15th Edition

Legacy – Ian King’s Training Innovations:  Concepts that have changed the way the world trains

 

Description: The aim of this book is to collate many of these innovations, providing a single source from which to gain insights into the conceptual legacy of Ian King. No other single coach in modern physical preparation has produced such a long list of original innovations that have truly shaped the way the world trains! Visit: www.kingsports.net/coach

Lifestyle
Why the key to achieving success lies with your failure

Tips for turning failures into stepping stones, not walls.

Kale is a leafy green that is highly nutritious, containing high levels of vitamins, minerals, …
read it all ….

Improve Your Mental Health Naturally!
Mental health problems, like depression and anxiety are experienced by more people worldwide than any other physical disorder. According to predictions from the World Health Organization, by 2020 depression will cause greater disability than any other mental or physical disorder. read it all…..

More Health & Nutrition from Nutrobalance

How to Prevent Cancer
Are we deficient in essential nutrients?
Supplementation to Prevent Degenerative Diseases

Mental health problems, like depression and anxiety are experienced by more people worldwide than any other physical disorder. According to predictions from the World Health Organisation, by 2020 depression will cause greater disability than any other mental or physical disorder.

ThIs is a severe problem and it is common sense that we find effective solutions for these problems.
To-day most mental health problems are treated with psychological and pharmacological interventions.
The most common psychological treatments are known as cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT), while antidepressants are the most common class of medication used to treat both depression and anxiety.

Other interventions are also effective, although not promoted as much as the previous mentioned treatments, including exercise, relaxation/ meditation, and sleep-based interventions.
Herbs and nutrients are also often used to treet mental health problems, but there is doubt whether they actually work.

The following more commonly used natural supplements will be reviewed to see if there is actually any evidence to support their efficacy.

1. Omega-3 fish oils.
There has been a substantial amount of research on the effects of fish oil, mostly in the     area of    depression, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD ).
The overall evidence suggests that fish oil is moderate effective for these conditions.
In several meta-analyses it had been confirmed that fish oil can improve depressive symptoms that    occur in major depressive disorders and bipolar disorder.
The most effective fish oils for mental health are those ones that contain greater concentration of    EPA ( a type of omega-3 fat)

2. St John’s wort
This herb has always been very popular for the treatment of depression and there has been many good    quality studies in several meta-analyses. St John’s wort has been shown to be effective for the    treatment of depression. However, research on stress, ADHD and other mental health problems have not    been so convincing.
The major problem with St John’s wort is that it interacts with many  medications.

3. Saffron
Positive studies on its effect on depression has increased over the last decade. Follow up studies    have all confirmed that saffron is  effective for the treatment of depression.
In comparison with antidepressants such as Prozac and Trofanil, Saffron has proven to be as effective,    but with less side effects. Although it is the most expensive spice in the world, only a small amount    is needed, which make the cost quite affordable (approx $30 – $40  a month).
Another advantage is that in combination with pharmaceutical antidepressants, it was more effective    than the antidepressant alone.

4. Rhodiola rosea
This herb was originally used in Russia to enhance athletic performance. It was later discovered to    be effective for stress, feelings of burnout, and depression. A few good quality European studies    have indicated that rhodiola is helpful for improving mood and seems to be particularly helpful for    people with stress related fatigue.
People who feel run-down, find it hard getting out of bed in the morning, lack motivation/drive,    experience energy slumps in the afternoon, and feel quite flat, may also benefit from rhodiola.    Natural  practitioners often refer to this condition as ‘adrenal fatigue’.

5. Theanine
This is an amino acid derived from green tea and is claimed to help people experience
a relaxed    and calm state. Some good studies indicate that it  can reduce levels of stress hormones in the body    (e.g. cortisol) and can move people’s brain waves into ‘alpha’ states. Alpha brain waves are    associated with relaxation and meditation.
People with a mind that is constantly racing report positive effects from theanine. It has also shown    to improve sleep in children with ADHD, and was even helpful for people with schizophrenia.

This is just a selection of herbs and nutrients with goodresearch-based support for their  mental health benefits. There are other options available, including s-adenosyl-methionine (SAME) for depression.
Kava for anxiety, B-vitamins for stress, and glycine/magnesium for sleep.

If you are interested in using natural supplements, make sure you purchase them from a reputable company.
Preferably an Australian one because Australia has the most rigorous testing for natural supplements in the world. visit: http://www.nutrobalance.usana.com

Testosterone levels is by far the most important muscle building factor in the body. Bodybuilders for decades have been trying to increase testosterone levels, be it artificially or naturally. Artificially it is done with the use of Steroids, but in this article we will discuss how to help maintain or increase testosterone levels through your own bodies natural production system. This article is mainly for men, although following the advices here can help women maintain healthy levels of testosterone and estrogen and other hormones, making them feel healthier and vibrant.

