loaded withquality protein and calcium.

Milk Protein Sources

Food high in protein - Plant Proteins

Plant proteins have not been traditionally know to contain loads of protein. Personally, I don’t use vegetablesand legumes as my primary protein source, however, that’s not to say that vegetables don’t contain quality protein.In fact, many vegetables do contain protein, and some have a substantial amount.

The great thing about these foods high in protein is that not only do they contain high quality protein but they’re also high in fibre. As we know, fibre is that fantastic substance that keeps the nutrients flowing by helping the digestive process.

Diet Plan

• Exercise and fitness.
• Diet and weight loss.
• Nutritional foods.
• Nutritional supplements.
• Sports nutrition.
• Multi-vitamins.
• Herbs.
• Minerals.
• Wellness book and media.
• Massage and relaxation.

And hey did I tell you, you can save upto $10 with drugstore.com and also there are every day free shipping facilities on orders of $49 or more.

Nutritional tip # 3 - Eat 5-6 small meals a day.

Unlike most people’s string of painfully low-calorie days, which puts the body in a fat-storing mode since it has no idea when it will be fed next, eating a small meal every three hours keeps our muscles in a fat-burning mode since they’re receiving a steady but not excessive supply of nutrients. This practice also helps increase our energy levels and fight the hungry feeling that often leads to cheating with fat-building, between-meal snacks. Eating only 2-3 large meals a day like most people, however, can overwhelm our bodies. Since they can only use a certain amount of food at a time, the remainder will usually be stored as fat.

Here’s an example schedule.

• Breakfast: eggs, whole-wheat toast, fruit etc.
• Mid-morning: protein shake such as Myoplex (I eat this meal in my P.E. class)
• Lunch: sandwich (meat, veggies, and whole-wheat bread) fruit or veggies etc.
• Mid-afternoon: anything that’s good and healthy (I eat this one after school)
• Post workout: something with lots of protein- i.e. protein shake, protein bar etc.
• Supper: a good meal with protein and some whole grains and veggies.

Nutritional tip # 4 - Consume lots of carbohydrates.

Consume at least 3 to 4 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight each day. Make sure that most of these carbohydrates come from comples sources such as pasta, rice, oatmeal, potatoes and yams and fibrous veggies such as broccoli and asparagus. The only time you should be feeding your body fast acting carbs is immediately after your workouts.

Nutritional tip # 5 - Keep good fats in your meal plan.

While TV tells us that eating fat makes you fat, the reality of the situation is that since the “fat-free” craze began, studies are showing that Americans continue to get fatter and fatter. While limiting fat intake is a good idea, totally eliminating it is not. Besides being necessary for healthy skin and hair, fat is involved in the production of many hormones, including testosterone. That’s why it’s almost impossible to build muscle mass when on an extremely low fat diet. Fat also lowers the glycemic index of many high carb foods, so we don’t get that huge fat-producing insulin surge commonly associated with eating fat-free goodies by themselves. More importantly, we need a certain amount of fat to process body fat metabolism. In other words, eating too little fat makes it harder for us to burn unwanted fat.

Nutritional tip # 6 - Don’t starve yourself.

Simply put, fat gains and losses are mathematical events. You’re not going to look like a sleek, defined racehorse if you eat like a pig. It’s important to eat enough good foods to maintain lean muscle mass, but not overindulging to the point of increasing fat storage. Since this line is an easy one to cross, I recommend writing down in a small notebook the calorie content and macronutrient breakdown (grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat) of what you eat. This technique also helps keep me more focused on my goal.

Nutritional tip # 7 - Diet ratio.

Your diet ratio should be 50 to 55% carbohydrates, 25 to 30% protein and 15 to 20% fat.

Nutritional tip # 8 - Drink lot of water.

Drink water…lots of it! I try to drink at least 2 gallons a day during and in between my meals. Muscle is composed of 70 percent water. A high protein diet and intense exercise require more water since these are dehydrating activities. Water is needed to transport vitamins, minerals, and supplements and even foods throughout our bodies. if our water intake is too low, muscle fullness decreases and a toxic buildup of ammonia, urea, and other waste products can result. Contrary to popular belief, restricting water intake can actually lead to more water retention than providing the body with a steady supply.

Nutritional tip # 9 - Consume more calories.

