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HMB β-Hydroxy β-Methyl butyrate Supplement facts

HMB supplement may be useful for below categories of people

  • For beginners
  • Older people
  • Competitive Bodybuilders switching routines for anti-catabolic effect
  • People with diseases that cause muscle loss

HMB is marketed as an anti-catabolic agent (purposed to reduce the rate of muscle breakdown) rather than an anabolic agent (purposed to increase muscle mass). HMB, currently, appears to be a pretty interesting supplement for the purpose of reducing muscle wasting during periods where muscle atrophy is accelerated (cachexia, AIDS, bedrest) and should theoretically work in athletes on a calorie restricted diet but is not fully established for this role yet (which is a notable issue, since glutamine has a large dichotomy between clinical and healthy populations).

For general population having a healthy diet rich in protein, this supplement would not be necessary.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

APO Lipoprotein – A1 (APO-A1) and APO Lipoprotein – B (APO-B)

Lipoproteins are substances made of protein and fat that carry cholesterol through your bloodstream.

Apolipoproteins are proteins that bind lipids (oil-soluble substances such as fat and cholesterol) to form lipoproteins. They transport lipids (and fat soluble vitamins) in blood, cerebrospinal fluid and lymph. 

APO A1 – Associated with HDL cholesterol

APO B – Associated with LDL cholesterol

High APO A1 is good and Low APO B is good.

Apolipoprotein A is a protein carried in HDL (“good”) cholesterol. It helps start the process for HDL to remove unused cholesterol from your body.

Apolipoprotein B-100 (also called apolipoprotein B or apo B) is a protein that is involved in the metabolism of lipids and is the main protein constituent of lipoproteins such as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Reused Oils – Side effects

  • Reheating certain vegetable oils has been shown to release a higher concentration of Aldehydes, toxic chemicals that have been linked with many conditions like cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s.
  • Toxins in reused oil disturbs the functioning of DNA, RNA and proteins.
  • Trans fats in reused oil are associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and various liver disorders.
  • Reheating oil generates these free radicals, which could cause complications as serious as cancer, and atherosclerosis, a condition where plaque is filled in the arteries causing blockage and an increase in bad cholesterol.
  • Reactions like oxidation, hydrolysis, and polymerization occur upon reheating oil, which forms volatile compounds and toxic monomeric and polymeric products.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Careful About the Kind of Oils We Eat

If your diet is high in refined and processed cooking oils exposed to too much light and heat, those chemically modified fats get incorporated into the building blocks of your cell membranes—including those of your neurons.

Every living cell in your body has a membrane responsible for allowing compounds to move in and out of the cell so it can function properly. These membranes are primarily formed from the fats you consume. Flexibility and permeability of these membranes depends on the quantity and, more importantly, the quality of the fats you get from your diet.

Use Unrefined or Cold pressed oils. Few examples below

  • Avocado oil
  • Coconut oil
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Ghee
  • Mustard Oil
  • Groundnut Oil

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

This Is Exactly How Lifting And Exercise Make You Healthier

Excerpts from article originally appeared in Knowable Magazine on Dec. 18, 2019. 

Bob Holmes, Knowable Magazine

Exercise is good for you. That’s hardly news: People who exercise tend to have longer, healthier lives. Exercise lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure; it keeps you from getting fat.

They are finding that exercise is both powerful and wide-reaching, affecting not just muscles and the cardiovascular system, but almost every part of the body, from the immune system to the brain to the energy systems within individual cells. The goal is to think of exercise as a medicine—a therapy that they can prescribe in specific doses for specific needs. It’s like your own personal regenerative medicine.

Brain Gains

Exercise makes blood vessels bigger and keeps them functioning smoothly, which makes them less likely to plug up and cause a heart attack or stroke. There have been hints that this may also mean more blood flow to the brain, which could help prevent cognitive decline. For example, studies have linked exercise to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s.

