Archive for the ‘Myth Busting’ Category

The Battle For Oil Supremacy

Posted: October 7, 2011 by williampower in Myth Busting, Nutrition
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When it comes to choosing oils to cook with, people have different preferences. However, I find that most preferences are shaped by tradition as opposed to actual knowledge of the product. Some people are strictly #TeamCanolaOil. Some are #TeamOliveOil. Others are #TeamPeanutOil, #TeamSafflowerOil or even #TeamGrapeseedOil. But why? There are many oils out there that have ample reason to elicit your allegiance but which is the best, the king, the Floyd Mayweather of oils (yea I said it…#TeamMayweather). Well, the method by which the oil is extracted pays major dividends into how healthy it is. The two methods of extraction are chemically and mechanically. Chemical extraction is cheaper, more common and yields a less healthy product. Machine pressed involves no chemicals, no heat, is more expensive, but yields a healthier product. With every oil, factors that must be considered include smoking point (some oils like olive oil smoke at lower temps than others like canola), storage life and its recommended usage. Now, without further ado, the tales of the tape for all the challengers:

Olive Oil:

o Used for salad dressings, sautéing veggies, and grilling
o Smoke point 410 degrees F
o “Extra Virgin” is the highest quality of this oil; “extra light” is the lowest quality.
o Contains omega 3’s, 6’s and 9’s
o Most easily tolerated by the stomach
o Contains several antioxidants

Canola Oil:

• Used for cooking and baking
• Smoke point 468 degrees F
• “Organic cold pressed” is best
• Contains lowest amount of sat fat
• Contains high levels of EPA and DHA (good fatty acids)
o EPA and DHA are good because they counteract inflammatory hormones in the body that unbeknownst to most cause aches and pains throughout our daily lives

Walnut Oil:

• Used for salad dressings
• Smoke point 400 degrees F
• More expensive and shorter shelf life
• Bad for cooking, high heat removes oils flavor and makes it bitter. High heat also destroys the antioxidants.
• More widely used to add nutty flavor to certain dishes

Macadamia Oil:

• Used to cook fish, chicken, veggies, baked goods and on salads
• Smoke point 425 degrees F
• Best frying oil
• Can actually prevent sunburn and expedite healing of small wounds because of its high level of Vitamin E
• Rich in Omega 3’s and Omega 6’s
• Used for skin moisturizing and improving skin elasticity

Almond Oil:

• Used to sauté’ and stir fry foods
• Smoke point 410 degrees F
• Creates an almondy aroma and flavor in the food
• Very rich in Omega 6’s, a fatty acid we already get an overabundance of in the American diet (so this is a pro as well as a con)
• Good for skin moisturizing and minimizing the appearance of dark circles around the yes

Sesame Oil:

• Used for application to cold foods, used in small amounts to avoid over powering food with nutty flavor.
• Smoke point 400 degrees F
• Suitable for frying
• Dark sesame seed oil isn’t suitable for frying.
• Rich in antioxidants

Grapeseed Oil:

• Used for salad dressings, marinades, deep frying, and baking
• Smoke point 420 degrees F
• Cholesterol lower effect
• Has been shown to reduce inflammation of airways in asthma sufferers
• Rich in antioxidants

Safflower Oil:

• Contains vitamin E, Vitamin K, monosaturated fats, poly saturated fats and omega 6’s.
• Smoking point 450 degrees F
• Can be used as hair conditioner
• Used as a wrinkle cream

Coconut Oil:

• Almost 95% saturated fat
• Rich in Vitamin E and K

Vegetable Oil:

o Usually a mix of oils derived from seeds
o Used for shortening for baked goods, pastries and breads; to improve food texture; as a medium for cooking procedures such as frying; and as a base for flavored content.

Much like perception, peoples’ preferences are relative, therefore; everyone will have a different view of which oil is the best when it comes to them, their lifestyle and what they are looking for. We all have different needs. This list will help you determine which oil is best when it comes to your life and preference. Feel free to be on more than one team if you like.

Quick Tips To Gain Weight The Right Way

Posted: September 27, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting
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1. Weight train only 4 to 5 days a week. If growing is your primary concern then rest is paramount. Schedule breaks between intense sessions. For some, you may only need to workout 4 days and on your off days do absolutely nothing (no cardio or resistance training). Even if the gains don’t come right away this is not an indication that you need to workout more days a week. Be patient, stick to the formula and the gains will come.

2. Cut back on all the reps and sets. As a hard gainer, doing too many reps and too many sets is a recipe for overtraining. Heuristically, it seems better to train bigger body parts (legs, chest, back) with a 3 – 4 exercise per session rate and the smaller muscles (biceps, triceps, shoulders, etc.) 2 – 3 exercises per session.

