A Salty Situation

Every now and then you consume a little more of something than you had intended.  Maybe you saw it coming, maybe you didn't, but it happened (or was going to happen) regardless.  This kind of situation is a very common one in the diet world, and honestly, I think it usually falls into one of two categories.  You either eat too much sugar, or too much salt.  The first one I'll discuss in a later article, however I wanted to cover the necessary steps to take if you find yourself overdosing on sodium, as I happened to do this weekend (though somewhat intentionally.)

Now I knew that this weekend I would be training with my coach down in Eliot, Maine for two days, and would be spending the night in the gym.  Not wanting to break the bank on eating out, I decided to pack some food.  I only had one small suitcase, and no cooler or anything like that, so my options were limited.  Not only that, but I'd be training quite hard, therefore I knew I needed quality protein and carbs and PLENTY of each.  Can you guess the most convenient food packing option here?  That's right...CANNED FOOD.  Into my suitcase I threw two giant cans of tuna (10 oz), two giant cans of chicken (also 10 oz), a four pack of 5 oz tuna cans, and a 4 serving can of black beans (I also packed some oatmeal for breakfast, and had a wholelotta whey protein).  Every single one of these foods is AWESOMELY clean and has an epic nutritional profile, except for one little blip, which of course, would be the sodium.  Holy moley, that was a boatload of salt.  Somewhere around 2000 mg per meal if I calculated it correctly.  That's about 85% of my daily recommended intake.  What was I to do in order to battle such a crippling dosage of salt?

Well, the first thing to remember is that you cannot destroy your body (or your diet) in one or two days, no matter what you do.  It just doesn't work like that.  You won't wake up twenty pounds lighter just because you had an awesome workout the day before, and you won't wake up a fat lard the next day if you had one extra slice of cake.  Diets are about long term results, and the same goes for sodium.  Sure, if you consume a lot of it one day by accident, you'll probably retain a lot of water and feel (and look) pretty bloated.  But your heart won't stop, your blood pressure won't skyrocket, and you won't die.  Phew!  Now that we got that out of the way, let's see what I did to minimize the huge salt intake on my body.  

Firstly, if you're going to consume huge portions of salt, you need to consume even larger portions of WATER!  That's right, I probably drank two gallons each of those days.  Drinking more water will actually cause you to retain less, and will also do wonders in helping your kidneys filter out all those extra minerals.  Chug that stuff like there's no tomorrow.  I had at least two bottles of it with every meal (6 meals), as well as two bottles worth in my pre and post workout shakes.  DO NOT STOP DRINKING WATER.  I saw very minimal water retention, and I think drowning myself in the stuff did the trick.  Obviously don't drink past a semi-comfortable level, but don't be afraid to stick your head under the sink and go to town.  

Second thing to do?  Consume more POTASSIUM.  The sodium/potassium ratio in your body is a very important one, and must be respected.  In an ideal situation the ratio should be 1:1, meaning for every milligram of sodium you take in, you should have one milligram of potassium to match it.  The reasoning for this goes down to the cellular level, however without getting too complicated I'll just say that sodium and potassium are both EQUALLY responsible for ensuring proper hydration of your body, and without the correct balance you're in for trouble.  Potassium actually helps regulate the amount of sodium your body retains, so consuming more may ensure that you don't hold on to that crazy salt dosage.  It'll also help combat the hypertension inducing effects of sodium, lowering blood pressure considerably.  No matter your sodium intake, it's usually a good idea to make sure to eat potassium rich foods on a regular basis.  This goes even more-so if you're regularly physically active.  While I suggest whole foods such as bananas for this purpose, another easy way to get more potassium quickly is to consume a sports drink like Powerade or Gatorade (my solution for this weekend.)  

Despite a pile of salty food this weekend, I kept my diet clean and my body happy by counteracting the effects of excess sodium intake.  A little too much salt every now and then is no reason to fret, as long as you don't make it a habit.  Keep conscience of your sodium intake, and take the simple steps listed above in order to ensure it doesn't get out of hand.  

Eat big, train hard, drink LOTS OF WATER!  Good luck!

