<![CDATA[Blog]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/ Thu, 27 Feb 2020 17:54:05 +0000 Zend_Feed http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss <![CDATA[Reducing body fat and increasing muscle tone]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/ShreddAndIncrease/ Reducing body fat and increasing muscle tone

 

Do you want to do (what is apparently) the impossible? Gain muscle and reduce body fat? In the fitness world we call that body re-composition. You can do that by following these 5 steps:

1. Lower calories and portion sizes

When you eat more calories than what you use, you put on weight (unless you have tape worms or something….).

To maintain your weight you must eat the number of calories that match your output. To shred or reduce body fat, you must eat less calories than what you would usually maintain your weight on.

To build muscle, the macronutrient you must stay on top of is protein: many of my clients struggle to reach the correct amount of protein during the day and without having adequate protein on a re-composition diet (or any diet), the place your body grabs protein from is your muscles. A convenient way to add between 25-30g of protein to your diet is to add a protein powder to your breakfast in the form of protein powder to your cooked oats, or as a smoothie. This will up your protein intake for the day and ensure you’re not missing out on some fat burning potential of having extra muscle.

One option when it comes to gainers is to have a mass gainer (hear me out here). Right after your workout is when you are least likely to put on body fat: and why not bolster that anabolic window by having a lean gainer like Ultimate Nutrition IsoMass Extreme Gainer or Metabolic Nutrition Musclean. This is the time that the right balance of essential fats, a little bit of carbohydrate and protein is paramount. If you’re doing body re-composition consider maybe half of a serve of one of these so that you can allocate more calories to food (which will be limited).

If meal portion sizes are the issue, let us take the hassle out of preparing food. We have Core meals in a variety of flavours, each balanced with high protein, low carb options and low fat options and each between 250-500 calories per meal! The RRP is $6.99 and with the exclusive AAA supplement price, you pay $6.00! You can collect these in store and be all set for the week!

To monitor your calories, perhaps try using MyFitnessPal, a free app from UnderArmour and input your food for a few days to see where you are lacking when it comes to protein, fat and carbohydrate. The app even allows you to scan the barcode of your food to input it. How’s that for convenience?

2. work out and move a bit more

If you’re stuck for workout ideas, try out a fitness class: local gyms and studios often offer classes like BodyPump; bodyattack; and other strength and HIIT style classes.

To do a body re-composition or to shed body fat, you’ll need to ensure you do a combination of both strength and cardiovascular training so make sure you don’t favour one over the other.

Cardio training will help keep your heart healthy and help you recover better between your main lifts faster.

Strength training will stimulate your muscles to grow and help you build the shape you’re after. You’ll either need a gym or some heavy objects to throw around at home for this. We can help with lifting belts, straps and wrist wraps.

3. Sleep well

If you don’t have adequate sleep, it is almost impossible to shed body fat. Eight hours sleep is essential to help your body repair. You’ll also feel hungrier if you don’t get enough sleep. Lack of sleep increases the hunger hormone, making you more likely to cheat on your diet.

Quality is just as important as quality so a great investment is a sleep supplement that will get you into a deep, restful and restorative sleep sooner. This will maximise those hours in bed.

4. Drink lots of water

You need to be drinking at least 3 litres or more of water: you need water for all of the processes in your body. Give your body a hand and make it easy to get some energy from your fat by drinking water.

If the taste of water is too, well, watery. Try out some of our BCAAs or Amino acids. These will also ensure that you are hydrated and have a constant stream of amino acids during the day too.

5. Try some supplements to reduce stubborn fat

CLA and L-Carnitine will work synergistically to help you use fat as a fuel source and helps to move more fatty acids into your cells to be burned for energy. CLA is usually found in pork and actually helps you lose more fat from around your mid section.

A nutrient partitioner would also come in handy to increase your insulin absorption and reduce the likelihood that you would store fat from eating carbohydrates. Some examples of these would be Glycolog or Slinmax

A greens supplement: not having enough micronutrients might be the one reason that you are not losing body fat. When you’re eating less calories, sometimes you might not be having enough micronutrients since the volume of food will be less.