When boosting your caloric intake, gradually increase the amount of calories over a period of 7 to 10 days. This way, you are using the extra calories as fuel as opposed to storing it as fat. If you find yourself stuck, gradually increase the amount of calories per day.

Nutritional tip # 10 - Eat whole grains.

No more white bread and flower. Eat whole-wheat bread and cook with whole-wheat flower. You will get more nutrients from them and they take longer to digest, so they stick with you longer.

Nutritional tip # 11 - No meals within two hours of bedtime.

To prevent unwanted fat storage, I eat my biggest meals early in the day when I’m most active. I particularly limit my carbohydrate foods in later meals. I’ve found eating too close to bedtime is a good way to lose definition since my body doesn’t burn the same level of calories during the sleeping maintenance mode as it does during the waking hours.

Use these 11 nutritional tips to increase your size and strength.

What is Caffeine?

Caffeine is a substance that has a pharmacological (drug-like) effect on the body. It is classed as a drug rather than a nutrient but is still considered a ‘nutritional supplement’ because it is found in many everyday drinks. The caffeine content of coffee varies between 50 and 100 mg/cup, tea contains 30-60 mg/cup, cola 50 mg/330 ml can and caffeinated ‘energy’ drinks roughly 100 mg/250 ml can.

It has long been used in sport to mask fatigue and increase endurance. The amount needed to get a performance-enhancing effect varies depending on your individual metabolism but studies have used amounts ranging from 3-15 mg/kg body weight (210-1050 mg for a 70 kg athlete). There are three main theories to explain caffeine’s action on athletic performance :

• In doses above 5 mg/kg body weight (350 mg for a 70 kg athlete), caffeine increases fat burning during exercise while sparing glycogen. It does this by stimulating adrenaline production, which in turn speeds up the release of fatty acids from fat cells into the blood stream. Therefore, taking caffeine before exercise may encourage the muscles to use more fat and less glycogen, and hence postpone fatigue.
• Caffeine is a stimulant and has a direct effect on muscle contraction. It does this by stimulating the release of calcium from its storage sites in the muscle cells, enabling calcium to stimulate muscle contraction more effectively. This could increase strength and power output.
• Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and therefore works at a psychological level. It may increase concentration, mask your perception of fatigue and increase your motivation to train hard.

Does Caffeine work?

Caffeine supplementation above 3 mg/kg body weight has proved beneficial for many types of exercise : endurance events lasting more than 90 minutes, high-intensity events lasting about 20 minutes and short-term high­intensity activities lasting about 5 minutes. This is particularly true for aerobic-based events but caffeine also benefits power and strength activities. Although the studies to date have measured performance improvements while working with fitness equipments like treadmills, steppers, exercise bikes, home gyms, dumbbells, it is likely that caffeine would improve your performance during weight training. For example, researchers at RMIT University, Australia, found that caffeine improved performance and enhanced power output during 2000 m time trials on a rowing ergo meter, a power event lasting approximately 7 minutes.

Caffeine-Free HYDROXYCUT (72 caplets)

Caffeine Dosage - Dont Overdose

Caffeine Doses between 3-5 mg/kg/body weight taken 30-60 minutes before training should produce a performance-boosting effect in most people. That would be equivalent to about three cups of coffee or three cans of caffeinated energy drink. However, as the sensitivity to caffeine varies, you may need to adjust the exact dose. Many people take caffeine overdose. But let me tell you that Overdosing or exceeding intake more than 5 mg/kg/body weight will not give you any further benefit but rather increase the caffeine content of your urine to levels above 12 micrograms/ml. This is the upper limit permitted in drug-tested sports.

Caffeine Side Effects

Up to a certain level, caffeine can make you feel more alert and wide awake. Excessive amounts can increase restlessness, nervousness, trembling, irritability and cause diarrhea or even heart palpitations. If you are susceptible to caffeine’s side effects, it probably isn’t worth taking as you won’t get a performance-boosting effect and you can drink caffeine free green tea. Caffeine is also a diuretic, causing you to excrete more fluid. If you do decide to use caffeine, drink extra water before and during exercise to counteract this effect.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, which can be produced in the intestines. There are two naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. i.e. K1, also called phylloquinone, is found in plants and vitamin K2, also called menaquinone, which can be synthesized by many bacteria. Vitamin K3, menadione, is a synthetic form of this vitamin which is manmade.