Pure Pro 50 *Review*

I'm coming to you today with another rave review, this time regarding a pre-packaged protein shake that really impressed me.  This weekend I spent two days in the gym with my coach, working high volume days with pretty heavy loads.  I'd say I worked out for a total of 6-8 hours over those three sessions, and boy was my entire body feeling it after just the first one.  I was spending the night in the gym, and was going to be completely on my own for breakfast.  I knew I needed something protein packed as soon as I woke up to feed my muscles quickly after the crazy double session the previous day, and therefore that night I ran out to the local Rite-Aid and picked out the first protein shake I saw on the shelf.  After taking a quick glance at the nutritional label, I knew I'd come upon something very special.  This product not only has great macros, but tastes fantastic and works like a charm.  Its name?  Pure Pro 50 by ABB.

That next morning, as soon as I woke up, a sore and tired mess, I immediately cracked open this shake and prepared to chug it down (just in case it didn't taste so hot, as some canned shakes can be disgusting.)  But as soon as the first drop glanced across my tongue, I immediately threw all intentions of chugging it out the window, and instead savored this liquid goodness as well as I could.  The shake was thick, creamy, and extremely chocolatey (as it should've been, being the milk chocolate flavor).  I could definitely taste the thick milk used in the ingredients, which was an extremely refreshing change of pace from all the watery protein shakes I've had in the past.  Unfortunately the stuff was gone before I would've liked it to be, but throughout that day I noticed a resurgence of power through all my snatches, clean and jerks, and even my extremely high volume squats at the end of the workout, where I hit 105kg for four triples AFTER a total of 40 reps of varying lighter weights.  Thank goodness for that morning protein fix.

But what exactly had I just consumed?  More specifically, what's in Pure Pro 50 that makes it such an optimal shake for strength athletes?  Well, before I get going on why I love the nutritional breakdown of this shake, let me show you the nutritional label:

12/14.5 Fl. Oz. Bottles Milk Chocolate Serving Size1Bottle(14.5fl oz) Servings Per Container12 Amount Per Serving Calories 250 Calories From Fat 20 % Daily Value* Total Fat 2g 3% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 40mg 13 Sodium 90mg 4 Potassium 490mg 14 Total Carbohydrate 9g 3 Dietary Fiber 3g 12% Sugars 3g Protein 50g Vitamin A 0% Calcium 100% Vitamin C 0% Iron 8% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients Water, Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Concentrate), Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Natural And Artificial Flavors, Cellulose Gel, Sucralose, Cellulose Gum, Acesulfame Potassium, Carrageenan. Allergen Information: Contains Milk Ingredients.

First and foremost, this stuff is PACKED with protein at a whopping 50 grams!  If that doesn't help those tired muscles recover, I don't know WHAT will.  And what I really like about this product is that it gets those proteins from various sources, including a quick digesting whey concentrate and a more slowly digesting milk protein concentrate.  This means that Pure Pro 50 will feed muscles both IMMEDIATELY and over an extended period of time, giving you a more complete recovery.

Second, this stuff is very low in both sugar and total carbohydrates!  I prefer low sugar protein sources, because once you start adding a ton of sugar you start to lose a lot of the support for lean muscle mass, and instead start coaxing your body to start storing some of those simple carbs as fat.  Now I know a lot of people out there say that you need fast acting carbs after a workout in order to force more protein into your muscles, but there have been multiple studies done refuting that claim.  Many EXTREMELY successful athletes don't supplement simple carbs after a workout, and if they do consume carbohydrates, they're usually a more complex carb like waxy maize, oats, or even vegetables (like sweet potatoes!)  You don't need sugar, and I'd much rather live without it.  The low total carbs in this product also promote its usage on low carb diets, and make it a much more versatile option for most people.

And on the subject of carbohydrates, Pure Pro 50 has 3 g of fiber!  That's AWESOME!  The more fiber you can get in your diet, the better.  Fiber helps digestion, allows your body to more effectively use the food it's been given, and helps to keep you lean.  Sweet!

Pure Pro 50 is also very low in sodium, and high in potassium, which is just what you want following a workout.  After working hard, your electrolytes have been severely depleted, and you need a decent dose of potassium to ensure your body can rehydrate effectively.  The fact that Pure Pro 50 takes this into account impresses me greatly.

And finally, Pure Pro 50 is very low in fat, with only 2 total grams, only 1 of which is saturated.  This is a perfect compliment to the average American's diet which is absolutely loaded with saturated fat.  Cut that crap out little by little, and I guarantee you'll like the results.