A fat burner is also worth considering as it can do any or all of these:

-         Reduce appetite

-         Increase your energy

-         Use fat as a fuel

-         Increase your thermogenesis (so make you feel warmer to increase your metabolism)

We ALSO stock Anabolic Labs and BodyRipped Sports Nutrition’s range of performance enhancers. Check them out if you have perhaps tried everything and need another option.

Alternatively, you can come into one of our stores to talk to our knowledgeable staff.

]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2019 10:08:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Creatine - The how, what and why!]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/creatine_20190224/ Creatine

You might be intrigued by creatine: but do you know why you should be considering creatine?
Creatine is probably one of the most researched, most effective and probably the cheapest supplement to help your performance.

creatine

How does it work?
Creatine helps you to be stronger and more powerful, with even more muscle tone. You can lift more in your session and your muscles can tolerate more intensity of training. That means that you will be able to achieve more from the same amount of training time! Better still, creatine helps you to recover faster and fight fatigue(2).

The creatine that our body already uses is all derived from our food: like meat and fish(3). The body makes creatine from arginine and glycine. Sometimes it’s hard to get more of something without a downside, and that is that you’d have to eat lots more meat and fish (so more calories). How can you do that without gaining fat? Well you can supplement with creatine! By having extra supplemented creatine, you won’t shut down any processes in the body: the body makes creatine from arginine and glycine.

The primary way the body makes energy is part of the creatine cycle. Creatine works on the energy cycle called the ATP-PC (Adenosine Triphosphate Phosphocreatine) cycle(1). When creatine levels in the muscle are depleted, your energy is severely decreased. Once you have creatine, it is stored in your muscle to be ready and available to assist with your power, strength, explosive strength and muscle endurance. Apparently your memory and information processing can even be significantly improved from creatine supplementation(4).

You have 2 options for taking creatine:
a. you can saturate your muscles with creatine which is increasing the dose by 2-3 times for 5 days and the effects will be immediate
   or
b. You can await saturation by taking the stated dose (usually 5g) and you’ll notice your strength increase in 2 weeks.

If you do choose “a”, spread the dose over a few intakes as sometimes your gut will not be ready for such a high dose.
Some people cycle with creatine with 12 weeks on and some time off, but there are no studies to support whether this is best. Any water retention in excess should dissipate within the first 2 weeks of daily use.

Timing:
According to best research it doesn’t matter which time of the day that you have creatine. However, the best way to ensure it is absorbed well is to ingest it with some carbohydrates! Post workout is great for this.
At AAA there are a number of excellent choices when it comes to creatine.

Just click here to find out our selection!

AAA CREATINES

References:
(1). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10609446
(2). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9298778?dopt=Abstract
(3). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12750586?dopt=Abstract
(4). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1691485/pdf/14561278.pdf

]]> Sun, 24 Feb 2019 07:31:05 +0000 <![CDATA[Before You Speak Cupcakes]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/bys-cupcakes/
This is an amazing recipe. A big thank you to the guys at Before You Speak for this one
Make sure to check out their Instagram page for more great recipes and more awesome content @beforeyouspeakcoffee


INGREDIENTS:
50g buckwheat flour, or flour of choice.
30g almond meal
100g plain greek yoghurt
1 large egg, cracked and whisked
50ml egg whites (I use @pureggandlifeplus )
20g honey, or sweetener of choice.
1-2 tsp each; cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg.
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 sachet of Before You Speak coffee Cinnamon Spice

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius, fan-forced.
2. ln a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Whisk through the egg, egg whites, Greek yoghurt and honey and continue stirring until all ingredients are combined.
4. Pour batter across 5 muffin holes and bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Devour one while it's warm, or allow to cool before frosting.

Makes: 5 large muffins

Macros: 122 calories, 4F/14C/8P BeforeYouSpeakCupcakes.jpg]]> Sun, 10 Feb 2019 02:42:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Protein Ice Cream]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/proteinicecream/
This is too good not to share with all of you!

If you've been finding it too hard to stomach your protein shake during the heatwaves, this might just be your saving grace!