3. Emphasize compound exercise where more than one muscle group is used at one time i.e. squat and military press.

4. Reduce cardio. Cardio done too often can burn too many calories over time. Use cardio sparingly to control fat stores but keep pace with your calorie intake to insure proper growth.

5. Keep it short and sweet. Hard gainer workouts shouldn’t last more than about an hour. Beyond that, excess cortisol (a catabolic hormone) can be released inhibiting growth of the muscles.

6. Consume more complex carbs to energize your intense workouts. Carbs are important because they provide energy and they control insulin, an anabolic hormone that forces energy into the muscle stimulating growth. Once again complex carbs should be your primary target in carbo-loading. For more info see “Summary of Macronutrients”.

7. Eat adequate high quality proteins. These are the building blocks to your muscles. For a breakdown of quality protein see “Summary of Macronutrients).

8. Use things like Echinacea and Ginger Root to increase appetite. An increased appetite will lead to the consumption of more calories which in the long and short term help you reach your goal.

5 Biggest Mistakes When Trying To Gain Weight

Posted: September 24, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting
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1. Eating two or three huge meals with several hours in between. Yes, you hard gainers (those who have trouble gaining quality muscle) are less inclined to turn these meals into fat due to your fast metabolisms, however, this method will also force your body to feed off stored energy (often muscle mass over body fat) in between meals. This makes it more than difficult for your body to retain muscle mass. The best solution for this is to eat 5 to 6 meals each day.

2. Consuming excess amounts of calorie-laden junk foods. Eating can be like a job for hard gainers. In an attempt to pack on some quick calories, hard gainers often turn to fast food like burgers or pizza. However, these foods contain entirely too much sugar, fat, and refined flour. They are better at adding inches to your waistline than adding inches to your biceps. In the fitness game, always emphasize quality over quantity. Eat quality whole foods and consume quality liquid calories when whole foods aren’t available. For some, weight-gaining products taken correctly can be a great way to gain mass.

3. Using too many energy drinks, which inhibit appetite. Caffeinated energy drinks play an important role in mustering energy and supporting mass gains. The problem is, they reduce appetite making it less likely for hard gainers to consume the quality calories necessary for mass gains. No one is saying to eliminate caffeine from your diet, just remember to consume it in moderation so that it doesn’t impact to intake of necessary quality calories.

4. Eating inconsistently. Most hard gainers have a tendency to eat well for two or three days then fall off the chuck wagon for lack of a better term. You have to eat consistently to grow. You should be hitting our target amount of calories each day.

5. Overtraining. More than a few hard gainers are under the assumption that more training means more muscle growth. Well that’s not entirely accurate. Muscles grow after you train, while you’re resting. Training too long or too often can be counterproductive.

10 Quick Tips on How to Improve Optimal Health and Performance

Posted: September 21, 2011 by williampower in Behavior Modification, Exercise, Myth Busting, Nutrition
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1. Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night (or as close to it as you can for those 24-7 grinders like myself).

2. Learn how to incorporate deeper breaths into your breathing pattern to increase wellness and relieve some stress symptoms.

3. Incorporate “me time” into your life. No matter how busy or hectic your life may become, “me time” helps you refocus, reenergize and often recommit to any waning enthusiasms that are unfulfilled.

4. Get massages twice a month. Although considered a luxury, for some it’s becoming a necessity. Massages can relieve stress and tension carried in the body allowing you to move freer, think clearer and be more relaxed in times of stress.

5. Stretch daily. Stretching daily can help alleviate stress as well, both mentally and physically. It also can reduce, eliminate or prevent little aches and pains that normally limit your movement whether consciously on unconsciously. If it becomes less taxing to move you will more likely do more of it, keeping you more in tuned with a healthier lifestyle as opposed to a sedentary lifestyle.

6. Cold baths and showers can make a world of difference in terms of relaxed muscle tissue and rejuvenation from any type of overuse. They have also been show to increase circulation, increase fertility (in men), and increase immunity and energy.

7. Drink water, at least half your body weight in ounces every day.

8. Avoid high fructose corn syrup wherever possible.

9. Eat small frequent meals every 3 to 4 hours.

10. Incorporate foundational exercises into your exercise regimen. Don’t just work out the muscles you want everyone to see and envy, work out the muscles that do the little things that support your body’s movement (lower back, rear delts, forearms, calf muscles, neck, etc.)

Perspire Much?! Don’t Sweat It…

Posted: September 19, 2011 by williampower in Exercise, Myth Busting, Uncategorized
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Sweating is a release of water and sodium from the body’s sweat glands in an attempt by the body to regulate your body temperature. Sweat is typically found on your head, feet, the palms of your hands, and under your arms. The purpose of sweat is to cool the body by sitting on the surface of the skin and removing heat from the body as the sweat evaporates. The amount you sweat is directly dependent on how many sweat glands you possess with the average person being born with about 4 million. Women, on average, have more sweat glands than men but men’s’ sweat glands are typically more active. For both sexes, sweat glands can be activated by nervousness, anger, embarrassment, fear and physical exertion.

