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The #1 Thing Your Not Eating

1 Comment / Nutrition

By Joel Marion

You probably know that you’re supposed to get 8 – 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day for massive, massive health benefits.  You also probably know that you aren’t even close to getting that amount.

No worries, that’s what today’s newsletter is all about 🙂  Three simple, creative ways to get more veggies in and boost the healthfulness of your diet:

1. Mix Veggies in Omelets & Casseroles – If you’re wanting to eat more vegetables, but aren’t really keen on their taste, a great way to “disguise” them is in omelets and casseroles. Add mushrooms, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, and whatever else might go well with the dish you’re preparing. This is a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies, too!

2. Use Raw Veggies as a Late Night Snack – Who doesn’t get late night cravings? Everyone does! And the best way to satisfy those cravings is with raw veggies as they are very low in calories, high in fiber, and have a negligible impact on blood sugar and insulin. And if you’re not crazy about plain raw vegetables, dip ‘em! Try carrot sticks in salsa or broccoli in light Italian dressing.

3. Puree then Mix – Here’s a quick way to add a ton of veggies to a meal virtually unnoticed. Simply throw a bunch of veggies into the food processor, puree, and then mix the puree into ground beef. Use this little trick for meatloaf, burgers, taco meat, or any other recipe calling for ground beef!

BONUS #4:  Drink your veggies.  Taking a high quality greens supplement is perhaps the easiest way to get the antioxidant and phytochemical benefit of multiple servings of fruits and veggies every single day without having to down a huge salad with every meal.

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The Secret Route to BIG Arms…Training Your BACK!

Training

by Nick Nilsson Author of the “Best Back Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of”

You want big arms…thick, solid, powerful-looking big arms.  I can’t think of a single person who has said to me “no, I actually want smaller arms…mine are just too big and muscular.”  Never happens.

But are you actually GETTING big arms from all the direct bicep training you’re doing?

Or are you stuck in a rut, looking at pictures of big arms in magazines and a tape a measure that’s going nowhere.

If so, I can tell you exactly what’s wrong with your training even without having any clue what kind of training you’re doing…you’re not training your back heavy enough.

This is one of the biggest “unsecrets” of bodybuilding…isolation training on the smaller muscles of the arms is not nearly as effective for building size and as compound exercise training on the big muscles of the back and chest.

This is not to say that targeted biceps or tricep training is a waste of time…just that it’s MOSTLY a waste of time if you truly want BIG arms and you have average genetics for building muscle mass.  I cringe when I go to a gym and I see teenage boys with pipe-cleaner arms doing set after set of barbell curls, dumbell curls and preacher curls.

TRULY big arms (biceps specifically) are built on a foundation of heavy training with basic back exercises like chin-ups, rows and yes, even deadlifts.

There are ways you can make your back training target your biceps more specifically, with just a few simple adjustments in body positioning and paths of movement.

For example, when doing chin-ups, if you want to focus on your back, puff your chest out, lean back as you come up and inhale on the way up.  If you want to focus on the biceps, keep your body as vertical as possible, exhale on the way up and keep your chest “unpuffed.”  This simple change in body position focuses more tension onto the biceps.

That being said, I actually find the BEST way to build the biceps is to not try and focus on them directly in back training but to focus on moving as much weight as you can with good form in your normal back training and make your back training a PRIORITY. The bicep gains will come naturally from there.

The biceps are an integral part of the kinetic chain in pulling exercises and will be involved to a large degree whether you try to involve them or not.  When you use exercise variations that focus on the back over the biceps, you’ll be able to use more resistance (or do more reps, if it’s a bodyweight exercise) and the biceps will get more stimulation overall.

And that HEAVY stimulation is what will send your bicep growth through the roof.  Think of it this way…what do you do think will give you more growth…curling with 25 lb dumbells or rowing with a 250 lb barbell?

That, and heavy back training such as deadlifting produces a MUCH greater overall growth response in your body, setting the stage for greater arm size even if the arms aren’t worked directly.

Now, when it comes to exercises, the standard exercises, such as chins, rows and deadlifts, work great and are the perfect place to start.  Just working these exercises harder (or even something as simple as doing them first in your training routine rather than going straight to the barbell curls or bench press) will help.

When you’re ready to get MORE from your back training and really kick your arm size into overdrive, that’s when you need to start incorporating more unique exercise variations into your training…exercises that use novel movement patterns, hitting the back and biceps in ways they’re not accustomed to.