INGREDIENTS:
Dymatize ISO 100
Ice Cubes (you can freeze almond milk if you prefer)
Stevia
Unsweetened Almond Milk

Optional:
Oatmeal
Banana
Peanut Butter
Raisins
Crushed Almonds


Shop ISO100 Protein from Dymatize and thanks to @arash_rahbar from the dymatize team for this recipe.

Tell us in the comments what your favourite ice cream flavour is
]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2019 06:07:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Peanut Butter Protein Rice Puff Treats]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/pbproteinricetreats/
Whenever i have time I like to get as creative as possible in the kitchen to make some awesome protein treats. I'm really proud of this one and I'm excited to share it with the AAA fitfam.

This is definitely my best recipe yet!



INGREDIENTS:
4 cups Freedom Foods gluten free rice puff cereal
1/2 cup sugar free maple syrup
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
5g Psyllium Husk (for some added fiber)
1/2 cup Hydroxy Ripp (Vanilla flavour)
I made my own healthy chocolate for the topping, however I might use Vitawerx chocolate next time..
A pinch of salt

METHOD:
1. Pour rice puffs into a large bowl. Add sugar free maple syrup, Peanut Butter, Hyrdroxy Ripp and salt.
2. Combine (I used my hand to kneed it all together like dough)
3. Spoon batter into a prepared baking dish. Spread evenly into a pan with a spatula.
4. If using chocolate, spread melted chocolate over the top evenly.
5. Set in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Once the rice puffs have set, you can chomp away at your delicious rice puff treats!
Just make sure to keep them refrigerated.
]]> Mon, 04 Feb 2019 04:57:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Chocolate Protein Cookies]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/chocproteincookies/
Do you ever have those days where you just need a sweet fix and nothing will satisfy without ruining your diet or week of hard work training?

Well now you won't have to fear as Ehp Labs is here to rescue you with their Oxywhey Protein cookies. All you'll need is 15 minutes and (some) patience as you make the tastiest (not so bad for you) cookies!



INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 Cups (280g) Rolled Oats
3/4 Cup Natural Sweetener
3 Ounces (85g) Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt
5 Scoops (120g) OxyWhey Delicious Chocolate Protein!
2 Large Eggs
1/2 Avocado
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup (245g) Unsweetened Appled Sauce
2 Tbsp (32g) Sugar Free Chocolate Syrup
10 Tbsp (50g) Cocoa Powder
2 Tsp Baking Powder


METHOD:
1. Blend 2 cups of rolled oats until it looks like flour
2. Add the rest of your ingredients (aside from the 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats into your food processor
3. Blend everything together!
4. Add the 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats and spoon mix them in
5. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray then spoon batter onto the baking sheet, making your cookies however big you want them
6. Bake at 176°C/350°F for 10-15 minutes
7. Devour! You can also add in your choice of toppings (raisins, nuts, white choc chips, peanut butter chips etc) on top of your cookies

cookies.jpg

]]> Wed, 30 Jan 2019 03:36:31 +0000 <![CDATA[Beta Alanine - the tingles]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/betaalanine/ You know that tingly feeling you get when you have a pre workout? That’s the feeling that Beta Alanine, or CarnoSyn can have on some people. (If you don’t like the tingles, you can drink your beta alanine slower, and make sure you don’t have it on an empty stomach!)

But what can beta alanine do for you, and why should you consider taking it?

Beta alanine is an amino acid and is considered to be non-essential. (Some amino acids are essential, some conditionally essential and some non-essential). Here at AAA supplements, we would like you to understand why you might like to consider it essential for your workout! Structurally, beta-alanine is a cross between the neurotransmitters glycine and GABA.

