Archive for July, 2010

Portobello and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:

- 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed

- 1 bunch fresh asparagus tough ends removed

- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

- 1 pound penne pasta, cooked

- Seasoning, recipe follows

Seasoning:

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoons dried oregano

- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Directions:

Is Creatine Ok For Women?

I’ll start to answer this question by first summing up what creatine is and what it does. Creatine is found primarily in fresh meats and is stored in our skeletal muscles. It’s difficult for individuals to get optimum amounts of creatine through food alone which is why it’s become such a popular supplement. You should understand that creatine gives you energy to work out longer and harder and it’s your workout routine that will determine if you get fit or bigger. If you do a routine to trim up and get fit – then you will not get bigger. Remember creatine does not create muscle mass, but what it does is it helps your muscles get the nutrients they need to perform, recover and grow.
So is it safe for women to use creatine? Yes. Most women’s diet contain creatine already through the foods they eat! Did you know that ladies?

Aside from strength and energy gains one potential side effect women may have to overcome when taking creatine is bloating. The bloating is an overall body bloat. It’s not like your typical “monthly bloat.” You will carry the water weight in your muscles, so the more muscle you have the more you may notice the water weight. There are now some creatine supplements made specifically for women that have additional supplements mixed in with the creatine that are supposed to relieve bloating and water retention. Before investing in a female only version of creatine women may consider starting with creatine monohydrate for 30 days (you must take it everyday for it to work). Since not everyone experiences the bloating effect when taking creatine you may be able to get away with taking it as a stand alone supplement. If you experience the benefits of creatine after 30 days but notice the bloating switch to a female version and see if this reduces the water retention.
Creatine can benefit anyone who simply wants to increase their athletic performance on the field or in the gym. Whether it’s hardcore weight training, spinning, yoga, or your morning run creatine can offer a boost to your typical workout routine.

Julie MED RD LD

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Zinc Caps - ZMA Supplement

According to a recent study, zinc can boost the body’s ability to fight off infection. The study indicated that supplementing with zinc can reduce the risks for infection in those over 55 as well as improve their antioxidant status.

Researchers recruited 49 healthy adults, age 55-87 who are ethnically diverse and were all shown to have low levels of zinc in their blood. Also, these individuals had high inflammatory activity and oxidative stress markers, putting them at risk for cell damage associated with aging. The study subjects were divided into groups randomly and received either 45 mg of zinc gluconate per day or a placebo.

After twelve months of receiving supplementation, all the participants were measured for their incidence of infections, oxidative stress markers and zinc concentrations in the blood. The group that received the zinc showed significantly fewer instances of infection, much higher plasma zinc and lower oxidative stress markers than those who received the placebo.

In other studies, zinc has proven effective in decreasing inflammation and boosting antioxidants. Also, research suggests zinc may be used to combat the common cold and diarrhea caused by infection.

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com

www.everythingantiaging.com offers several zinc supplements either on its own or combined with other vitamins and minerals to treat everything from the common cold to the affects of aging. Get yours today!

Warming Up Prior To Workouts Is Key

Suppose you were told that you only had to add an extra 5 – 10 minutes to each of your workouts to prevent injury and lessen fatigue. Would you do it?

Most people would say yes. Then they might be surprised to learn that they already know about those few minutes, which are called a warm-up. If done correctly, a pre-exercise warm-up can have a multitude of beneficial effects on a person’s workout and, consequently, his or her overall health.

What happens in your body? – When you begin to exercise, your cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular systems and metabolic energy pathways are stimulated. Muscles contract and, to meet their increasing demands for oxygen, your heart rate, blood flow, cardiac output and breathing rate increase. Blood moves faster through your arteries and veins and is gradually routed to working muscles.
Your blood temperature rises and oxygen is released more quickly, raising the temperature of the muscles. This allows the muscles to use glucose and fatty acids to burn calories and create energy for the exercise. All of these processes prepare the body for higher-intensity action.
Specifically, a gradual warm-up:

- Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature

- Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions

- Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly

- Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles

- Gives you better muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles

- Allows you to comfortably perform longer workouts because all of your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood

- Improves joint range of motion

- Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your ability to focus on exercise

Where to Begin – Your warm-up should consist of two phases:

- Progressive aerobic activity that utilizes the muscles that you will be using during your workout

- Flexibility exercises

Make the Time – To fully reap the benefits of the time you are spending exercising, you must warm up. Taking those extra few minutes to adjust to increased activity will ensure a better performance from your body and, in turn, will make your workout more efficient, productive and, best of all, enjoyable.