Ways to increase testosterone levels:
– High fat diet. Countless research has shown that fats help maintain and even increase testosterone levels. Omega-3’s, monounsaturated and even saturated fats in diet, have all shown to increase testosterone levels.

– Quality consistent sleep. Your body can’t recuperate it’s hormone levels if you dont get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. People who work swing shifts or change the times of day they sleep constantly, also throw their hormones out of balance.

– Long term dieting. When you are in a calorie deficit, you releas cortisol and lower your testosterone levels. It also lowers other hormones such as Thyroid. During dieting, people generally aren’t as healthy or energetic.

– Don’t overtrain. Excessive weight training and other excercise like cardio, eventually leads to a gradual build up cortisol and lowering of testosterone.

– Prescription / Over the counter drugs. Find out if a prescription drug or over the counter drug interferes with testosterone or DHT. Some drugs for hair loss (Nizoral, proscar, etc), block or interfere with the conversion of testosterone to DHT and may cause side effects, since DHT is more responsible for masculinizing sex effects than testosterone in males.

– Zinc. A few years ago, Zinc was shown to boost testosterone levels in football athletes, when taken together with Vitamin B6. This led to the ZMA craze among bodybuilders, which was a proprietary blend of Zinc and vitamin B6. Zinc prevents the conversion of testosterone to dht, helping to maintain healthy testosterone levels. It is also good for the prostate and if taken before bed, very helpful for getting a good deep sleep. Most people are deficient to some degree in zinc. You can supplement with extra zinc even beyond your multi-vitamin. Taking ZMA specifically is not necessary for the benefits of Zinc, as vitamin B6 only helps aid in Zinc’s absorption.

– 6-OXO. A anti-estrogen supplement developed by the well known bodybuilding supplement chemist Patrick Arnold. Anti-estrogen supplements available on the market today help boost natural testosterone production, by lowering the estrogen in your body. They should be safe for those over 21, as long as it is for brief occasional cycles. Unlike steroids, they do not shut down testosterone production or create supraphysiological levels many times that of natural levels. Instead they increase testosterone levels to a level moderately higher than you normally would have. When you get off of anti-estrogens, your testosterone levels will decrease again as your body goes back to equilibrium.

-Warmer weather. I’ve come across studies that showed that in the cooler months, men’s testosterone levels dropped. I’m sure there is a genetic basis for this, so living in warmer weather most of the year is an advantage for maintaining testosterone levels.

– Lower bodyfat %. The higher your bodyfat % is, most likely the lower your testosterone levels will go. Your fat cells aromatize testosterone to estrogen instead of DHT. Estrogen in the body tends to decrease natural testosterone levels.

– Excercise regurly. Excercise helps keep your testosterone and other hormones at healthy levels, just don’t overtrain.

I hope you learned from this article, how to effectively increase your testosterone levels. This is the list I’ve compiled after reading research studies and bodybuilding articles for years.

   Edition 14

Tips for slowing down

Life moves pretty fast, especially when you are balancing kid duties, house duties, work duties and partner duties. Sometimes we are so busy that we forget to slow down and actually appreciate what’s important. – read it all…

Build muscle by increasing testosterone levels
Testosterone levels is by far the most important muscle building factor in the body. Bodybuilders for decades have been trying to increase testosterone levels, be it artificially or naturally. Artificially it is done with the use of Steroids, but in this article we will discuss how to help maintain or increase testosterone levels through your own bodies natural production system. This article is mainly for men, although following the advices here can help women maintain healthy levels of testosterone and estrogen and other hormones, making them feel healthier and vibrant.
read it all….

More Health & Nutrition by NUTROBALANCE
Diet for Athletes
Meal Replacements
The Amazing Benefits of Exercise

An athlete’s diet should be selected with the object of maintaining
an optimum expenditure of energy.
The foods selected should include wheatmeal bread, wheatmeal or oatmeal porridge
with wheatgerm and raisins , and served with milk and honey.

Protein food, and fats also, must be included for staying power, and protein tablets
can be kept ready for emergencies.
A splended protein drink can be made by mixing a desert spoon of brewers’ yeast powder with two desert spoonful of skim milk in a glass of water, and sweetening
with a little honey. This drink is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and iron.

‘Mid-meals’ should be taken, consisting of dried fruits, rich in natural  sugars,
which release energy. Salt is lost to the body by perspiration and must be replaced.