Now in terms of price, I have to say that these shakes become more fiscally feasible when consumed every now and then as a supplement to your normal protein powder.  They're relatively cheap on their own, but don't really become practical when bought in a 12 pack (like they're commonly sold in.)  It's between 40-50 bux for a 12 pack of Pure Pro 50, where as 4lbs of whey protein powder, which is about 50 servings, is around the same price.  12 vs. 50...hmmmm...I wonder which one I'd choose.

All in all though, Pure Pro 50 is a GREAT alternative to nasty canned shakes that are packed with sugar and lacking on the protein.  It's made with quality ingredients, has a great nutritional profile, is loaded with muscle building protein, and tastes absolutely DELICIOUS.  I would definitely recommend trying the milk chocolate flavor, boy was it yummy.  Who knows, you might get hooked on the stuff.  Thanks Pure Pro 50 for helping me recover from some of the craziest workout sessions of my life.

Biggest Bloat Foods

You work hard to look good, we all know that.  You're in the gym 5 days a week, you try to watch what you eat, and so far you've been having a lot of success on your fitness journey.  And like everyone else, you're human, and every now and then you decide to skip on the diet and consume a food you love.  Why is it that every time you do so, you wake up the next morning, look in the mirror, and look like you've gained a solid 5 pounds of fat?  I'll let you in on a little secret.  You probably haven't gained an ounce of actual fat, it's just that particular food you ate playing tricks on you.  So don't despair, just know the facts.

It's called bloating, and it's not a fun sight.  No, it's not dangerous, but it can really cause someone to become very falsely upset about their weight or appearance.  It happens when your body suddenly decides to retain water, or produce internal gas based on a food you may have consumed.  Certain foods (and their respective ingredients) can produce some pretty impressive bloats, so it's always good to know what caused this rapid degradation of appearance.  Let's go over the list of some of the types of food that will cause you to blow up like a balloon, guaranteed:

Food High In Sodium:  This one's the most common of all bloating situations; you decided to splurge, had a bit of a really salty piece of steak, or a few too many potato chips, or decided to go all out on salting that corn cob last night.  Excess sodium will cause your body to retain water in all sorts of places, because water is attracted to sodium.  It's not uncommon to put on a pound or two of water weight after an extremely salty meal, even if it did happen to be low calorie.  If you don't want to blow up like a beluga whale, try to skip the salt, and watch the sodium content on nutrition labels.  If you do accidentally go a little salt crazy, don't fret, just drink a lot of water and your system will eventually cycle all that excess water weight right back out.

High Carbohydrate Foods:  Your body uses carbohydrates as a very efficient energy source by storing carbs as an accessible fuel called glycogen in your liver and muscles.  When 1 gram of glycogen is stored as energy, about 3 grams of water is stored with it.  This means that if you've been quite glycogen depleted (working very hard in the gym, or have been on a low carb diet), and you replenish your glycogen stores by consuming a good amount of carbohydrates, you can put on a lot of water weight quite quickly, and tend to look pretty bloated, or at least "bigger" for a while.  Usually this isn't as bad as sodium bloating, and most muscle heads actually want this "inflated" look as it promotes a healthier, fuller, stronger looking physique.  Don't be surprised though if the scale bumps more than it should after that big plate of pasta.

Raw Vegetables:  Now don't start worrying, vegetables are still probably the healthiest food you can consume throughout your day.  The thing is though, raw veggies have huge amounts of fiber, and can absorb quite a bit of water in your stomach.  That means they take up a lot of space, and can cause you to look like a Macy's day parade float.  Don't worry, this will pass.  Also something to be a little wary of, most fiberous veggies produce a lot of intestinal gas, which, as well as being uncomfortable and...er...embarrassing, can inflate your lower stomach to the point where those tight jeans may not fit anymore.  Seriously though, it's a small price to pay for the health benefits in those veggies.

Artificial Sweeteners:  I love artificial sweeteners, and I use them on a daily basis.  They allow people to stay on a stricter diet more efficiently because they allow someone to have a bit of a sweet tooth without any of the huge sugar consumption.  They can, however, cause bloating, because your body can't absorb and digest them.  They act like fiber and cause intestinal gas, which, you guessed it, pumps you up to snowman-like sizes.  Again though, don't worry too much about it, just know what caused it.

Desserts:  There's a whole host of reason that those big, sweet, sugary desserts can cause bloating.  They're loaded with all sorts of carbs and sweeteners that both force your body to retain water and cause gas.  Also, desserts that contain dairy can be incredibly bloating to those that are lactose intolerant (as will any dairy product.)  Let me just say this: you're guaranteed to look like a beach ball after that heaping bowl of ice cream and apple crisp.