Recent study, led by K. Sreekumaran Nair, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, found that after just 12 weeks of a high-intensity exercise regimen, participants’ brains showed increased glucose uptake and higher metabolic activity, particularly in regions that usually show decline in Alzheimer’s disease. High-intensity exercise was found to have a similar effect on the parts of the brain most affected by Parkinson’s disease, in research led by Marcas Bamman, an exercise physiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Benefits Of Brawn

Exercise doesn’t just build bigger blood vessels; it also builds bigger muscles. That benefits health in a number of ways, from minimizing the risk of diabetes to enhancing the body’s immune response to ills such as cancer.

Muscle is the largest consumer of all the glucose that floods into the bloodstream after a meal. More muscle means quicker removal of this glucose surge, and therefore, less exposure to the harm caused by elevated blood sugar, a serious health issue for people prone to diabetes.

The muscle-building aspects of exercise also help reverse a key change associated with aging: a decline in the function of mitochondria, our cells’ energy generators. This decline, often seen in sedentary individuals, can leave the mitochondria unable to completely burn the cellular fuel and that can lead cells to generate more oxidants, the oxygen-rich, reactive molecules that damage proteins and DNA.

Muscles are chock-full of mitochondria and exercise can help avoid this oxidative damage. Nair’s studies show that aerobic exercise, alone or in combination with strength training, improves people’s mitochondrial function, reduces the production of oxidants and forestalls oxidative damage. High-intensity aerobic exercise also encourages mitochondria to produce more of the proteins they use to burn fuel.

Muscle has another important role: Its abundant proteins serve as reservoirs of amino acids for the rest of the body. Usually, when other organ systems need amino acids, says Bamman, “those are drawn from muscle.” That’s especially important when someone is sick because the immune system needs lots of amino acids to make antibodies that fight infection.

The biggest benefit from building muscle, though, may come from the signaling molecules it pumps into the blood. Myokines, which are released in response to muscular exertion, help regulate muscle growth, nutrient metabolism, inflammation and a host of other processes. Myokines serve as the link between muscle activity and these other organs.

One of the most important myokines in this crosstalk is interleukin-6. Released in response to muscular exertion, IL-6 has several effects, including suppressing hunger and enhancing the immune system’s response to cancer. Another signaling molecule, cathepsin B, triggers beneficial changes in the brain, including the production of new brain cells. Other signaling molecules can help moderate depression.

Inflammation Extirpation

Exercise, of course, also helps keep you thinner—and especially, it forestalls the accumulation of abdominal fat, a particularly harmful sort. One reason abdominal fat is so bad for you is its partnership with inflammation. “If we take out visceral fat and study it in the lab, we see that visceral fat is more inflamed than subcutaneous fat,” says Pedersen. “This inflammation will spill over into the blood, causing chronic systemic inflammation.”

Chronic inflammation, Pedersen suggests in the 2019 Annual Review of Physiology, may be the underlying reason why inactivity contributes to so many different diseases. “We know that being physically inactive increases the risk of approximately 35 different diseases or disorders,” she says. “And if you have one of these diseases—let’s say you have type 2 diabetes—you have increased risk of others, like cancer or heart disease. If we tie it all together, one feature of all these diseases is physical inactivity, and the other is chronic inflammation.”

Even a few weeks of inactivity can cause fat to accumulate in the abdomen, which spurs chronic inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation contributes to a range of ailments, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Interleukin-6 appears to be at the heart of exercise’s effect on visceral fat and inflammation.

Rx For Movement

As researchers tease out more of the details about how physical activity benefits health, the moment is fast approaching when exercise becomes not merely “a good thing to do,” but a medicine in its own right, just like pharmaceutical drugs. Several studies already point in this direction. For example, more than half of 64 adults with type 2 diabetes were able to stop taking medication to lower their blood sugar within a year of beginning a regular exercise program, Pedersen and her team found. And a survey of more than 300 randomized controlled trials found that exercise was just as effective as drugs for people at risk of heart disease and diabetes, and was more effective than drugs for rehab after a stroke.

But if exercise is to truly become a medicine like any other, clinicians will need to learn how much to prescribe to maximize its benefits. “Just saying ‘be physically active’ is like telling people ‘eat better’—it doesn’t tell us what we should be doing,” says Kirk Erickson, an exercise psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh. But developing more precise dosing recommendations is difficult, because there are so many ways to exercise, which vary in duration, intensity, frequency and kind. (Tailoring to individual disease risks—telling one person to do X  because they’re at risk of diabetes, and another person to do Y  because of a family history of dementia—is an even more distant goal.)