Beta Alanine/ CarnoSyn is considered to increase levels of carnosine in the muscle and therefore increase the amount of effort that you can do at high workloads. Beta Alanine can be produced in one of three ways: the breakdown of dipeptides; the byproduct of alanine to pyruvate; and it can be formed during digestion when intestinal microbes remove a carbon atom from L-aspartate, releasing both beta-alanine and CO2. When you take Beta Alanine, it passes from the bloodstream to the skeletal muscle via a transporter that depends upon sodium and chloride. When it enters the muscle cell it forms the dipeptide carnosine. That’s the cool part: beta alanine is actually the rate-limiter for carnosine synthesis. When you supplement with beta alanine, muscle carnosine significantly increases, and that’s not just limited to certain people. Although there are occasionally non-responders to creatine, everyone tested responds to beta alanine. Higher levels of carnosine in muscle can be found after just 5 weeks of supplementation (just over half), and after 10 weeks it increases by 80 percent! Increasing carnosine (a powerful antioxidant) works in two ways:
1. it is a way to reduce muscle fatigue. When pH levels drop, forget doing an extra rep in your set.
2. Bigger concentrations of carnosine are linked with having a high percentage of type 2 fast twitch muscle. So sprinters, and people with lots of muscle have greater levels of carnosine.


What Are The Sources Of Beta-Alanine?

Beta alanine usually comes from your food. Most comes after digestion of animal proteins: so it is no surprise that you’ll find that in just 5 weeks of a vegetarian diet that carnosine is lower in the muscle than carnivores or omnivores.


What can it do for my performance?

Beta alanine can assist in short-to-medium duration high-intensity muscle performance, so bouts of longer than 60s. Four weeks of six grams per day of beta-alanine increased the punch force of amateur boxers by an amazing 20 times. Cyclists also had significant improvement in all out cycle tests of four minutes in both the first minute and last minute after dosing with beta alanine.


When Should I Take It?

There is an immediate stimulant response to taking Beta Alanine and for that reason it’s often good to take it pre workout, but the greatest effects are seen in taking it daily from the increase in the muscle carnosine concentration over time. So take it daily! The dose response to beta-alanine increases exponentially over time because of the long clearance time of elevated muscle carnosine concentrations. Once you build up your carnosine concentration with beta-alanine, those elevated levels have been shown to drop by just two percent every two weeks after you cease supplementing.


How Should I Combine It?

CREATINE: If you aren’t interested in combining beta alanine with creatine, think again and read what creatine can do here. Creatine and beta alanine are synergists so not only are you stronger, but you recover better to increase your work volume. Increasing work volume ultimately means that you get more done in the same length of time and therefore quicker gains in a shorter amount of time.

TAURINE: Another good one to combine is taurine: very important for neuromuscular, cognitive and lung function. Beta alanine and taurine compete for pathways, and the concentration of one effects the other. If you increase one of these two without the other, it may lead to neurological and neuromuscular decreases in performance. Another suggestion if you are training for sports would be to consider BCAAs, glutamine, Omega 3, and maybe citrulline.


Should I cycle it?

Cycle beta alanine if you do not have taurine in your other supplements. If you do not supplement with taurine, cycle 4-9 weeks on Beta alanine and to 4-9 weeks off as the effects of beta alanine supplementation after saturation in the muscle remains elevated for at least 4 weeks after supplementation. Since we do not yet know whether there is a dose dependant increase to power output in muscle carnosine concentrations (i.e does 80% concentration have a rate dependent effect higher than 50%), or whether it is helpful to cycle beta alanine after a certain muscle carnosine concentration, it’s unclear whether it is most beneficial to stay on beta alanine long term or cycle it. I personally tend to have it long term in my supplement regime and take 1-2 full days off a week, plus take it off for my deload week every 6 weeks.


Can you have side effects?

You might recall feeling pins and needles in your neck or arms the first time you tried a pre-workout supplement that contained beta-alanine. On your first intake, these pins and needles can last up to 90 minutes. If pins and needles are a concern, simply limit initial consumption to no more than about 800-1200 mg of beta-alanine, every 3-4 hours, for the first four weeks. This will be sufficient to derive the supplement's performance benefits and your reaction to its use. You can also consider having beta alanine with food, as every dose of beta alanine simply adds to muscle carnosine concentration levels.


Who should take Beta Alanine?