Carbonated Drinks:  This one's a no brainer.  Carbonated drinks contain little bubbles of carbon dioxide, which when consumed escape into your stomach and blow it up like a balloon.  This can cause a lot of discomfort.  Not to mention, most carbonated drinks are loaded with sugars and other artificial sweeteners, two other super bloat-promoting substances.

Bloating is annoying, that's for sure.  Is it dangerous though?  Not usually.  It also shouldn't be a reason to get depressed about your appearance, because bloating is a temporary state.  If you bloat up, just hop back on your diet as soon as possible, keep hitting the gym, drink lots of water, and your body will clear itself out eventually (usually sooner rather than later).  And now that you know the top culprits that cause the biggest bloats, you'll be able to figure out what happened next time you look like the Michelin Man in the mirror.

Eat clean, don't stress, and as always, GOOD LUCK!

Food Worship #8: The Lobster

Ever since I was a very young child, Maine has probably been one of my most favorite places on earth.  It's filled with memories of family get-togethers, swimming, boating, and most importantly of course:  GOOD FOOD.  Specifically....LOBSTER!!!  Lobster is one of those foods that either you absolutely love it, or can't stand the sight of the thing.  I for one can't help drooling even now thinking about picking up my cracker and going to town on one of those red sea insects.  And to those who know what I'm talking about, let me give you  several more reasons why a trip to Red Lobster, Weathervane, or the great state of Maine itself should be planned for the near future.

You see, lobster is interesting in that it tastes soooo good that you would initially believe it to be somewhat bad for you.  I mean, that's the case with a good steak right?  The fatty, thick, juicy cuts of sirloin tend to have a lot of saturated fat and not so bioavailable protein (but it's not like it's that bad for you either...I'm just saying that we all know steak has a few hidden dangers).  Good news is.....no...wait...the REALLY good news is that lobster is one of the healthiest protein sources of all land and sea animals.  That's right, it's packed with lean protein, has almost zero fat, and almost no carbohydrates!  Here's the nutrition data for lobster:

Nutrition Facts
Calories 142	(594 kJ)
% Daily Value 1
Total Fat	0.9g	1%
Sat. Fat	0.2g	< 1%
Cholesterol	104mg	35%
Sodium	551mg	23%
Total Carbs.	1.9g	< 1%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Sugars	0g
Protein	29.7g
Calcium	88.5mg
Potassium	510.4mg

Not bad right?  In fact, almost all lobsters range from between 110 calories and 150 calories, and from between 27 g and 30 g of protein!  That's a LOT of protein!  If you're looking to add real muscle mass, I would suggest trying those double deals restaurants usually have on two lobsters for one dinner.  You're only eating around 300 calories, and are getting about 60g of protein.  That's absolutely astounding.  Not even your post-workout protein shake can match those kind of numbers.  

But, as with everything, people tend to find a way to make a healthy meal into a not so healthy one, so let me just say this:  WHEN YOU DIP YOUR LOBSTER IN BUTTER, THESE NUTRITION FACTS NO LONGER APPLY AND YOU'VE OFFICIALLY MADE A GREAT MEAL INTO AN AVERAGE ONE.  

Lobsters are also rich with certain vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin B12 (45% of rec. daily intake), phosphorous (15%), zinc (15%), selenium (50%), and copper (80%!).  vitamin B12 helps to maintain healthy nerves and blood cells, copper helps to reduce the chance of contracting diseases like Osteoporosis and colon cancer, phosphorous keeps your mouth and kidneys healthy, and zinc and selenium both help to strengthen your immune system against disease and free radicals.  

The only thing that lobsters don't excel at in the nutrition department is cholesterol.  3oz of lobster has about 20% of your recommended daily cholesterol, so keep that in mind.  I'm guessing though that lobster is expensive enough that you're not going to indulge daily anyway, so it becomes pretty much a non-concern for someone with a healthy diet low in cholesterol.  The butter sauce adds a LOT more of that cholesterol though, so please, just avoid it, or use it very sparingly.  

Bottom Line:  Lobster is an extremely lean source of very bioavailable protein, and should never be avoided at a restaurant or party.  It may taste like a cheat meal, but in fact it's the farthest thing from it.  Crack into one of these big guys today and start getting your share of healthy protein.  

Keep cracking, enjoy that delicious flavor, but don't break the bank.  Good Luck!