Researchers are still working out what matters in this complex arena. Exercises that involve more muscle groups generate more IL-6, so full-body exercises like running have a greater anti-inflammatory effect than exercises that target just a few muscle groups. And the benefits go away within a couple of days, suggesting that exercising frequently is important.

Of course, even after the results of these and other forthcoming trials are in, the “right” amount of exercise for a particular person is likely to depend on their individual circumstances.

There’s not a single organ system in the body that isn’t affected by exercise. Part of the reason the effect of exercise is so consistent and so robust is that there isn’t a single molecular pathway—it’s going to be a combination of all these things. So at the end of all these trials, we’re going to look back and list off not just one or two mechanisms, but a number of them. It’s going to be a complicated answer in the end.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Nutrients to Manage Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a combination of symptoms that many women get about a week or two before their period. 
  • Most women, say they get some premenstrual symptoms, such as bloating, irritability, headaches, depression and moodiness.
  • Researchers do not know exactly what causes PMS. Changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle may play a role. PMS symptoms go away within a few days after a woman’s period starts as hormone levels begin rising again. PMS goes away when you no longer get a period, such as after menopause.

Lifestyle changes

  • Regular Exercise: Focus more on Aerobic exercises like jogging, cycling, brisk walking, swimming, playing some sports and games.
  • Eat a whole foods and healthy foods majority of the times. Include protein and unrefined healthy fats in each meal.
  • Avoid sugar, processed foods, fried foods, junk foods, sugary foods and drinks, alcohol and smoking.
  • Get rest and have an undisturbed sleep. Target 7 to 8 hours.

Nutrition to reduce PMS

  • Vitamin B6 (works better combined with calcium)
  • Calcium – Helps with reducing menstrual cramping, Elevates mood, Helps with Estrogen balance
  • Magnesium – Responsible for 300 enzymatic reactions in body, relaxes muscles and nervous system, aids restful sleep, reduces cramps, It is involved in the enzymes involved in the neurotransmitters like serotonin
  • Iodine – Balance and Reduce Excessive Estrogen

These nutrients when take in optimal dosage along with a healthy diet could control PMS in majority of women.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

References:

https://endometriosis.net/clinical/vitamin-b6/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC27878/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4794546/#:~:text=This%20study%20showed%20that%20combined,of%20the%20premenstrual%20syndrome%20symptoms.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208934/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2067759/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16782093/

Body Composition Analyzer and Various Parameters for Analysis

When you are thinking of losing weight or want to become healthy – the first assessment tool till now was to step up on the scale or calculate BMI. BMI is highly controversial and inaccurate in assessing a person’s body composition objectively.

The fact is that these BMI does not tell you much about how various health parameters related to body composition like fat%, muscle mass, water weight, visceral fat, Waist to Hip ratio bone weight. A body composition analyzer provides us with all this info.

The average body fat range is set at 10-20% for males (15% as ideal) and 18-28% for females (23 % as ideal). When we speak about a healthy body, we mean less fat and more muscle.

Why is it important?

  • Provides baseline data for nutrition counseling and treatment of obesity.
  • Develop a complete physical fitness profile for clients.
  • Monitor body fat loss and muscle growth due to exercise and diet.

How it works?

The given body composition analyzer works on the basis of Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). BIA is a method of measuring impedance by applying alternating electrical currents to a user, measuring their volume of water through impedance values.

This noninvasive technique involves the placement of electrodes on the person’s feet, hands or both. A low-level electrical current is sent through the body and the flow of the current is affected by the amount of water in the body. BIA device measures how this signal is impeded through different types of tissue (muscle has high conductivity, but fat slows the signal down.)

