D

It’s true – and here’s why: When you’re under stress, your body produces more of the stress hormone called cortisol, otherwise known as the fight-or-flight hormone. Cholesterol is a building block of this hormone; therefore, the body must produce more cholesterol to meet the demand for cortisol. As proof, studies of accountants show that their cholesterol levels rise significantly at tax time. It stands to reason, then, that reducing stress levels through relaxation and stress management will lower your cholesterol.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. If your cholesterol remains elevated, your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering statins. Be aware that there are side effects to these drugs, namely liver damage, memory problems, muscle weakness, and pain.

There are lifestyle ways to lower cholesterol, and these include exercising and following a diet like the Parrillo Nutrition program, which is low in long chain saturated fat.

What about supplements? Two of the best are fish oil and vitamin C. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduce triglycerides (fats in the bloodstream) by 20 to 50 percent, according to current research. Omega-3 fats also help to control blood pressure and reduce inflammation, and are a key nutrient for preventing heart disease, diabetes, and many other life-shortening illnesses. For best results, supplement your diet with Parrillo Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200™. The recommended usage is one capsule with each meal.

Vitamin C helps prevent white blood cells in arteries from attracting excessive amounts of LDL (the bad cholesterol). Parrillo Bio-C™ contains bioflavonoids, natural components extracted from fruits and vegetables, that also help to promote improved cardiovascular health. As for Bio-C™, take one or more tablet daily, preferably with meals.

Keeping cholesterol at healthy levels requires a four-prong approach: diet, exercise, natural supplements, and stress relief. Try all four before resorting to the drug route, unless, of course, your physician says it is absolutely necessary.

Advanced Lipotropic

From years of helping people get lean, I have found that in addition to cleaning up their diet and getting in the gym consistently, faster results come when they are using “lipotropics.” Lipotropics are natural supplements that help you utilize stored fat for energy and spare glycogen. A good formulation, such as Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula™, should contain all or most of the following:

Biotin

A B vitamin, biotin activates genes involved in regulating insulin and blood sugar. Biotin is required to make four key enzymes called carboxylases. These enzymes are involved in the metabolism of fats, and the conversion of protein and fat to glucose. Without biotin, the body cannot adequately metabolize fat.

Choline

This B vitamin is a “first string” player among lipotropics. Its most vital function is regulating the amount of fat that accumulates in the liver, which is one of the body’s storage sites for excess fat.

Another benefit of choline is that it helps emulsify cholesterol, preventing it from building up in artery walls or gallbladder. Also, choline works to rid the body of toxins, poisons, and any drug residues. This is important because toxins can impede fat-burning.

Deficiencies in choline contribute to high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, cirrhosis of the liver, and lack of appetite. Interestingly, hens will not lay eggs if deficient in choline. (Eggs happen to be a great source of choline.)

Inositol

Closely associated with biotin and choline is the B vitamin inositol. This nutrient stimulates the body’s production of lecithin, a lipid-based component in the body that transports fats from the liver to the cells for energy. Inositol is thus an important regulator of fat metabolism. It also helps reduce cholesterol by preventing the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries that lead to their
narrowing.

L-carnitine

Another key lipotropic is carnitine, a protein-like nutrient made by the body but also found in foods. Its main function is to assist the body in burning fat. In studies, carnitine appears to emulsify fat build-up in the arteries and internal organs. Carnitine also stimulates the adrenal glands, which help the body in using its fat reserves as fuel.

Betaine

This nutrient is a substance from which choline is formed and has similar functions. Betaine can help with joint and liver repair and muscle recovery, as well as reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.

Chromium picolinate

This mineral has been shown to increase glucose tolerance (to help get carbohydrates into your cells to be used for energy rather than stored as body fat) and stabilize blood sugar levels (to avoid low-energy periods).

When supplementing, take one capsule of Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula™ with each meal.