The bottom line is this…if you want big arms…and I mean REALLY big arms…direct arm training is NOT the fastest way to do it.  You have to train your back hard and you have to train your back heavy. Because when you can do weighted chin-ups with 100 lbs hanging off your waist, I can PROMISE you will have big arms.

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Protein Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Nutrition

For the sweet tooth

Ingredients

  • 1.5 Scoop Vanilla Whey Protein
  • Water
  • 3 Teaspoons of All-natural Peanut Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons of Stevia
  • 1/4 Teaspoon of Cocoa Powder

 

Directions

  • Stir together to make a peanut butter sauce: 1.5 scoop vanilla protein, enough water to make a pudding and 1 teaspoon all-natural peanut butter.
  • Pour the following ingredients on top of the peanut butter sauce: 2 teaspoons peanut butter or allowed amount, 2 tablespoons Stevia, 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder and twice as much cold water as peanut butter.
  • Stir together. You may need to add more water. I like mine pretty thick.
  • Place in freezer.
  • I make several ahead of time. They freeze solid, so let them sit out for 30 minutes on counter before eating.

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Perseverance and Persistence

Weekly Motivation

By Nicholas Bronkal

A friend of mine is currently going through a difficult time. Life just isn’t happening the way he wants it to. He keeps saying that life is unfair. After hearing what the situation was, I could understand why he would think that. Everything that happens in our life has a purpose. We may not understand the purpose at the exact moment it happens, but it has a purpose in your life. And when a situation happens, we have control over how we react to it. Anything that happens in life will make you stronger in one way or another. But back to my friend…there are things in life that he wants and it appears that his wants are extremely important to him. My response to him was, “It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen. Just be patient but be persistent.” And that’s what this article is about—persistence and perseverance.

First off, here are a few definitions:

Persistence |pərˈsistəns| (noun)

– firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition

Perseverance |ˌpərsəˈvi(ə)rəns| (noun)

– steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success

We look at business moguls, athletes, musicians (talented ones), dancers, actors, and others and much of the time, we hear about their drive. Well, to me, this drive is perseverance and persistence. When people want to achieve something in their life, they set a goal. They make a plan and they execute it. They persevere. All their effort is put into achieving what it is they want in life, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Problems will always be encountered. There are bound to be minor setbacks and major setbacks, but life isn’t perfect. You should know that by now. That’s why you need to have persistence and perseverance.

Strength

Instead of viewing these setbacks as problems or roadblocks or as a wall, view them as a test and think to yourself, “This is only going to make me stronger.” If you want it bad enough, you will burst through that wall. You will do everything in your power to pass that test. This test is testing how bad you want it. How bad do you want to achieve that goal you set out on? If you pass the test, it will make you that much stronger for when the next one obstacle comes along. You are stronger than you think you are!

In my eyes, if you don’t have to work for something, it isn’t really worth it. If you set your goals high and work your ass off to reach them, you will feel like you deserve it. When you have a problem in life, have the balls (courage) to face it head on. Figure out what the problem is and then make a plan to solve it. If you don’t offer a solution to your problems, don’t complain because, as one of my colleagues and good friends says, “nobody cares.” Be quiet because nobody cares about your problems if you aren’t offering a solution or doing something to change your situation. Winners adjust. Successful people face adversity and kick the shit out of it. If you want something bad enough, quitting isn’t an option. Quitting is for losers. Yes, I’m being abrasive here, but it’s life. People today are coddled and need to stop making excuses. Society as a whole is weak-minded, frail, and gutless.

“We live in more of a pussy generation now where everybody’s become used to saying, “Well, how do we handle it psychologically?” In those days, you just punched the bully back and duked it out. Even if the guy was older and could push you around, at least you were respected for fighting back, and you’d be left alone from then on. I don’t know if I can tell you exactly when the pussy generation started. Maybe when people started asking about the meaning of life…” —Clint Eastwood

I’m honestly afraid of the future of my country. Look around. Everybody wants things handed to them. People are becoming less resilient without any idea how to survive. They ask for handouts and for others to fix their problems. We live in a society of men who pretty much act like women and women who complain when they don’t get what they want and think they are entitled to anything and everything. Reality check—you aren’t entitled to anything. Nobody is, so get over it. The “pussification” of this country needs to end. OK, sorry. I went off there for a minute, so let’s get back on topic.