Features offered

  • Total body water: Depicts the amount of water in the body in any form
  • Protein: This is a reflection of the protein contained in your body’s muscles.
  • Minerals: Your body contains minerals which are primarily contained in two places: in the bloodstream and inside bone tissue.
  • Body fat mass: The amount of fat in the body.
  • Weight: The overall sum of fat mass and fat-free mass.
  • Skeletal muscle mass: Skeletal Muscle Mass are the muscles that are connected to your bones and allow you to move. These are all the muscles that can be grown and developed through exercise (your pectorals, biceps, quadriceps, and so on).
  • BMI: Is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.
  • Percent body fat: Is the percentage of your body weight that’s fat.
  • Segmental lean and fat analysis: Provides examines with the ability to observe the left /right lean balance and lean body mass and fat body mass distribution segmentally.
  • Waist-hip ratio: As the name suggests, it is the ratio of waist over hip. Less than 0.85 for females and less than 0.95 for males.
  • Visceral fat level: Is the body fat stored in the abdominal cavity.
  • Fat-free mass: All the mass in your body that is not attributed to fat.
  • Basal metabolic rate: Indicates the minimum energy required to sustain vital functions while at rest.

Where can you get this analysis done?

  • In most of the reputed gyms and health clubs
  • In Hospitals

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Vascularity – Veins Popping up on Hands, Arms, Legs

Pronounced veins are a normal response to exercise. It’s usually a sign of being healthy because it points [to] the fact that you’re working out. These changes are positive and symptomatic of the hard work that has been put in either by exercising or training hard for athletics. They show that our body is strong and powerful.

Whenever a muscle is being exercised, there’s an increased need for oxygen and nutrients. Because our blood transports both oxygen and nutrients, more blood flow is directed toward the muscles. Our arteries carry the oxygen-rich blood from our heart to the tissues in our body, such as the muscles we work during exercise, and the veins carry blood back to our heart “The blood flow in arteries is faster than the blood outflow in our veins, which causes a slight backup in the veins.” This causes an increase in pressure in our veins, which makes them more visible.

Strength training causes the muscles to engorge and swell with plasma. This pushes the veins closer to the surface.

Factors of vein visibility are workout type, percent body fat, amount of muscle mass, genetics, hormones, age, hydration levels.

Decreased body fat will also lead veins to appear much more prominent, since these veins are within the subcutaneous tissue

Athletes tend to be lean and have less body fat surrounded their veins, the veins in athletes tend to be more visible.

References:

https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/lifting-veins-pop#3

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Micro-Nutrients and Macro-Nutrients

Nutrients are the organic substances present in the food and used by the body for the maintenance of life and growth.

Generally, there are six categories of nutrients required for healthy living; carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, mineral, and water.

Based on metabolic effects nutrients are categorized into macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macro Nutrients

  • There are mainly three macro-nutrients required by the body; carbohydrate, protein and fats.
  • Macro-nutrients are required in larger amount/quantity on a daily basis.
  • Macro-nutrients is essential for growth, repair and develop new tissues, regulate life process, generate energy for various bodily functions.
  • Macro-nutrients contribute to the bulk energy needed for the metabolic system. Macro-nutrients provide calories that gives energy to the body.
  • Macro-nutrients are available in high concentration inside the body.
  • Macro-nutrients are normally not toxic to the cell if they are present in comparatively higher concentration than in the normal level.
  • Excessive intake of micro-nutrients leads to energy imbalance in body. Results in lifestyle diseases like Metabolic Syndrome, High Sugar, BP, Heart disease, Brain related issues, Cancer , Liver and Kidney dysfunction etc.

Micro Nutrients

  • There are primarily two micro nutrients required by body : Vitamins and Minerals
  • Micro-nutrients are required in small or tiny amount/quantity on a daily basis.
  • Micro-nutrients support macro-nutrients to carry out bodily functions. They are also an essential component for building healthy brain, body and bones, proper functioning of various systems, disease prevention and fighting, hormonal balance.
  • Micro-nutrients comprises of high volume of antioxidants which protects the body against various diseases.
  • Micro nutrients support metabolism of Macro nutrients and they act as co-factors for energy generation and tissue repair at cellular level.
  • Micro-nutrients are toxic if present exorbitantly in the cell than the required amount. Overdose of micro-nutrients may harm specific organs of the body.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Take Advantage of Insulin Instead of Demonizing It

  • By controlling your insulin you can allow your body to build muscle and burn fat .
  • Muscle is made of protein. To build muscle, your body must be in anabolic mode (building). Insulin is an anabolic hormone.
  • Insulin is responsible for growth factor in our body. It is responsible for transport of various nutrients to our body organs and parts.
  • Excess insulin production will lead to the storage of body fat and the inhibition of fat burning. Insulin is an enemy of fat loss.
  • To have a balance between muscle growth/repair and fat burning, you need to plan the meals strategically and put focus on the amount of carbohydrates you consume.