Leucine Supplementation

By Cliff Sheats

Leucine is one of three  branched-chain amino acids (isoleucine and valine are the other two BCAAs.) It may be the most important because it has the unique ability to trigger protein synthesis. Leucine, which comprises about one-third of muscle protein, enters muscle cells and turns on key biochemical processes that result in more muscle protein and, thus, more muscle development. Supplementing with leucine may help maintain your protein synthesis, and could decrease muscle breakdown. Leucine also increases secretion of the anabolic hormone insulin, important for encouraging growth. Therefore, this essential amino acid is not only a building block, but it is also needed to turn on the muscle-building process.

In addition to supplementing with Parrillo Muscle Amino™ (a formulation of BCAAs), another way to obtain leucine is through supplemental protein beverages. Of the commonly available dietary proteins, whey and casein have the highest leucine contents (14 percent and 10 percent, respectively, of their total protein content).

Whey, in Parrillo’s Optimized Whey Protein™, would be ideal for post workout intake, because as a fast-digesting protein, it would move leucine to the muscles as quickly as possible. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that taking leucine after a workout may enhance your body’s rate of muscle growth. (1) Casein protein in Parrillo’s Hi-Protein™ powder, would be ideal for other meals; its slower digestion rate tends to help keep you full and well fortified with protein to enhance recovery and stay in a positive nitrogen balance.

With either of these products, place two scoops in a small plastic container, throw the dry mixture in your gym bag, office desk drawer, or purse. Before or after your workout or whenever you need it, just mix with 8 ounces of water. There has rarely been a quicker and more convenient way to make sure you get all the benefits of these supplemental proteins, as well as leucine. Both products come in a variety of delicious
flavors, too.

Reference

(1) Norton, L.E., and D.K. Layman. 2006. Leucine regulates translation initiation of protein synthesis in skeletal muscle after exercise. Journal of Nutrition 136:533S-537S.

Glutamine is an immunonutrient and the favored fuel of your immune cells. This means you need it when you’re ill, stressed, or recovering from surgery. Researchers have also discovered that many athletes are deficient in glutamine – a shortage that makes them more vulnerable to infections. (1)

Glutamine is technically described as a “glucogenic,” meaning that it assists your body in manufacturing glycogen, the chief muscle fuel. Scientists speculate either that glutamine itself can be converted into muscle glycogen or that it may inhibit the breakdown of glycogen. (2)

Also, supplemental glutamine has been shown to elevate growth hormone (GH) levels, theoretically influencing muscle growth. In a study at Louisiana State University College of Medicine in Shreveport, researchers found that oral supplementation with glutamine dramatically elevated growth hormone levels. Nine healthy volunteers (ages 32 to 64) were given 2 grams of glutamine over a 20-minute period, 45 minutes following breakfast. Blood samples taken every half hour over 90 minutes revealed a 430 percent hike in growth hormone levels. Theoretically, supplementing with glutamine may help you build and maintain muscle tissue, particularly if you exercise regularly. (3)

Each capsule in the Ultimate Amino Formula^™ contains 103 milligrams of glutamine. I recommend that you take two or more capsules of this supplement with each meal. That should supply a gram or more daily – which is appropriate for athletes and active individuals. Parrillo Performance also adds extra glutamine to our Hi-Protein^™ powder and Optimized Whey^™ protein powders. People with liver or kidney disease should not supplement with glutamine, however, because it can aggravate these conditions and interfere with their treatment.

REFERENCES

1. Tuttle, D. 1997. Glutamine: athletic benefits times three. Let’s Live, September, 71-73.

2. Varnier, M, et al. 1995. Stimulatory effect of glutamine on glycogen accumulation in human skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology 269: E309-E315.

3. Welbourne, T. 1995. Increased plasma bicarbonate and growth hormone after an oral glutamine load. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 61: 1058-1061.

No way around it: anxiety is a fact of life for everyone these days. What isn’t there to worry about? War, unemployment, the stock market, you name it. Now get this: Relief may be close as your supplement shelf.