There is some evidence that a high intake of vitamin C minimizes muscle soreness
in athletes, engaged in unusually strenuous muscular activities.
It also appears to reduce foot troubles, such as swellings and pains.
The high intake of vitamin C hould be commenced some days or perhaps weeks before
the strenuous exercise is commenced, and continued during the period of exercise.
This vitamin is also required for strong, healthy bone structure and connective tissue.

Another vitamin invaluable for athletes is vitamin E, which strengthens the heart
and muscles, improves the circulation and reduces the body’s need for oxygen.

Athletes need vitamin B complex tablets to strengthen the nervous system,
and the need is greatly increased during strenuous exercise.
Vitamin A should also be taken, as it helps to build up resistance to infectious diseases such as cold and flu, etc.

There are more than 700 active athletes who take USANA Health Sciences.
Visit: http://www.nutrobalance.usana.com

Meal Replacements: The Fast Food of the New Millennium
The pace of life seems to get faster every day. There are so many demands on our time that often there is little time left over for ourselves. This is especially true when it comes to exercising and eating.
Finding the time to eat five or six small meals a day, as the experts suggest,
is virtually impossible!

Since our time is so precious we must find ways to obtain, prepare and eat food
more efficiently.
The food on offer from the local lunch bar or vending machine is usually nutritionally substandard for maintaining a body to be proud of, and if you habitually eat these foods you can rest assured that your ability to maintain good body shape will diminish rapidly.

So how do you balance your busy lifestyle with your need to eat regularly?
The answer lies in a meal that fulfills the criteria of being quick, easy, convenient and healthy: Meal Replacements!

Meal Replacements encompass a group of supplements that are alternatives to whole foods. They include protein powders,
mass gaining powders, meal replacement bars and Ready-to-Drinks.
Each type offers controlled portions of carbohydrates, protein and fat as well as substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

MR’s have pre-determined amounts of macro nutrients. This makes it very easy to monitor your fat, carbohydrate and overall calorie intake for the meal and therefore not eat excessively. It also ensures that you eat the correct proportions of macro nutrients.
MR’s are perfectly suited to those people who are looking to control their food intake but still like to have a tasty meal.
These days, most of the MR’s taste great, especially the ones manufactured by USANA Health Sciences.

USANA’s Macro-Optimizers are a range of convenient, Low-Glycemic food- and meal replacements that provide high quality carbohydrates, protein and fat in the right ratio, which make it easy for busy people to still make good food choices and they are delicious!

USANA’s Macro-Optimizers help people with effective and safe weight loss, maintaining
a healhty physique.
USANA’s 12-Week RESET Weight Management Program is based on the Macro-Optimizers. You can find this RESET Program by visiting: www.nutrobalance2.net

USANA’s Nutrimeal is a low GI formulated meal replacement drink and a quality source of protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and many micro nutrients. Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain some types of dietary fiber provide many health benefits.
Each serving of Nutrimeal contains 8 grams of dietary fiber.
They come in three different flavors: Dutch Chocolate, French Vanilla and Wild Strawberry.

USANA’s Nutrition Bars comes in Chocolate Fusion and Peanut Butter Crunch. You can find them by visiting: http://nutrobalance.usana.com

The human body is designed for activity. The coach potato lifestyle of the vast majority of our society during the last century has been an unnatural phenomenon.

Physical activity was a regular feature of our ancestors. However, due to the change in lifestyle from agriculturalists to an industrialized and sedentary lifestyle, there has been
a corresponding shift in our physical make up.

The benefits of physical activity in order to improve our body’s functioning and composition can’t be underestimated.
Regular physical exercise results in the following beneficial effects:

1. It elevates your metabolism,which means: you burn more calories and more body fat.
As a result, you slow down the natural physical decline that normally starts to occur around the age of 30.

2. It increases your aerobic capacity,
your fitness level, and muscular endurance.
This will enable you to have more energy and enthusiasm during the day.You will also achieve more because your body is more ‘fatigue-resistant’.

3. It maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscles.
This prevents muscle atrophy (wasting), which is considered a typical part of aging.
Not only does a strong, toned body look great but it also gives you greater confidence and makes daily physical tasks easier and improves your health.

4. It reduces heart disease risk.
As little as one hour of walking each week  can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.
The more vigorous the exercises, the smaller the change of heart disease risk. It reduces blood pressure by promoting the production of prostacyclin and nitric oxide.

5. It reduces diabetes risk.
Exercise promotes the uptake of glucose by body cells as well as increases the sensitivity of cell receptors to insulin.
This means the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is reduced. If you already have Type 2 diabetes, exercise is a great way to control the symptoms and lower the risk of developing serious complications.