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com

Browse www.everythingantiaging.com for all of your health and fitness needs.

Smoked Salmon Canape with Green Olive Grapefruit Tapenade

Ingredients:

- 1 jar pitted California green olives (about 15 ounces)

- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

- 1 small bunch fresh chives

- Zest of 1 grapefruit, divided in half

- 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice

- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

- Pinch ground cinnamon

- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

- 1/2 cup Champagne or sparkling wine

- 1/2 coriander seeds, crushed

- 1/2 teaspoon honey

- 1/8 teaspoon ground sumac

- 1/2 cup creme fraiche

- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

- 1 package prepared naan bread, 2 slices

- 1 package smoked salmon, about 6 slices torn into smaller slices

- 4 grapefruit segments, sliced thin

- Fresh chives, for garnish, optional

Directions:

In a food processor, pulse the olives, mint, handful of chives, half of the grapefruit zest, all of the grapefruit juice, cumin, cinnamon, and olive oil. Dont over process, it should be a little chunky, but still finely chopped. Pour the Champagne into a small saute pan with coriander seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce until it just turns syrupy. Strain the mixture and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, stir together the cooled Champagne “syrup”, remaining grapefruit zest, honey, sumac, and creme fraiche. Season the mixture with salt, and pepper, to taste. Heat a grill pan or large nonstick skillet and warm the naan bread on both sides. Cut the bread in half from top to bottom, then crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces. Smear each one with some tapenade, then top with a small piece of salmon, a piece of grapefruit and dollop of creme fraiche. Balance a short length of chive on top if you want to be extra fancy!

Lean 1 Meal Replacement Shake

After spending a few weeks back ordered, the wait is finally over. Lean 1 Chocolate protein is back in stock!

Lean 1 Meal Replacement by Nutrition 53 is a delicious protein shake that provides you with every single nutrient your body needs to support optimal health and vitality. Providing perfect nutritional balance and all-natural ingredients, Lean1 can help:

- Burn off unwanted fat
- Increase lean muscle
- Protect your heart
- Support healthy digestion

Plus it tastes GREAT too!

Get your Lean 1 Chocolate, or one of their other great flavors today at www.everythingantiaging.com!

Make Cardio Fun

1. MP3 or Other Media Players -Cheap and able to hold many songs, MP3 players are great for dragging a load of songs from your computer to take on the go. While iPods are the most popular MP3 player out there, there are much more affordable ones that still hold enough songs and play just as well. While some include an AM/FM radio, you’ll often have to do cardio to commercials, which aren’t a great motivator. The advantage of an MP3 player is though that you are capable of customizing your own play list to help motivate you to workout harder and longer!

2. Satellite Radio – The better, often no commercial version of basic radio. A satellite radio, while more expensive than an AM/FM radio, allows you much more variety with no static or commercials (only sometimes). Satellite radios come in stationary and portable versions, so you can put one in your workout room or take it on the go.

With about 70 channels of wide variety music you’ll be sure to find something that suits your tastes without worrying about poor reception or commercials interrupting the music.

3. Small TV Set – Humans are visual creatures, watching TV can put us into a zone that can make us ignore our fatigue. While not useable on the go, a small television set can be used in a home gym where you’ll be doing cardio for an extended period of time.

4. Variety - Variety, or the lack of, is responsible for the most cardio routines killed, along with many others things in life. Doing the exact same thing over and over is a quick way to turn you away from your cardio. Humans have attention spans, some short and some long, nevertheless everyone has a breaking point. Don’t do the same type of cardio everyday, there are plenty ways to have fun with cardio.

5. Accomplish a Task or Learn Something New – Cardio doesn’t have to be running around the block for twenty minutes or peddling on a bicycle for thirty minutes. Do something constructive such as taking up a sport, learning how to swim, or learning a skill such as jump roping.

6. Find a Partner – There’s not a stronger motivator than someone else working out with you. A training partner will keep you from cutting workouts short or slacking in intensity.