Remedies for ongoing anxiety always circle back to lifestyle solutions. Regular workouts and a balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of certain nutrients can do a world of tension-relieving good. And of course, one of my first recommendations for someone who has a lot of anxiety or depression is aerobic exercise, as well as calming exercise like yoga. Both types will help stave off the burnout caused by chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

For occasional anxiety, I suggest that you try these supplements, which may soothe a temporarily troubled mind.

B Complex

A good first step toward managing anxiety with nutrition is to make sure you have enough B vitamins. They have been shown to help with stress management, alleviate depression, and assist in energy production (fatigue is often a byproduct of anxiety and depression.)

There are many B-complex formulas commercially available and then there is Parrillo Performance’s Essential Vitamin Formula™. Comparing ordinary drugstore vitamins to Essential Vitamin Formula™ is like comparing a Yugo to a Ferrari. The Parrillo supplement is fully loaded with the key B vitamins you need for anxiety management. This perfect combination of vitamins will help keep you going by supplying your body with much needed vitamin insurance.

You could take your vitamins in one mega-dose tablet, but by taking Parrillo Essential Vitamin Formula™ with each meal, you ensure a uniform and balanced level of these nutrients throughout the entire day. Taking vitamins with each meal is also important because they are vital for digesting and assimilating food.

Magnesium

This essential mineral helps alleviate tension and anxiety, too, and thus has a calming effect. Many studies have shown it to be effective against migraine headaches, often brought on
by stress.

You can obtain the magnesium you need from the Parrillo Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™. It supplies a balance of extracellular (calcium, chloride) and intracellular (magnesium, phosphorus, potassium) ions. Other nutrients, such as zinc and chromium, are presented in readily assimilable forms. Taken with each meal, Mineral-Electrolyte Formula™ is an excellent source of essential nutrients for metabolic functions. It’s a must for anyone dealing with stress.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

In 2007, the American Psychiatric Association released a position paper last year noting that there have been numerous studies showing the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids in addressing depression, bipolar disease, schizophrenia, postpartum depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and attention deficit disorder (ADD), both in children and adults.

A good source of omega-3s is Parrillo Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200™. It is a natural marine-lipid concentrate that contains these health-protective fats, specifically EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid), in medically recommended concentrations. DHA, in particular, serves important functions in mental health and the transmission of nerve impulses. Take one capsule with each meal.

One more key point of advice: If anxiety or depression continues, please see a qualified counselor. You may need additional help and intervention.

Healthy Fats

From years of helping people get lean, I have found that in addition to cleaning up their diet and working out consistently, the fastest results come when people are using certain supplements in specific dosages. You know that lipotropics like Parrillo Advanced Lipotropic Formula^™ can help you utilize stored fat for energy, but did you also know that certain fat supplements have a
lipotropic benefit?

Let me introduce you to a few nutrients that can be of some help, but understand that taking them alone is probably a waste of time and money. When combined with the Parrillo Nutrition Program these supplements may enhance fat loss, allowing you to shed even more fat.

Fish Oil

Found in fattier fish like salmon, herring and pollack, fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids. These beneficial fats encourage the receptor sites on muscle cells to increase insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to release less insulin. In turn, fat storage tends to be limited, and insulin performs its intended job: channeling carbohydrates and amino acids into muscle tissue. Try Parrillo Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200^™ and take one capsule with meals.

Evening Primrose Oil

Found in evening primrose oil is the fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which promotes the formation of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. These substances have been found to
improve insulin sensitivity, meaning that insulin is used correctly by muscle cells and won’t be utilized for fat storage. GLA can also increase the activity of “brown fat,” a type of fat on the body that is involved in increasing metabolism. Each 1000 mg gel cap of Parrillo Evening Primrose Oil^™ contains 30 iu’s of vitamin E, 100 mg of Gamma Linolenic Acid and 760 mg of Linoleic Acid. Take one to three capsules daily.