Sweating is most effective when it forms a glistening coat atop the skin allowing for even evaporation across the surface of the body. When sweat gets to the point that is starts dripping, that’s the body struggling to effectively control its own temperature and becoming less effective at cooling itself down. Contrary to popular belief however, the rate of sweating you are undergoing isn’t necessarily an indicator of how hard you are working. Your rate of sweating merely signifies how effective your body is at cooling itself down. This process can have several determining factors including humidity, environmental temperature, clothing and physical fitness.

Sweating and exertion especially do not correlate if you are returning to exercise after a long period of inactivity. When initially returning to an active state, especially when cardio is involved, you can sweat rather easily due to the fact it takes time for your sweat glands to adapt to the activity. The longer and the more consistently you do cardio the more efficiently you will start to sweat and the less you will “drip” at each level of intensity of exercise.

Instead of using rate of sweat as an indicator of your intensity of exercise, you should try using a “Borg Scale” to gauge your intensity. Since fatigue is highly correlated with your heart rate, the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion (RPE) gives a much more subjective marker of your effort. Perceived exertion is how hard you feel like your body is working; it is based on physiological sensations experienced during physical activity (i.e. increased heart rate, increased rate of breathing, muscle fatigue, etc.). “Although this is a subjective measure, a person’s exertion rating may provide a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during physical activity” (Borg, 1998).

To use the Borg Scale, when exercising, rate your exertion between 6 and 20. According to the scale, each number represents a level of exertion:

BORG SCALE:

6, 7 – very, very light exertion

8, 9 – very light exertion

10, 11 – fairly light exertion

12, 13 – fairly hard exertion

14, 15 – hard exertion

16, 17 – very hard exertion

18, 19, 20 – very, very hard exertion

This is just one of the many ways to measure intensity that is more telling than rate of sweating. Just remember that some individuals can be extremely fit and still sweat profusely, regardless of the intensity of their exercise. This is more related to the number and effectiveness of their sweat glands than their physical prowess.

Muscle Vs. Fat for the “Heavy Weight” Title

Posted: September 9, 2011 by williampower in Myth Busting
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By: Will Power

One of the biggest fallacies made by many who are new to fitness, and some who aren’t, is stressing the idea that muscle weighs more that fat.  I’ve heard this term used so frequently amongst even my clients that I felt it my duty to dispel this gross misconception for everyone.  So, cutting straight to the chase, a pound of fat weighs exactly the same as a pound of muscle.  A pound is a pound no matter how you present it, cut it, separate it or compound it.  A pound of steel weighs exactly the same as a pound of feathers.  But if that’s the case then where did this misconception come from in the first place?  Well I would have to imagine its based around the fact that muscle is considerably more dense than fat, meaning volumetrically it would take more fat to make up that pound than it would if that pound were made up of muscle.  For those of you who did homework for other classes all through basic chemistry, ill explain.  Since muscle is denser, it weighs more per unit of space.  Picture it like a 2” steel ball that weighs 1 pound on a balance beam and on the other side you have to place 5 packs of loose leaf paper in order to equal out that pound on the beam.  Obviously the packet takes up way more space than the 2” steel ball but being that the ball is denser (i.e. weighs more per unit of space) the smaller ball is equal to the 5 packs in weight.  That being said, if you take a 5” x 5” x 5” cube of muscle and one of fat, the muscle will weigh more simply because of its higher density and compactness.  This is the primary reason many people can look up to 30lbs less than they actually are simply because of their muscle to fat ratio.

Now, why is this important you ask? Well, the fact of the matter is as you resistance train, it is inevitable that you will gain a few pounds, sometimes even when on a weight loss program.  A little bit of muscle goes a long way trust me. However, the difference between weight gained trough resistance training and weight gained from canoodling that thanksgiving turkey is that you are gaining lean muscle mass.  You will look and feel slimmer but that scale won’t be consoling.  This is frankly why I tell people for the most part “F” the scale (for lack of a better term).  The scale may tell you how much you weigh but it doesn’t tell you how much of it is fat and how much is muscle.  The best judge of progress is how your clothes fit, how you look in the mirror at home and better yet how you feel overall.

In sum, muscle does not weigh more than fat, it is simply denser.  However, muscle is way more metabolically active so it allows you to burn more calories with less effort.  The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.  So when it comes down to a discussion of muscle vs. fat the only thing you need to know is that you want to build muscle and shrink fat.