Insulin is the hormone that drives glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells, and diabetes is the loss of the ability to control blood glucose levels. 

Insulin also has a dark side, because it can increase fat storage. The challenge is to learn how to spike insulin to optimally recover from workouts and grow, while also blunting it to stay lean.

Insulin’s release from the pancreas signals the body that it has just been fed. Since the body is always trying to spare energy, it halts the body’s burning of stored fat, instead turning to the nutrients that have just been ingested. From the pancreas, insulin enters the blood stream and travels to various tissues, including muscle tissue. This allows allow glucose, amino acids, and creatine to enter the muscles. This process is a major reason why insulin is so important for building muscle.

Good to know about your opponent

Insulin is an anabolic hormone. It could be anabolic in supplying nutrients to our tissue to rebuild/ repair or it could accumulate fat.

Insulin’s primary job is to maintain safe and steady blood glucose levels of around 80-100 mg/dl. So when blood glucose levels rise above 100, insulin is secreted by the pancreas. It balances the blood glucose by either using it for energy instantly or for storing it tissue and liver or to tell liver to convert the extra glucose energy into fat storage.

There are three different storage areas for this extra glucose:

  1. Muscle glycogen
  2. Liver glycogen
  3. Adipose tissue (after converting into fat)

What does Insulin do (list of few important functions)

Insulin Builds Muscle

Insulin stimulates protein synthesis (and therefore muscle growth) by directing ribosomes to make more protein.

Muscle is made of protein. Protein is manufactured by ribosomes. Ribosomes are turned on by insulin. Insulin is required to build muscle.

Insulin Inhibits breakdown of Protein

Every day, your body synthesizes some protein and breaks down some protein. To build muscle, you must synthesize more protein than you catabolize.

Insulin Transports Amino Acids into Muscle Cells

Insulin actively transports certain amino acids directly into the muscle cells. All essential amino acids especially Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are pushed into muscle cells by insulin, which is essential if you want to build muscle.

Insulin Increases Activity of Glycogen Synthase

Insulin increases the activity of the enzymes (like glycogen synthase) which stimulate glycogen formation. This means it helps the storage of glucose in muscle cells, thereby improving performance, recovery, and the size of your muscles.

Muscle glycogen formation results in much fuller, denser-looking muscle.

Insulin Inhibits Hormone-Sensitive Lipase

Insulin does not allow body to use our stored fat for energy quite efficiently. Insulin inhibits an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase, which is responsible for breaking down adipose (fat) tissue. If you cannot break stored fat for energy, you feel lethargic quickly after a meal and would have cravings again.

To put in a different way, Insulin in blood sends a signal to brain through various channels that there is energy through external food sources, hence there is no need to burn stored fat as energy. Remember that burning stored fat is an effort on the body system, hence body chooses to do this only when there is no energy coming externally.

Insulin lets Liver to convert excess glucose to fat

Insulin increases fatty acid synthesis in the liver, which is step one in the process of gaining body fat. This depends on the availability of excess carbs – the amount above what is immediately burned for energy or stored as glycogen.

How can we take advantage of Insulin

Insulin is simply an anabolic transport hormone. All it cares about is keeping blood glucose in the normal range. When blood glucose gets high, insulin will be secreted and will work quickly to restore normal serum glucose levels.

For hypertrophy or muscle building, then you want high levels of insulin throughout the day.

You especially want high-insulin levels around workouts to take advantage of the fact that at that time, the muscle cell membrane is extra permeable to insulin and whatever it is carrying (like glucose or BCAAs).

For fat loss, then you want to decrease your levels of insulin throughout the day, on average.