CapTri^®

I call CapTri^® the “King of Fat-Burners.” CapTri^® is a special kind of fat called a medium chain triglyceride. CapTri^® harnesses the energy density of fat but is not stored as body fat. The molecular structure of CapTri^® results in it being metabolized differently than conventional fats. Instead of being transported to fat depots like regular fats, the calories from CapTri^® also provide the energy you need to keep training hard. Also, by substituting CapTri^® for an equivalent number of calories from carbohydrates you avoid the slow-down in metabolic rate which inevitably results from calorie-restricted diets. Take one tablespoon with each meal; up to six tablespoons per day. Consult the Parrillo CapTri^® Manual for more detailed usage guidelines.

Remember that these fat-based fat burners aren’t magic bullets; they work best only if combined with the proper exercise and nutrition.

CapTri Cooking

We’re in a fat-gaining season of the year. If you’re having trouble along these lines and want to get your physique under control, here are some suggestions.

First of all, I recommend that in addition to weight training three or more times a week that you perform at least 30 to 60 minutes of aerobics – preferably before breakfast to force your body to burn fatty acids sooner.

Once you’re doing all this, there are four supplements I recommend when your goal is to lose body fat. Here’s a rundown:

CapTri^®

CapTri^® provides your body with a high-density energy source burned rapidly by the body for fuel. As John’s column points out, instead of being stored as fat, excess calories from CapTri^® are converted to body heat, and this means you burn more calories per hour. This explains why calories from CapTri^® contribute less to fat stores than an equivalent number of calories from conventional fats or carbohydrates. What’s more, the replacement of conventional dietary fats with MCT oil such as CapTri^® results in much less body fat (5, 6). There’s more: The enzymes that make new body fat and convert glucose into fat are less active if lipids like CapTri^® are included in the diet. If limiting carbs to accelerate fat-burning, replace some of those carbs with CapTri^®. Because CapTri^® is metabolized in the body like a carbohydrate, you shouldn’t feel the loss of energy usually experienced with low-carb dieting.

If you have never taken CapTri^® before, gradually introduce it into your diet at the rate of a few teaspoons a day until you are eating two to three tablespoons a day. CapTri^® is so rapidly absorbed that it can, in some individuals, cause stomach cramping if too much is taken at one time or on an empty stomach.

Advanced Lipotropic Formula^™

This supplement contains fat-mobilizing nutrients your body needs to efficiently metabolize fat. One of these is choline. Present in all living cells, choline has some very important roles in the body. Choline is synthesized from two amino acids, methionine and serine, with help from vitamin B12 (which is why we include 200 mcg of vitamin B12 in this supplement). Choline helps prevent fat from building up in the liver and works to shuttle fat into cells to be burned for energy.

Another lipotropic is inositol. Working together with choline, inositol helps prevent build-ups of fat in the arteries and keeps the liver, heart, and kidneys healthy. Each capsule contains 200 mg of inositol.

Also included in this lipotropic formula is biotin. This B-complex vitamin is required to activate specific enzymes involved in metabolism. Without it, your body can’t properly burn fats. Biotin also influences the body’s ability to properly metabolize blood sugar (to avoid low-energy periods).

This supplement is formulated with another B-vitamin – vitamin B6. This nutrient helps keep the body’s water balance in check, plus helps regulate blood sugar so you don’t get swings in blood sugar and the cravings they cause. Each capsule contains 20 mg of
vitamin B6.

Methionine, an amino acid in the formulation, has been linked to weight control. In combination with another amino acid – phenylalanine – methionine apparently assists in the breakdown of fat. Parrillo Max Endurance Formula^™ contains 200 mg of DL-phenylalanine, and each capsule of the Advanced Lipotropic Formula^™ contains 200 mg of methionine.

An important lipotropic in this supplement is carnitine, a nutrient that shovels fat into the cells’ mitochondria (cellular furnaces) to be burned for energy. It also cleanses the mitochondria by removing cellular waste products. Thus, carnitine is absolutely vital to metabolism.