6. It improves mental health.
You hear people often say that exercise makes them feel good and there is evidence to suggest that it may even fight clinical depression better than drugs. It has this effect by increasing the production of natural opiates in the body (these are endorphins
– the ‘feel good hormones).

7. It Slows down some effects of aging.
People are constantly searching for the ‘fountain of youth’, and now there is strong evidence to suggest that exercise is part of the answer.

8. It increases the level of HDL ( high-density lipoprotein), ‘the good cholesterol’. Regular exercise increases the level of HDL in the bloodstream, particularly if combined with a sound nutritional plan.

9. It reduces the risk of death from leading causes.
There is an inverse correlation between physical fitness and premature death from leading causes.
Finnish researchers reported that poor physical fitness is as serious a risk factor as other well-known causes, such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

10. It increases heart efficiency and lowers the heart rate.
Exercise increases stroke volume ( the amount of blood pumped by the heart each beat), making it easier for the heart to send oxygen and nutrients around the body. This is why people who are fit have a low resting heart rate.

11. It reduces the risk of developing osteoporosis.
It appears that weight-bearing exercise is far more important than calcium intake when it comes to reducing osteoporosis risk. Since weight-bearing exercise places stress on bones, it forces them to adapt by increasing their density.

12. It reduces the risk of developing many forms of cancer.
Exercise has been shown in a number of studies to reduce the risk of developing a variety of cancers.

13. It reduces the pain associated with pregnancy.
Pain is often due to additional stress on the muscles and joints of the body weight gain and redistribution.
A well-designed exercise program may reduce these symptoms.

14. It reduces ulcer risk.
Ulcers are often caused by infection with H.pylori bacreria (which dwell in the intestines of half the world’s population), resulting from stress and poor eating habits.
Exercise may reduce ulcer risk by helping the body deal with the tress more effectivily, reducing the production of stomach acid and enhancing immune system function.

15. INcreases the number of red blood cells and their oxygen-carrying capacity.
Exercise causes the body to increase red blood cell numbers as well as haemoglobin concentrations (haemoglobin is the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen).
This makes the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the body cells much easier.

16. It increases the production of new blood vessels in the heart  and other muscles.
Any stress placed on the body forces it to respond and adapt. Physical stress from resistance training forces the muscles and bones to become thicker and stronger,
whylst physical stress from aerobic exercise forces the heart and lungs
( the cardiorespiratiry system), to become more efficient and to increase in volume.

17. It improves sleep patterns.
People who exercise regularly sleep more soundly and restfully.

18. It increases cartilage thickness.
Exercise increases the mobility of joints. This has a protective effect on the joints by increasing the production of cartilage cells and thereby reducing arthritic pain.

19. It increases blood flow to the skin.
This not only makes the skin look and feel healthier but improves circulation as well. This is certainly beneficial for diabetics, because they tend to have very poor circulation.

20. It increases alertness.
Whenever exercise is performed, hormones called catecholamines are produced by the body.  Catecholamines assist fat loss and stimulate the central nervous system, helping to keep you more alert.

21. It improves pasture.
Weight training improves pasture by strengthening the muscles of the torso, particularly the muscles involved in stabilising the spine.

22. It improves immune system functioning.
Weight training enhances the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells in the body.

23. It gives relief from mental stress.
The catecholamines produced from mental stress( they are produced in response to both physical and mental stress), are burned up during muscle contractions.

24. It reduces lower back pain and the risk of lower back injury.
This is achieved by increasing abdominal and lower back muscle strength, increasing hamstring flexibility and also lower back muscle flexibility.

25. It maintains good overall function of the body.
Regular physical activity maintains healthy functioning and structure of the body.

Hundreds of thousands artificial chemicals have been unleashed,
of which approx 75,000  are in common use around the world, with
more than 3,500 used in food processing.Every year,
half a billion kg of pesticide are deposited into the environment.

The pesticide contamination is so widespread that DDT residues
are found in penguins at the South Pole, thousands of kilometers
from where the pesticide was applied and its metabolites have
been found in most of the samples of human and animal tissues
ever tested.
Toxic chemicals have been found in wild animals, in the oceans, in
our drinking water, in our homes, in soils and in women’s breast milk.

“It has been almost impossible for governments to control this industrial
bonanza and we are now living in a world without meaningful controls
over toxic chemicals,” according to Eve Hillary, author of “Children of
a toxic harvest.”
Nor do we have much idea about the combined effects (Synergy)
of the different chemicals. In which the combination may be far more
toxic than any of the originals alone.