There are many people out there with the same goals as you and looking for partners. You can even recruit a friend or family member to join you if they have the necessary dedication. Plus a workout partner keeps things fun and interesting; it’s someone to communicate with instead of training alone. Plus it really helps the time fly by!

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com

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Is it true that eating after 8pm can make you gain weight?

The idea that eating late at night leads to greater weight gain has long been a source of interest and debate. Most nutrition experts have felt that this is not necessarily true. The common teaching is that if people eat more than they expend, then they will gain weight – regardless of whether the calories come from breakfast, dinner, or a late night snack. However, there have been few high quality studies to confirm that calories eaten at night are metabolized the same as calories eaten during the day. In fact, an experimental study last year found that mice who ate the majority of calories during their typical sleeping hours did gain more weight than mice that ate on a more regular schedule, despite consuming the same number of calories and engaging in equal amounts of physical activity. However, as we all know, results from a study in mice cannot be directly extrapolated to humans. Those human studies are still yet to be done.

Of course, another explanation for why late-night eaters may tend to put on more weight than people who rarely eat after a certain time, such as 8pm, may be that people who eat a lot of food late at night consume more calorie-dense foods and thus eat more total calories which can cause weight gain. It’s probably not when you eat that’s the problem, but rather what and how much. If you find yourself mindlessly eating chips at 10:00 at night while watching TV, then it might be helpful to reverse this fat-promoting behavior by making a behavioral plan which may include not eating after 8:00pm. Or, you could try any number of the following tips to help train your mind and body to be mindful of your food intake and eat when you’re hungry and stop before you’re too full.

1. Avoid tempting situations. If you struggle to break the habit of nibbling on junk food late at night, make a plan to decrease availability of those foods.

2. Self monitor. One of the strongest predictors of successful and maintained lifestyle change is monitoring dietary intake. While it can be tedious to keep a daily food log, this practice is highly effective. For one week maintain a detailed food log listing the type and amount of food eaten complete with calories, time of intake, hunger ratings, emotions, and activities at the time of eating. Also record the types and amounts of physical activity.

3. Practice behavioral substitution. Many people turn to food when bored or stressed. Before raiding the refrigerator or pantry, ask why you are eating. If it is for any reason other than hunger, vow to substitute alternative behaviors to eating.

4. Retrain your brain – and taste buds. Commit to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet which includes portion-controlled servings of a few of your favorite foods. This way the deprivation and cravings are minimized, and you might be shocked to find that after a while, the fat- and sugar-filled foods which were once so desirable lose much of their allure.

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com

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Beat Sleepless Nights While Reducing Stress Hormones

As fitness enthusiasts, we all understand the importance of quality sleep. However, it has been reported that as much as 60% of the US population suffers from some sort of sleeplessness every year. Experts believe that the primary cause of sleep problems is high amounts of stress throughout the day.
As the day progresses, the body continues to operate at high gear and this is due to continual stress on the nervous system. Stress hormones accumulate over the course of the day and when it finally comes time to falling asleep, it’s difficult to go from, say, 4th gear down to 1st in such a short time. That’s why it’s important to control these stress hormones constantly and consistently in order to effectively downshift into sleep mode.

It was found in a trial, that a particular product promoted the reduction of cortisol, one of the main stress-related hormones produced by the body, by 60% following the first dose. The rest of the trial saw an average decrease in the hormone by a whopping 75-83%. What else is important to note is that this treatment produced no side effects and does not have the potential to become habitual.

Furthermore, it has been shown that reduced cortisol has other health benefits such as the increase of HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) as well as a reduction in adipose (fat) tissue in the abdominal region.

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com

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Spicy Cioppino

Ingredients:

- 4 small red potatoes, (1- to 2-inch diameter), quartered

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

- 1 tilapia fillet, diced (about 5 ounces)

- 4 ounces dry bay scallops, patted dry

- 1 small sweet onion, sliced

- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend or poultry seasoning

- 1-2 teaspoons hot paprika

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

- 1 cup dry white wine

- 1/2 cup water

- 3 plum tomatoes, diced

- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)

- 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, (optional)

Directions:

Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tilapia and scallops; cook, stirring once or twice, until just opaque,

about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion to the pan and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, add Italian (or poultry) seasoning, paprika to taste, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine, water and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the fish, scallops, potatoes and capers (if using), return to a simmer and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Staff – Everythingantiaging.com