When blood glucose is high, insulin is secreted and glucose is stored in muscle glycogen or liver glycogen. When blood glucose is low, insulin secretion is diminished and fat becomes the body’s primary fuel source.

Insulin is like a switch that controls from moment to moment whether we’re burning fat or building muscle.

What this means is that you can plan your day to have periods of time focused on building muscle and periods of time focused on burning fat. And you can manipulate the length of these periods to alter the rate at which you gain muscle and lose fat.

Increase the amount of insulin you secrete around weight training. Insulin will not convert glucose to fat if it can first store it as muscle glycogen. After an intense weight-training session, both muscle and liver glycogen are depleted and ready to soak up serious glucose. So, have a high carb with protein to trigger muscle protein synthesis.

Then, in order to cover the fat loss part of this equation, keep insulin levels low during the remainder of the day. Means you can give a gap of 3 to 4 hours between the meals. Then have meals which are lower/moderate in carbs and high in protein with some healthy fats. This keeps you satiated for longer time and also helps you lose some fat in the process.

All our tissues have insulin receptors. As long as insulin receptors work as designed, a spike in insulin levels clears out the majority of the glucose in the blood, pushing it into muscle and fat cells. Spiking insulin levels throughout the day would lead to fat gain over time and can lead to insulin resistance.

The types of carbs you eat can make or break your ability to rule insulin. The glycemic index refers to how fast the carbs in the food end up as glucose in your blood stream.

High GI foods are those that pass rapidly through your digestive system (i.e. fast-digesting) and into your blood stream. This causes insulin to spike so that your body can utilize the glucose.

Low GI foods are those that pass more slowly through the digestive system (i.e. slow-digesting) and gradually enter the blood stream, keeping insulin levels more consistent.

At most meals, you want to focus on low GI carbs if you have any carbs at all. This will keep insulin levels low, thereby helping to maintain energy levels throughout the day, as well as burn fat.

There are two times of day when high GI carbs can pay off for you. The first time is within minutes of waking—but only if your goal is to gain mass. The other appropriate time to take in high GI or fast-digesting carbs is within 30 minutes after workouts

Taking in about 20-40 grams of fast-digesting carbs as soon as you get out of bed will boost insulin and quickly restock your glycogen levels and stop the muscle onslaught. Fruits are recommended. If you are trying to maximize fat-loss, you may want to skip carbs altogether in the morning. Getting in a protein shake will help stop some of the muscle breakdown without halting too much of the fat burning.

After a heavy workout, you’ll want to shoot for about 30-80 grams of those carbs along with 40 grams of protein powder. At this time, the high GI carbs will spike your insulin, which will drive those carbs and amino acids for the protein, as well as creatine (assuming you take creatine) into your muscles.

Research confirms that when you take high GI carbs along with fast-digesting protein, such as whey, after workouts, insulin levels soar even higher than when just high GI carbs are consumed.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Diabetes and Insulin : An Overview

Diabetes : A group of diseases that result in too much sugar in the blood (high blood glucose).

Most common types:

Type 2 diabetes

A chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose).

With type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or it resists insulin.

Type 1 diabetes

A chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Beta cells of pancreas are killed due to auto-immune response of body. Many people suffer as a birth defect as well.

Prediabetes

A condition in which blood sugar is high, but not high enough to be type 2 diabetes. Basically at this stage Insulin would be high in blood but body becomes insulin resistant. Hence blood sugar could be elevated even though pancreas produces high amounts of Insulin.

Gestational diabetes

A form of high blood sugar affecting pregnant women. Those who develop gestational diabetes are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Another interesting thing about this quote is its mention of insulin. It turns out that insulin is incredibly important to the way the body uses the glucose that foods provide. The functions of insulin are:

  • To enable glucose to be transported across cell membranes
  • To convert glucose into glycogen for storage in the liver and muscles
  • To help excess glucose be converted into fat
  • To prevent protein breakdown for energy

Know about Insulin here Take advantage of Insulin instead of demonizing it

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Protein and Exercise: International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand

  1. An acute exercise stimulus, particularly resistance exercise, and protein ingestion both stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and are synergistic when protein consumption occurs before or after resistance exercise.
  2. For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals, a value that falls in line within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range published by the Institute of Medicine for protein.
  3. There is novel evidence that suggests higher protein intakes (>3.0 g/kg/d) may have positive effects on body composition in resistance-trained individuals (i.e., promote loss of fat mass).
  4. Recommendations regarding the optimal protein intake per serving for athletes to maximize MPS are mixed and are dependent upon age and recent resistance exercise stimuli. General recommendations are 0.25 g of a high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or an absolute dose of 20–40 g.
  5. Acute protein doses should strive to contain 700–3000 mg of leucine and/or a higher relative leucine content, in addition to a balanced array of the essential amino acids (EAAs).
  6. These protein doses should ideally be evenly distributed, every 3–4 h, across the day.
  7. The optimal time period during which to ingest protein is likely a matter of individual tolerance, since benefits are derived from pre- or post-workout ingestion; however, the anabolic effect of exercise is long-lasting (at least 24 h), but likely diminishes with increasing time post-exercise.
  8. While it is possible for physically active individuals to obtain their daily protein requirements through the consumption of whole foods, supplementation is a practical way of ensuring intake of adequate protein quality and quantity, while minimizing caloric intake, particularly for athletes who typically complete high volumes of training.
  9. Rapidly digested proteins that contain high proportions of essential amino acids (EAAs) and adequate leucine, are most effective in stimulating MPS.
  10. Different types and quality of protein can affect amino acid bioavailability following protein supplementation.
  11. Athletes should consider focusing on whole food sources of protein that contain all of the EAAs (i.e., it is the EAAs that are required to stimulate MPS).
  12. Endurance athletes should focus on achieving adequate carbohydrate intake to promote optimal performance; the addition of protein may help to offset muscle damage and promote recovery.
  13. Pre-sleep casein protein intake (30–40 g) provides increases in overnight MPS and metabolic rate without influencing lipolysis.

Reference :

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Vitamins and Minerals for Good Mental Health

While mental wellness requires good lifestyle choices, what we don’t realize is that making even the tiniest of changes, or supplementing some essential vitamins and minerals can help keep your brain healthy and happy.

Just like other organs, our brain too needs a helpful dose of vitamins to function well. If you are deficient in them, you are likely to experience problems related to your neurological and emotional health.

Studies have found that increasing the intake of certain vitamins and minerals can also help manage (and to a certain extent, treat) mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, manage mood swings and give a boost to your brain health.

Here is the list:

  • Omega 3 fish oils – Must be high in DHA and EPA
  • Acetyl-L-Carnitine
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B1, B6, B9 and B12
  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin E
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • Curcumin

Based on your need and requirement, if needed try to supplement them from good nutraceutical companies.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer

Ways to Boost Testosterone Naturally- Exercises and Foods

Testosterone is the father of all muscle-building hormones, because it promotes protein synthesis. Whether you’re training to get bigger, faster, leaner, or stronger, Testosterone is the steroid hormone that can make a world of difference. If you maximize it naturally you’ll see newfound strength, size and leanness faster than ever.

TESTOSTERONE MAKES YOU MUSCULAR, LEANER, STRONGER, SMARTER, MORE ENERGETIC.

The role of Testosterone goes far beyond big biceps and six pack. When it’s high you’ll boost libido, have more energy, and protect yourself against osteoporosis. Testosterone boosts cognitive functions such as memory and attentiveness. People having low T-levels might be susceptible to all kinds of nasty neurological disorders and cognitive decline.

So we need to maximize Testosterone to reap all of the health, athletic, and aesthetic benefits.

Here are the some tips.

1. Do Compound movement and Complex exercises

Read Compound exercises – Best way to build strength and muscle for long term

One of the basic thing we could do to boost Testosterone is by incorporating complex, compound movements. Target big muscle groups by doing Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, Bent over row, Overhead press, Bench press, Snatches, Weighted dips, Weighted pull-ups/push ups. Follow up with isolation exercises if you do them.

By recruiting more total muscle mass along with a challenging motor pattern, it leads to a big metabolic stress on your body. This is a formula for releasing more Testosterone.