When we consider that most of these chemicals accumulate in our
fatty tissues and that the brain is high in fat, the potential for harm
from prolonged exposure is very high.

Although nobody can avoid some degree of contamination, a lot
unnecessary use of chemicals can be avoided.
Minimizing exposure to chemicals can make the difference between
health and a nightmare of difficult to explain symptoms.

When we avoid the chemicals that we can avoid, our bodies are
probably be able to cope with the chemicals, we can’t avoid.
We need to exercise as much care as we possibly can to avoid
coming into daily contact with the chemicals that are forced upon us.

Man-made, synthetic or artificial chemicals are technically called
xenobiotic, this means they are foreign to life.
They effect the energy production of every cell in our body and
thereby effecting every system, in particular our immune system.

The consequences may be allergies,chronic fatique syndrome,
multiple chemical sensitivities, infertility, birth defect, artery disease,
stroke, cancer and other conditions.

In general, toxic chemicals produce free radicals, highly destructive
molecules, which cause tissue damage and eventually result in
above mentioned degenerative diseases.

It is no surprise that the increasing number of chemicals cause a
decline in the general health of populations around the world.
One in three Australians get cancer during their lifetime and one
in four die from it.

There is now evidence from a Danish study that the overall
intelligence of school children is decreasing.

According to a 1994 Worksafe Australia study, out of 2,700 death
in Australia each year from work related causes, about 2,200 death
are the results of cancers caused by chemical exposure at work.

   13th edition

The Function of Enzymes

The different kind of food we eat (starches, fats and proteins) are all converted into blood sugar by the chemistry of the body. In the various stages of digestion, these foods undergo different treatment  before being broken down into their simple constituents by the action of enzymes (ferments).
read it all….

Sports Medicine / Fitness The latest sports medicine and fitness research from prestigious universities and journals throughout the world.

Nutrition

Top 10 healthy snacks

Guide to planning your next snack attack.

April, 2015

The different kind of food we eat (starches, fats and proteins) are all converted into blood sugar by the chemistry of the body. In the various stages of digestion, these foods undergo
different treatment before being broken down into their simple constituents by the
action of enzymes (ferments).

For example, the starchy and sugary foods are first acted upon by the salivary juices
in the mouth, which contain a ferment called ptyalin, whereas the fats are first dealt with
in the stomach, where they are acted upon by pepsin and converted into peptone,
the next step in a complicated digestive process.

The proteins, in the early stages of digestion, are dealt with similarly to fats, but the
gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid and various enzymes that are essential for
the digestion of proteins. In its late stages, the digestion of protein foods differs widely
from that of fatty foods.

The major portion of the digestive process does not occur in the stomach at all,but in the small intestine, where secretions from the liver, pancreas and intestinal mucosa ensure
the splitting of foods into substances that can readily be absorbed by the bloodstream.

The Role of Vitamins in Digestion
When there is a lack of vitamin B1 in the diet, there are less vigorous contractions
of the stomach, which in turn causes food to be improperly mixed with the gastric juice.
Moreover, hydrochloric acid is secreted in smaller amounts then are required for the
digestion of protein foods, or may be entirely absent. As a result, the partly-digested
food leads to the formation of gas, which gives rise to gas pains, flatulence, belching
and other unpleasant symptoms of indigestion.

Thorough mastication of foods is essential to good digestion,and also aids the
enjoyment of food flavors.

Experiments conducted at the well-known Mayo Foundation, U.S.A., as related in
Vitality through Planned Nutrition by Adelle Davis, revealed that four young women
who lived on diets almost lacking in vitamin B1 for 21 weeks developed digestive disturbances, gas pains and constipation.
IN addition, they became anaemic, were nervous, irritable, and unable to sleep well.

The need for an adequate intake of vitamin B1 to guard against digestive upsets, etc.,
should require no emphases.

The danger of sodium bicarbonate and alkalinizers is that they neutralize
the normal secretion of hydrochloric acid and also destroy vitamins B1, B2 and C, with
perhaps other vitamins in the B group in addition.

When there is a reason to suspect an abnormal secretion of hydrochloric acid, which
can of course give rise to stomach ulcer, steps must be taken to adopt a diet that consists
of  80% alkaline foods. Theses are diluted fruit juices, fruits, both fresh and cooked,
salad vegetables and cooked vegetables, milk and dried fruits.
Meat should be entirely omitted from the diet for a time and such foods as eggs, cheese,
fish, bread and concentrated starches and sugars reduced to no more than 20% of
the daily  diet.