Anyone looking to increase their performance, especially women, vegetarians and hard gainers! Check your pre workout for Beta Alanine, or make sure you supplement exogenously with beta alanine. ]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2019 03:02:01 +0000 <![CDATA[Is protein powder artificial? Is it just for serious athletes?]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/protein/ If you’re confused about protein powder and ask whether it is only for “serious lifters” or whether it is just for athletes, read on!
Key benefits:
  • better intensity in workouts
  • better recovery from your workout
  • better results from your session
  • helps you to achieve your protein goals

Know your whey: First of all, protein powder comes into many different forms and that depends on the source.
Whey protein powder comes from milk and can be described as a concentrate, isolate or a hydro isolate (the latter of which have less lactose). Isolates and hydroisolates are like the Rolls-Royce of whey proteins, they are faster absorbed and rapidly acting. Concentrates are all purpose (great for mixing into breakfast, baking, cooking, and of course drinking), are very fast absorbed and tend to be slightly more economical. Vegan protein powder comes from plant sources such as pea protein, rice protein, soy protein etc. Great as a vegan alternative to whey protein.

Casein Protein powder comes from milk as a by-product in the cheese manufacture process. It is a slow release protein and tends to be favoured by consumers as a late night snack as it releases a steady stream of amino acids into the blood and this can be useful when you are unable to eat because you are asleep, and do not want to have a large solid meal before bed time.

Is protein powder artificial? People have been using whey for centuries. Think Little Miss Muffet, along with her curds she ate (what….?) Whey! Curds and whey. Whey is a high protein food which is not only a complete protein because whey contains all of the amino acids which are considered essential for the human diet, but it is also antimicrobial, highly bioavailable and the aminos in whey are absorbed faster by the body than an egg4.

Since whey (and vegan protein powder) is rapidly absorbed by the body, it is a great option prior to a workout3. When you are looking for great performance in the gym, the last thing you want is the majority of your blood to be in your digestive system instead of in your muscles. Since solid food can take 4-12 hours to digest, a faster absorbing protein can be a great option1. Often a protein shake and a light piece of fruit, such as an apple or a plum will be a great option to get you the intensity you need from your workout when consumed in the

Likewise after a workout, you might consider having (vegan/whey) protein powder. Post workout, your muscles have been destroyed by the gym. The muscle repairs after your gym workout. When your body doesn’t have enough protein, it cannot manufacture protein from carbohydrate or fat as both lack the nitrogen molecule which is required to make amino acid protein. Therefore if there isn’t enough protein available at the time then the body has to use the muscle protein from your own body to repair! That means less potential for you to build that metabolically more active muscle, which will help you get stronger, leaner and look more toned2. If you eat food right after you workout, solid food can take 4-12 hours to be broken into amino acids in order to repair the muscle, and valuable “repair energy” is being put into digestion rather than muscle repair2. Whey/vegan protein is a smaller molecule which requires less energy to be digested as a few of the digestive processes have already occurred (physical size of protein powder is already broken down into smaller particles for ease of digestion)1.



Basically whey/casein protein is another form of food: it isn’t an artificial protein as it is derived from milk (or vegan protein powder from plants). Those who might consider taking protein powder are not just athletes but instead people who are searching for a convenient option to help them achieve their protein intake, or people who want to get more bang for their buck in their workout with better performance in their session3, better result from your workout, and better recovery1. Some more reasons that you might opt to have a whey protein powder is because it is low fat (fat slows down digestion), it is low carbohydrate (for those who are limiting carbohydrate intake), and it is more convenient than carrying around a similar amount of say chicken breast (25g would be about 85g of cooked chicken breast). Click here for some of our top picks when it comes to protein powder!



1. West DW, Burd NA, Coffey VG, Baker SK, Burke LM, Hawley JA, Moore DR, Stellingwerff T, Phillips SM. Rapid aminoacidemia enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis and anabolic intramuscular signaling responses after resistance exercise. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Sep;94(3):795-803. Epub 2011 Jul 27. 2. NBJ’s Sports Nutrition and Weight Loss Report 2007-2008. Nutrition Business Journal. Boulder CO. New Hope Natural Media, January 2008. 3. Paul GL. The rationale for consuming protein blends in sports nutrition. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009 Aug;28 Suppl:464S-472S. Review. 4. Boirie Y, Dangin M, Gachon P, Vasson MP, Maubois JL, Beaufrère B. Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5. ]]> Fri, 30 Nov 2018 03:51:10 +0000 <![CDATA[Glutamine for gains]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/GlutamineForGains_20161125/ Is Glutamine Really Worth It?