2. Exercise Volume

You need a sufficient number of sets. More specifically, you need a total number of reps with each lift that’s high enough to maximize Testosterone without burning you out.

Research has demonstrated, that multiple sets of an exercise are better for boosting Testosterone than one set. Total number of sets and reps depends on the person.

Example – You can try doing 6 sets of 6 to 8 reps for Squats or Deadlifts to trigger central nervous system’s adaptation response.

3. Exercise Intensity

High intensity training will make you literally breath from all pores of your body – Pun intended. But it is true that we need to keep a delicate balance between not training to failure in every set and do just enough to reach the penultimate point of muscular exhaustion. Also we need to adjust the volume of the sets so that we can keep the rest period between the sets to minimum.

Breath properly during sets, pick up the right weight to do 8 to 12 reps in a set, strain the muscles and keep the rest between sets short. This could help you to work out with high intensity.

HIIT exercises, plyometric exercises that have explosive movements can be incorporated in the training schedule once or twice in a week.

4. Consume optimum nutrition

A high protein meal with right kind of carbs is a must after a strenuous workout. A high quality multivitamin would definitely support the recovery process. Focus on optimum dosage of Vitamin D, Zinc, Magnesium as well. Take essential supplements like Omega 3 and Creatine.

Consume 30 to 40 grams of high quality protein like whey post workout. Pre-workout shake could be beneficial for some people especially from caffeine based shakes. Eating a light meal 1 hour before the workout having 20 gms of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrate would give boost during the workout.

Ensure to consume 1 gram of protein per KG of body weight in a day. Eat complex carbs and healthy unrefined fats.

5. Eat Cholesterol rich foods

Testosterone is derived from cholesterol. There’s no other way for your body to produce it naturally. A carnivorous diet is key to getting enough cholesterol.

Whole eggs, cheese, and other cholesterol-rich foods are essential to maximizing Testosterone.

What about the potential health ramifications of cholesterol-rich foods? The latest research is demonstrating that we may have been dead wrong with cholesterol. There appears to be very little correlation between cholesterol intake and bad cholesterol in your blood. This is especially true when carbs are minimized (as they should be). Also, it’s currently being demonstrated that people with higher cholesterol levels tend to live longer.

What you should be concerned about is your serum triglyceride levels. It’s been demonstrated that high triglycerides are a big red flag for potential cardiovascular problems and disease. Minimize triglycerides by decreasing total carbs, by consuming omega-3s and perform at least five hours of exercise each week with a mix of resistance training and energy systems work.

Read Cholesterol does not lead to heart disease our lifestyle does

Read Why cholesterol is important and why we need stop demonizing it

Read Truth about Triglycerides

~Praveen Jada

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TDEE, BMR, NEAT, TEF, EA and TDEE calculator

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) – The BMR is the minimum level of energy we need to use to maintain vital functions of the body. To accurately measure a person’s BMR, scientists make them fast (so there’s no digestive activity) and then lie motionless in an environmental chamber. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is slightly higher than BMR, it’s usually no more than a 10% difference. Small amounts of movement, different environments, and digestion will affect RMR.

Thermic effect of feeding (TEF) – Digestion, absorption and assimilation of ingested food / nutrients is an active process — it takes energy. The very act of eating food increases the metabolism. TEF is usually around 10% of total daily energy expended. It can be affected by other factors, such as insulin resistance, which lowers TEF.

Exercise activity (EA) – The energy used to perform purposeful exercise (like going for a run, or doing a gym workout) is typically called EA.

Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) – Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is another part of metabolic rate. This is all the daily-life movement that isn’t deliberate exercise. This is includes any physical and mental activity we do for our daily sustenance.

Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)

All metabolic and movement activities make up our total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

TDEE = BMR + TEF + EA + NEAT.

https://tdeecalculator.net/

Refer to above link. This is one of the best TDEE calculators. Using this you can calculate your daily calorie requirement whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle or just maintain the current body composition.

The results are is a close approximation and we need to see how it works for us for few days by doing trial and error. We need to make minor adjustments here and there.

~Praveen Jada

*Do read the Disclaimer