Your Character

The true test in life of your character is when you’re just completely buried with problems, walls, road blocks, and obstacles and it seems like there isn’t any way you’ll ever get what you set out to achieve, but you find a way. Bad times don’t last forever. They can’t. If you’re constantly striving to be the person you’re truly meant to be, those times won’t last forever. Find your inner strength in tough times and do what you have to do to get it done. Persevere. Be a winner.

Believe it or not, you can get anything you want out of life, but it isn’t easy. That’s why there are so many unhappy people who bitch and moan and complain about this, that, and the other thing. It isn’t easy, not in the least bit, and that’s why there aren’t many people who are successful and happy. It’s because they give up when times are tough because life was hard and they backed down from the challenge. Nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough, but are you willing to put in the time? Are you willing to put in the effort?

What If?

Understand that your days are numbered. When you wake up for a new day, yesterday is gone forever. You will never get that day back, and you will never get that time back. Don’t waste it. When you get older, you don’t want to look back and say I should have, I could have, or I would have. There is regret in life. I don’t care what you say. People will argue, “Oh, there isn’t any regret in life. That’s what you wanted at one point.” Bullshit. When you get old and you didn’t go after what you wanted, you will regret it. I promise you. You will be left feeling empty and it will drive you crazy. Imagine being 50 and looking back and asking, “What if?”

“What if I did open a gym…?” “What if I did move…?” “What if I did marry that person…?” “What if I did go to college…?” “I should have asked that girl out…” “I should have been a teacher…” “I would have done it, but…” “I could have been the best, but…”

Choices

You always have a choice in life. Yes, some of them are harder than others, but you always have a choice. Follow your gut and do what makes you happy. People may get hurt in the process and they may not agree with your choice, but that’s life and it isn’t always fair. Do what’s best for you. Keep working until you’ve reached all your goals in life. If you don’t achieve them today, you should continue working on them in the days that follow. Don’t give up and your hard work will pay off with perseverance and persistence.

I want to hear your thoughts, so please share them in the comment section!

“Each one of us has some goal we want to reach, and we must work toward that goal one step at a time. You can’t reach toward that goal and expect it on the first try. All your small steps will bring you just a little closer. You must continue to work toward this goal. You may take a few steps back or be at a standstill, but you will be learning from each step. Through hard work, self-confidence and motivation, you will find ways to move ahead. You alone can help yourself to move ahead in life and gain personal satisfaction. You only get out of life what you put into it.” — Sid Luckman

www.elitefts.com

 

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A POWERFUL Way To Reduce Heart Failure Symptoms

1 Comment / Nutrition

By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES

Heart disease is still the number one killer in the US.

It may be a silent killer and may be DEADLY.

If you are at risk for developing heart disease, then please take note.

This article may provide POWERFUL information for your heart health.

Most people know that krill oil may be superior to fish oil due to the structural makeup of krill oil.

And this makeup may supply a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, which may promote better heart health.

Now for the serious stuff, and something that may help you LIVE LONGER.

A heart attack is very real event, and may be deadly.

Reducing your risk factors for having a heart attack should be your number one priority.

Sometimes though, you may not be able to prevent a heart attack from occurring.

You can take all the necessary precautions, but it still may occur.

Along with heart attacks, there may be an EVEN worse condition for your heart health.

And that is heart failure.

Taking the right steps now may PREVENT devastating effects of HEART DISEASE and heart failure.

Heart Failure

In the Western world, heart failure may be the biggest cause of cardiovascular death.

Heart failure may occur due to a weakened heart over time or due to injury to the cardiac muscles, which control the beating of your heart.

As a result, your heart is unable to pump as much oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body.

This may weaken other organs, due the lack of oxygen.

Even though heart failure is a very serious condition, your heart is STILL BEATING.

Your heart may be weakened due to lifestyle choices or injury.

And yes, your heart still beats and works, but just not efficiently.

Here are some STAGGERING statistics on heart failure:

• 5.8 million people have heart failure in the US, and over 300,000 people die each year from complications associated with heart failure

• It is estimated that 670,000 people are diagnosed every year

• 1 in 5 people die from heart failure within the first year

• In 2010, heart failure cost the US $39.2 billion, yes with a B, dollars

• Most common causes of heart failure are: coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes

Heart failure is very serious and sometimes deadly.

Proper diet, exercise, and adherence to medications, may help people live longer, fuller lives with heart failure.

You may be wondering what, if anything, may be effective at reducing heart failure symptoms.

