Health Advice

Cooking with lard (pork fat) has decreased in popularity. This is great due to the high levels of saturated fat it contained hence not a good option in terms of health. Lard has shown to increase bad cholesterol levels and increase inflammation in the body. It provides one of the unhealthiest options for food preparation and therefore consumption should be limited. Being able to cook and prepare healthy treats and positively affecting your cholesterol levels, immune system and heart health is vital. As it’s easier to use healthy fats such as sunflower oil or olive oil when cooking at low temperatures it makes sense to opt for a healthier cooking methods such as grilling, oven roasting or steaming rather than frying.

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Further to my previous post on Vitamin C and Exercise Recovery We all know that a diet lacking in vitamin C will in turn inhibit performance and increase the likelihood of picking up a cold. For active people the recommended intake is increased between 100 and 300mg per day.

During exercise alone large quantities of vitamin C are used by the body during the healing process and includes the recovery of muscles after exercise. When we train hard our muscles, tendons and ligaments are subjected to increased stress so regular intake of vitamin C can help us to repair this damage. It is also know to replenish blood and plasma levels reducing muscle soreness and due to its role in the formation of collagen vitamin C is also extremely important for connective tissue repair.

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Many studies have shown diminished blood and plasma levels of vitamin C in those who exercise. This suggests a need to increase intake if you exercise regularly. Studies that vitamin supplements from 300mg to 1000mg per day increased work capacity, reduced heart rates while exercising at a fixed intensity have also been demonstrated as have reduced body temperature and sweat loss during exercise.

Diminished Vitamin C levels in individuals who exercised or trained regularly also lead to reduced performance or aerobic and anaerobic exercises. It also increases the risk of susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infection particularly for those who do long duration activities such as cycling or running. Supplementing Vitamin C has shown to reduce infection in the next 48 hours after a training session.

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There are now talks that the Mediterranean diet has elements that could cut the risk of cancer by 12 per cent. This was established after scientists carried out research on 26000 Greek people. People living in Greece generally ate more fish and vegetables. Their diet typically had less red meat in it, they used Olive Oil and only drank moderates amounts of alcohol. They also found that using olive oil alone could cut cancer risk by 9% alone. Although they haven’t identified a particular supper food, strong recommendations were made to adjust the overall dietary habits towards that of the traditional Mediterranean pattern.

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Through the use of promotional coupons it is possible to get fitness equipment and or health products such as vitamin supplements, healthy snacks or even health drinks. One of the most popular brands of supplements is by CNP professionals which provice ProSlam to be taken before training to increase endurance. The other type is ProRecover which is after training drink and with optimal measures of carbohydrates and protein which helps the body recover quickly. It also has enough vitamin C & E to aid with antioxidants. For those of us who are serious about getting fit and about our health buying these drinks on a regular basis means cost can start to add up. however there are website out there in the WWW that offer support for online codes or facilitates online discount vouchers which will allow you to save on your purchases.

For those of you who have not quite made it to the gym and would like to work out from the leisure of your own home why not invest in exercise equipment. Many people in today’s market find it hard to make time to exercise regularly and the sale of home exercise machines are on the increase. One of the newest machines taking the industry by storm is the Power Plate machine which as well as being used to train and workout, it can also be used to relax the muscles after a workout acting a massager.

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To keep energy levels high whilst running experts recommend that you get enough protein regardless of the fact that your doing weights or cross country! Your body will be under stress and to repair itself you will need plenty of protein - the recommended dose is 1.5g per kg of bodyweight. Additionally eating complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice help release energy into the bloodstream at a slower rate giving you sustained energy and reducing the temptation to snack on high calorie foods such as sweets and chocolate. Within 15mins of training a glucose energy replacement drink will help restock fuel and a glucose drink is ideal as it rapidly enters the bloodstream and be absorbed quickly accelerating recovery.

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GI is known as Glycaemic index and is the measure of how much as particular food affects blood sugar levels by how quickly it is absorbed into the blood causing the blood sugar level to rise quickly. This gives the body a high energy fix and then releases insulin as a reaction to curb the excess energy the blood sugar level then drops to a low again and the uneven cycle begins. This common occurrence can lead to strong sugar cravings and also the feelings of tiredness. By eating more complex carbohydrates little and often we can maintain a steady glucose level throughout the day.

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