You may have spoken to seasoned gym goers about the supplements they take and their response is probably a list something like "protein shake, pre-workout, BCAAs and glutamine". Glutamine is an amino acid readily found and available in many of our food sources of protein, in fact is thought to be one of the most important amino acids which is why supplementation may be required if demand for it has increased ie - heavy and frequent resistance training.

Glutamine impacts positively in our bodies by:

  • working with other aminos such as BCAAs, contributing to muscle growth and recovery
  • neutralizes blood acidity levels - good news if you suffer from lactic acid build up days after a hard training session
  • is a key ingredient for brain hormones to help us focus and concentrate - to help you really get your mind into your training
  • repairing stomach and intestinal lining - which means better digestive capacity and increased absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream

As a nutritionist, glutamine often forms part of my initial treatment plan for clients as nearly every person I see has some form of gastrointestinal or mood complaint. But it is also a crucial component of my prescription for athletes as the more physical and mental stress a person demands of their body, the more glutamine is required.

Research by the National Strength and Conditioning Association tested the effects of glutamine supplementation on body composition and performance in athletes. It found that after just 8 weeks, athletes lean body mass (muscle growth and fat loss) had increased significantly and muscle power efficiency had also improved. Who wouldn't like that result?

So how do you implement it into your supplement regime and which is the best product to go for?

Amino acids help with absorption and use of other aminos so you can add pure glutamine to your complete protein shakes throughout the day. Most research suggests the therapeutic dose is between 5-10g per day.  You can split this up into 2 serves eg. morning and post-workout.

Most glutamine supplements are pure, unflavoured and a high quality. Glutamine mostly dissolves in water, one of the single aminos that will, (you'll know what I mean if you've ever tried to mix pure creatine monohydrate in water...)

So why not add glutamine to your regime and see how it can improve your training performance and muscle recovery!

Ones we recommend:

  • EHP Labz Glutamine
  • Optimum Nutrition Glutamine Powder


These will give you gram for gram dose and are both the 'active' form, most recognised by your body, (L-glutamine).

Follow me on Facebook 'Melanie Palmer' and Instagram @melanie.pt for training tips and whole food recipes!