Vitamin K denotes a group of 2-methilo-naphthoquinone derivatives. They are human vitamins , lipophilic and therefore hydrophobic. Viotamin K is needed for the synthesis of several proteins that mediate both coagulation and anticoagulation. Vitamin K deficiency is manifest as a tendency to bleed excessively. Indeed, many commercially-available rodent poisons are compounds that interfere with vitamin K and kill by inducing lethal hemorrhage.

A vitamin K deficiency is fairly uncommon in healthy adults, because bacteria in the intestines synthesize the vitamin. It may however occur in individuals that take medicinal vitamin K antagonists.

Sources of Vitamin K:-

The important sources of vitamin K are as:-

• It is mainly found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables. Vitamin K is also made by the bacteria that line the gastrointestinal tract.

• Vitamin K is found in a number of foods, including leafy greens. The chief source of vitamin K is synthesis by bacteria in the large intestine , and in most cases, absence of dietary vitamin K is not at all deleterious.

• Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin and both dietary and microbial vitamin K are absorbed into intestinal lymph along with other lipids. The fetus obtains vitamin K from its mother by transplacental transfer.

Deficiency of Vitamin K:

Deficiency in vitamin K and resulting hemorrhagic disease can result from several situations:

• One form of vitamin K deficiency is hemorrhagic disease of the newborn, characterized by a tendency to bleed.

• Poisoning with vitamin K antagonists : In severe condition, a vitamin K deficiency can leads to death by bleeding.

• Liver disease : Vitamin K, as a fat-soluble vitamin, requires proper lipid absorption for its own absorption. Liver disease that results in decreased bile salt synthesis leads to impaired vitamin K absorption and deficiency.
• Intestinal disease : This disease result in lipid malabsorption in the small intestine can lead to defects in absorption of vitamin K, as discussed above for liver.

• Disorders that interfere with fat absorption can reduce the absorption of vitamin K and cause vitamin K deficiency. Taking large amounts of mineral oil may reduce the absorption of vitamin K. A vitamin K injection is usually given to newborns to protect them from this disease. Breastfed infants who have not received this injection at birth are especially susceptible to vitamin K deficiency.

Functions of Vitamin-K:

• Vitamin K protects the heart: The heart attack is associated with calcification of the aorta, especially in young men. It is mainly due to deficiency of vitamin K.

• Vitamin K works through an amino acid called “Gla,” which stands for gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. Gla is part of a certain kind of protein that controls calcium.

• Vitamin K provides strength to the bones and muscles.

• Vitamin K performs a feat on the proteins called “carboxylation.” Carboxylation gives the proteins claws so they can hold onto calcium.

Vitamin E is also called Alpha-tocophherol, is the most active form of vitamin E in humans. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in eight different forms. Each form has its own biological activity. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Deficiency of Vitamin E:

• There are three specific situations when a vitamin E deficiency is likely to occur. It is seen in persons who cannot absorb dietary fat, has been found in premature and very low birth weight infants.

• Vitamin E deficiency promotes increased lipid peroxidation, making cells more vulnerable to oxidative injury.

• Vitamin E deficiency is commonly occur in individuals with severe malnutrition, genetic defects affecting the alpha-tocopherol transfer protein, and fat malabsorption syndromes.

• Severe vitamin E deficiency results mainly in neurological symptoms, including impaired balance and coordination, injury to the sensory nerves, muscle weakness and damage to the retina of the eye .

Signs of vitamin E deficiency:

• weak muscles.
• fertility problems.

Sources of vitamin E:

The important sources of vitamin E are as:-

• The most common sources of vitamin E includesd: Nuts, sunflower seeds , seabuckthorn berries, and wheat germ are also good sources.

• Other sources of vitamin E are whole grains, fish, peanut butter, and green leafy vegetables.

• Fortified breakfast cereals are also an important source of vitamin E in the United States. Although originally extracted from wheat germ oil, most natural vitamin E supplements are now derived from vegetable oils, usually soybean oil.

• Vitamin E is found in margarine and vegetable oil (soybean, corn, safflower, and cottonseed), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables.

Functions of vitamin E

The important functions of vitamin E are as:-

• Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs, and they are believed to be one of the causes of the degenerative processes seen in aging .

• Vitamin E is also important in the formation of red blood cells and it helps the body to use vitamin K.