That is a valid question and one that may have a NEW answer.

Let me explain…

Krill Oil and Heart Failure

Omega-3 fatty acids may help promote better heart health.

And omega-3 fatty acids may help raise good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

But now, research may have found a new benefit for omega-3 fatty acids, mostly coming from Krill Oil.

And Krill may improve heart function in patients experiencing heart failure.

When you experience a heart attack, there may be damage to your heart muscle.

This damage may result in the size, shape, and function of your heart changing – and not for the better.

After a heart attack, your heart undergoes cardiac remodeling, which may be a result of the lack of oxygen to the heart muscle.

Now remodeling usually is associated with something good.

However, when it comes to your heart, it refers to something potentially deadly.

Cardiac remodeling may occur when you have had damage or injury to your heart, like during a heart attack.

And this may result in structural changes, typically occurring on the left side, and in the left ventricle.

As an anatomy review, your left ventricle is a chamber in your heart that pumps blood to the rest of your body.

Sometimes you experience a thickening of your left ventricle, called left ventricular hypertrophy, which may cause a decline in your left ventricle function.

Which means there may be a possibility that your heart may be unable to pump as much blood to the rest of your body.

This may decrease your systolic function and your stroke volume.

I know – a lot of technical words.

Simply put, damage to your heart may cause significant changes which may result in loss of function.

So how can omega 3, specifically Krill Oil, help in heart failure?

Let me explain…

The Research

Researchers aimed to determine if Krill oil was beneficial in remodeling of the heart after a heart attack and in heart failure.

Their results were SHOCKING.

The study separated mice into three groups:

• Pre-treatment with Krill oil before MI (heart attack)

• Post MI treatment group

• Placebo

They discovered that pre-treated mice, before the onset of a heart attack, showed significant benefits after the heart attack.

The pre-treated group showed a smaller increase in heart weight, lung weight, and other factors which may be related to cardiac remodeling.

Comparatively, the post MI group only showed increase ventricular dilation, or opening of the left ventricle.

Also noted, during cardiac remodeling there may be increased inflammatory cytokines present in the heart.

And if you remember, increased omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may alter the ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids – for the better.

This may reduce inflammation, which may be one of the reasons for the reduction in inflammatory cytokines found during cardiac remodeling.

So why is this?

The researchers noted that by introducing omega-3 fatty acids, there was an increase in EPA and DHA in the heart muscle.

This may be the driving factor behind the reduced concentration of saturated fatty acids found in the heart.
The best part is: since Krill oil may be more readily absorbed by your body in the phospholipid form, this may increase DHA and EPA concentration found in your heart muscle.

Great news, right?

It gets even better!

Krill oil not only increased the DHA and EPA found in the blood, but it INCREASED the concentration in the heart’s cell membrane – in both heart failure patients AND healthy individuals.

This may have increased anti-inflammatory mediators, which may have decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines.

And last but not least, the researchers found by incorporating more omega-3 fatty acids into the heart muscle, possibly increased or maintained myocardial oxidative function.

Why is this important?

Typically when you experience a heart attack, there is a blockage which may prevent oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart.

This may reduce the amount of oxygen reaching your heart muscle.

This is where damage or injury to your heart muscle occurs – due to ischemia, or lack of oxygen.

And damage that occurs to your heart may reduce your oxidative function.

Supplementing your diet with omega 3-rich Krill oil may increase oxidative function, which may supply your heart with the necessary oxygen it needs to survive.

The Amazing Power Of Omega 3

Due to weakness or injury your heart may weaken, causing oxygen-rich blood to not get to your major organs – even your heart.

Due to cardiac remodeling, your heart may undergo changes possibly leaving it less efficient.

The size of your heart may increase, which may lead to reduced function from your heart and left ventricle.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been used for years as a way to promote heart health.

However, fish oil has been the major player – up until now!

Krill oil, which is structurally different than fish oil, may provide more benefit prior to having a heart attack or developing heart failure than fish oil does.

The omega-3 fatty acids in Krill, which are bound by a phospholipid backbone, may allow the DHA and EPA to be better absorbed by your body.

And this may increase DHA and EPA concentrations in your heart tissue.

This may reduce inflammation associated with cardiac remodeling, which increases the function of your heart.

Higher concentrations PRIOR to heart attacks may alter cardiac remodeling – for the better

The research is new but may prove promising for the countless people suffering from heart failure.

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