The Truth Behind Spot Reduction

Posted: September 5, 2011 by williampower in Exercise, Myth Busting
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By: Will Power

          A lot of people walk around making love to the idea that if they want to trim a certain area of their body then spot reduction is the way to go.  But what is spot reduction and does this technique actually work?  Spot reduction is the idea that exercises consistently done for a certain area of the body will reduce or eliminate fat in that area.  As for whether it works, well…and I apologize for being anti-climactic so early on but, yes and no.

Studies published in the American Journal of Physiology have indeed shown evidence that when exercise is localized to a certain region of the body, blood flow to adipose tissue (fat) in that area is increased significantly.  This increased blood flow triggers higher levels of “lipolysis” (break down and releasing of fat into the bloodstream to be used as fuel) in the targeted area suggesting that you do burn body fat in the specific area being trained.

The problem with this course of action when it comes to body fat reduction, and the reason spot reduction is constantly discredited, is that any fat loss through the spot reduction techniques, if any, is often insignificant in relation to the body as a whole.  Overall body fat must be reduced to lose significant fat in any particular area.  Fat deposition and reduction patterns are determined by genetics (see “Where Did My Fat Go?!”), hormonal distinction (sex) and age (lifecycle).  Now it is true that despite the fact that fat is both gained and reduced throughout the entire body, a multitude of people tend to accumulate significant fat in their midsections (men and some women (usually post menopausal)) and hips and thighs (women and some men).

However, let it be known that you can do all the sit ups you want, the crunches, the leg raises, the torso rotations; you can try all those gimmicky products you see advertised on those infomercials made to take advantage of gullible consumers if you like.  If you do, I promise you will have the nicest abs, legs and thighs you can imagine, right under all your layers of fat.  At the end of the day, and I can’t reiterate this enough, if you want to reduce fat, exercise and proper dieting are your best keys to victory.

8 Common Myths of Diet

Posted: August 23, 2011 by Bizzy Amor in Myth Busting, Nutrition
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Taking Vitamin C prevents colds. With all due respect to the late Linus Pauling and
his widely publicized theory on the relationship between vitamin C and the cold virus,
research on the subject has not found that taking vitamin C helps to ward off those
unwanted sniffles. On the other hand, studies have shown that vitamin C may (in some
instances) slightly shorten the duration of a cold.

Consuming more protein builds bigger muscles. Ingesting additional protein (in
whatever form – meat, pills, powder, etc) will not help most individuals develop larger
muscles. Your protein daily requirement is based on your body weight. Most individuals
meet their needs through food alone. If you eat more protein than what your body needs
on any given day, most of the excess will be converted to and stored as fat. As such,
exceeding the recommended daily allowance for protein can be, at best, a waste of time
and money.

2% milk is 98% fat free. Not surprisingly, food marketers – in an effort to encourage you
to buy their products – often engage in advertising that is misleading. For example, a
food label may proclaim that a particular foodstuff is fat free to a specific percentage. In
the case of 2% milk, the number refers to the relative weight of the fat in the product, a
factor that is inconsequential and misleading. In reality, what you really want to know
with regard to the fat content of milk is the percentage of fat calories in the milk itself.
A cup of 2% milk for example contains 35% fat calories (42.5 calories of the total 120
calories).

Eating low fat foods will not cause you to gain weight. Keep in mind that the labels “fat
free” and “low fat” do not mean no calories. For example, non fat and low fat foods
could easily be full of sugar and high calories. Controlling your body weight is a by
product of maintaining the appropriate balance between the number of calories you ingest
and the number of calories that your body uses. Excessive calorie intake, regardless of
whether it comes from “healthy” non fat or low fat foods, will promote weight gain.

If consuming some of a particular nutrient of food is considered healthy, eating more
of that foodstuff will provide even greater benefits. Your body needs a specific amount
of nutrients (carbs, fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and water) to function properly.
Exceeding that level will not give you an extra “boost”. In fact, ingesting too much of
some nutrients can be potentially harmful.

Antioxidants can help prevent types of cancer and heart disease. Eating foods that
are relatively rich in antioxidants (e.g., beta carotene and vitamin C and E) or taking
antioxidant supplements has not been found to prevent either cancer and heart disease
– despite numerous studies that have investigated the matter. To date, no conclusive
evidence exists that shows that antioxidants lower the risk of either medical condition.

Foodstuffs that are labeled “natural” or “herbal” are always good for you. Foods can
be “natural” or “herbal” and still have negative health consequences. Neither term is a synonym for harmless or non – addictive nor guarantees that a particular food contains the essential nutrients your body needs. In fact the opposite may true. Cocaine and nicotine,
for example, are also naturally occurring plant by-products.

Healthy eating represents the end of appetizing meals. Eating in a sensible healthy
manner does not have to be an exercise where you force yourself to consume poor-tasting
food at the expense of mouthwatering delectable alternatives. What it does involve,
however, is determining what foods are good for you and learning how to prepare them
to “delight” your taste buds. It also entails making good eating habits an integral part of
your daily living,

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