Melanie Palmer


BHSc Nutritional Medicine, Personal Trainer/Coach

]]> Fri, 25 Nov 2016 10:50:00 +0000 <![CDATA[Weight Loss Plan]]> https://www.aaasupplements.com.au/blog/weightlossplan/ best-weight-loss-plan-melanie-palmer-large.jpg For many people, losing weight is a struggle. It is the number one goal for majority of my personal training and nutrition clients, but when I ask them "why haven't you been able to achieve this goal in the past?" they usually reply, "I don't know how! I don't know where to start!" Sound familiar? You're not alone! There is so much confusing information out there about nutrition, how do we decide what's best for us? Focus in on the following 6 rules and let's have a look at the basics. The more muscle you have, the more fat you burn so focus your training on muscle gain or 'hypertrophy' training. Whether male or female, if you want your metabolism to work faster, you need more muscle so don't be afraid to lift weights. Ask trainers at your gym if you need help. Ladies, lifting weights does not make you look bulky! We simply don't make enough testosterone to stack on muscle quickly. Resistance training (in combination with changes to your diet-we'll get to that) will help strip the layer of fat off the top of your muscles, making you look toned and defined. Limit processed food-processed foods such as cakes, biscuits, pastry, chips, lollies, chocolates etc not only contain high amounts of quick digesting sugars (which in excess you will store as fat!) but also processed fats which in the long term may cause damage to your heart among other issues! These foods also probably contain chemical preservatives and additives which our bodies recognise as toxins which also cause all sorts of damage to our organs as well as making us feel sluggish and lacking in motivation. So, we want to stick to foods that have been minimally processed or not at all, we call these foods 'whole foods' as they are pretty much farm to our plate, as close to its natural state as possible. Thermogenic effect of food - you may not have heard of this trick for burning fat stores. This flows on from the limiting of processed food. As discussed previously, the more processed, the faster and easier the digestion. Opposite on that spectrum is food that your body has to work really hard at digesting! These foods take time to digest-keeping you feeling fuller for longer, stabilises blood sugar levels and providing a slow sustained release of energy over time rather than a big hit, (followed by a big crash which will leave you looking for a Mar's bar to pick your sugars up again!!) These foods also require energy to digest-this means you're burning calories without even trying! Again, these are whole foods!! Clean, unprocessed, no preservatives/ additives and as close to the natural state as possible. Supplementation is an important addition to your whole foods dietary intake. You would have heard that protein is the most important macro-nutrient for muscle building so starting with a protein powder supplement for post-workout is a great place to start. Look for one with low sugar, to lose fat we need to limit our sugar intake. Again, all the information out there can make it confusing to make an informed choice so pop into AAA Supplements store to have a chat with the staff who can help you understand which the best protein powder for you, there isn't one protein supplement that suits everyone. There are many other supplements to assist you in your weight loss goal, coming blogs will delve into more detail regarding these so stay tuned! Planning- you have to meal prep! When you're planning your meals, start with the protein source, add a source of 'good fats' then the rest of the meal can be carbohydrates. Have a look at the table below for ideas of healthy choices when you' re figuring out your meals. Portion sizes and frequency of meals is trial and error for most people, especially if you're used to eating only once or twice a day. PROTEIN FATS CARBOHYDRATES fish - salmon, barramundi, tuna avocado sweet potato red meat - beef, kangaroo, veal, pork in the form of steak or mince nuts - almonds, cashews, pine nuts, macadamias, peanuts, walnuts green vegetables - broccoli, beans, snow peas, asparagus, green beans plus leafy greens like spinach, kale and mixed lettuces poultry - chicken or turkey in the form of breast or thigh fillet or mince seeds - chia, pumkin, sunflower root vegetables - carrots, beets, parsnips, radishes eggs coconut oil and butter for cooking meats grains - rice and quinoa beans and legumes - chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils dairy - full fat cheese, yogurt and milk or milk alternatives such as almond, oat and coconut fruit - bananas, berries, apples, citrus, stone fruit and kiwi Some whole foods contain more than 1 macro-nutrient such as beans and legumes also contain carbs and dairy/dairy alternatives also contain protein. There are many more whole foods to explore, the above list is just a starting point. Explore the outside walls of the supermarket, this is where they keep most of the whole foods! There are many isles in the supermarket you don’t need to go down! Ratios of our 3 marco-nutrients, (proteins, fats and carbs) is different for everyone and depends on too many factors for me to give you a generic formula but when you're starting out on your new healthy lifestyle, I recommend you don't bother with tracking macros and counting calories, that can come later. At the beginning, keep it simple by concentrating on feeding your body whole, clean foods combined with resistance training in your exercise routine, you should feel a massive difference in your performance, mood and motivation within only a few weeks. Lastly... Consistency and patience - this does not happen overnight so at the start take time to figure out what's actually going to be able to be maintained as part of your lifestyle, not just for a 'summer bod' because you all know what's going to happen after summer when you go back to eating the way you were! No matter your goal, you have to work for it every day. You may go off your plan for a dinner out with friends or family, and that's ok! Enjoy the occasional night out, take away or ice cream date because you know tomorrow you'll be back on the wagon, pushing towards your goals! weight-loss-by-melanie-palmer.png If you have any questions about training and nutrition, I am at the Knox store 11-3:30 every Sunday. Follow me on Facebook ‘Melanie Palmer’ and Instagram @melanie.pt for training tips and whole food recipes! Melanie Palmer BHSc Nutritional Medicine, Personal Trainer/Coach

]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2016 06:14:57 +0000