When combined with chromium picolinate, carnitine appears to boost fat loss — potentially up to two or more pounds a week, according to research. That being so, this supplement is formulated with chromium picolinate too.

Finally, Advanced Lipotropic Formula^™ contains two important enzymes: pancreatin and betaine HCL. Enzymes such as these help ensure that our bodies properly break down the foods we consume so that they can be properly utilized by the body for growth and repair.

I recommend that you take one capsule with each meal – which means four to six capsules daily, depending on how many meals you consume. That way, your body receives a continuing supply of important fat-mobilizing nutrients throughout the day.

Liver-Amino Formula^™

The third supplement I recommend for fat loss is Liver-Amino Formula^™. This supplement is a concentrated source of liver that has been processed to remove all the fat. It is rich in protein, B-complex vitamins, minerals, lipotropic agents, and heme iron (a type of iron derived from animal proteins that is well absorbed by the body). Iron is important in the body’s energy system because it helps manufacture hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs throughout the body.

This supplement also contains B-complex vitamins – a vitamin group that is active in converting carbohydrates into glucose, which the body burns to produce energy. The B-complex vitamins in this supplement include choline, inositol, and biotin, which are  lipotropics.

Together, all the nutrients in this supplement are necessary for energy production when carbohydrates are limited for the purpose of accelerating the fat-burning process.

For best results, I recommend that you take several liver tablets with each meal. Along with ample calories from high-density foods, this supplement should help you achieve your fat-loss goals.

Essential Vitamin Formula^™ and Mineral-Electrolyte Formula^™

Consuming a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals is vital during a fat-loss program. If you’re reducing your carbohydrate intake to shed fat, you may be losing some basic nutrients your body needs. Use of these two products ensures that your body gets the essential nutrients it needs to run as an efficient fat-burning machine. I recommend that you take one tablet of each of these supplements with each meal.

Evening Primrose Oil

One of my clients was a competitive bodybuilder who complained to me that her hair was falling out, her skin had become extremely dry, and her joints were stiff. After observing her physical characteristics, I suspected she was suffering from an essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. This deficiency was aggravated by a too-restrictive diet in which she had omitted fats altogether and slashed her caloric intake.

I made sure she added at least one tablespoon of safflower oil to her diet, and I put her on Parrillo Evening Primrose Oil 1000^™ – one capsule with each meal. Two weeks later, her hair stopped falling out and her skin was smooth and glowing. Not only that, her joint stiffness disappeared altogether.

Your body needs certain special fats just like it needs vitamins and minerals. These special fats are called the EFAs. The reason they are dubbed “essential” is because your body cannot manufacture them; you must obtain them from the foods you eat. People who diet hard and long and try to go fat-free often suffer nasty side effects from EFA deficiency: itchy, peeling skin; hair loss; stiff and sore joints and short-term memory loss.

Evening primrose oil has also been show to alleviate symptoms of premenstrual tension (PMS). Examples of physical symptoms include fluid retention, weight gain, painful breasts, and food cravings. Mental symptoms include depression, weeping, irritability, and lack of concentration. Studies of women with these symptoms have shown how powerful evening primrose oil is in alleviating them. It is a very important natural remedy.

The Parrillo Performance solution is Evening Primrose Oil 1000^™, a concentrated source of Essential Fatty Acids. EFA’s keep joints lubricated, hair and skin healthy, and brain neurons firing correctly. Each 1000 mg gel cap contains 30 IU’s of vitamin E, 100 mg of Gamma Linolenic Acid, and 760 mg of Linoleic Acid. Take one to three capsules daily.

Coconut & CapTri®

CapTri® is a miracle supplement made from a miracle food

Fat Phobia: In the wide world of fitness and health, dietary fat is Public Enemy #1. Nearly every expert in medicine, fitness or bodybuilding damns dietary fat. The rationale for the “fat disdain” is simple: eat too much fat and end up fat – and with a high likelihood of acquiring some clogged arteries along the way. Fat abhorrence and avoidance is understandable. Bad things happen to those that eat too much long-chain saturated fat for too long a period of time. Long-chain saturated fat has a chemical structure that makes converting dietary fat into body fat about as easy as saying, “Pass the pie.” Among the medical, bodybuilding and fitness intelligentsia, few differentiate between the different types and kinds of lipids; they damn them all and advise avoidance of all fat and that is ill-advised and counterproductive.

The varieties and type of fats can be confusing: monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, Short-chain Triglycerides, Medium-chain Triglycerides and Long-chain Triglycerides; the various types and kinds of lipids…olive oil, vegetable oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, canola oil…who wouldn’t be confused? There are bad fats, but not all fats are bad. There is one type of fat that if consumed regularly and generously actually accelerates physical progress. This amazing dual-use supplement is a lipid, a fat in liquid form. It is used by elite bodybuilders to add muscle mass. This same supplement is also used by elite bodybuilders seeking to shed body fat. Regular consumption of this amazing dual-purpose lipid enables Parrillo athletes to build mounds of new muscle and assist them in attaining sub-5% body fat percentiles.

Good and Bad Fats: Lumping together all fats betrays a nutritional ignorance that is shortsighted and biased. Certain lipids consumed at certain times and in certain amounts, amplifies (rather than retards) results. Parrillo athletes and bodybuilders, those that engage in intense weight training and perform constant and consistent cardio, those that eat with great discipline using a Parrillo-style nutritional diet plan – those hard-training, disciplined eaters benefit immensely by consuming ample amounts of Parrillo’s famous Medium-chain Triglyceride (MCT) CapTri^® on an ongoing daily basis. MCTs are a type of fat obtained (to near exclusion) from coconuts. The consistent consumption of MCTs in food or supplement form provides the user a veritable banquet of
benefits.

All fats and oils are composed of fat molecules called fatty acids. There are two methods of classifying fatty acids. The one you are most familiar with is based on saturation. You have saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The second method of lipid classification is based on molecular size or length of the carbon chain in the fatty acid. You have short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA). Another term you will often see in reference to fatty acids is triglyceride. Three fatty acids joined together make a triglyceride, so you may have short-chain triglycerides (SCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), or long-chain triglycerides (LCT). The vast majority of the fats and oils you eat, whether they are saturated or unsaturated, comes from an animal or a plant and are composed of long-chain triglycerides. Probably 98% to 100% of all the fats we eat consist of LCT.

Coconut is unique because it contains an ample amount of MCT. The size of the fatty acid is extremely important because physiological effects of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are distinctly different from the long-chain fatty acids more commonly found in our diet. It’s the MCT in coconut oil that make it different from all other fats and for the most part gives it its unique character and healing properties. Almost all of the
medium-chain triglycerides used in research and medicine (and in MCT food products) comes from coconut oil.

John Parrillo and the MCT Connection: John Parrillo has been touting supplemental lipid consumption for bodybuilders, professional athletes and hardcore fitness types for over thirty years. And John isn’t the only heavyweight fitness and nutritional expert to tout the seemingly endless number of benefits associated with eating MCT-loaded products or supplements. One of the world’s leading experts on lipids is Dr. Mary Enig. A world renowned biochemist and nutritionist, Dr. Enig has written a dozen food and diet books. Her most successful book is a coconut diet book entitled, Eat Fat/Lose Fat. Dr. Enig, like John Parrillo, differentiates between lipids. She is discriminating and picky about her fats. Her research indicates that (for a lot of really sound scientific and biologic reasons) humans should make it a point to eat a lot of MCT containing products. Here is an excerpt taken from her book, Eat Fat/Lose Fat. This sounds as if John Parrillo said it….

“Long-chain fatty acids, saturated fats, must be digested by bile salts secreted by the gallbladder. The fat found in coconut, MCFAs, do not need bile salt to digest…restrictive diets usually backfire; reducing calories too far and too fast triggers the body’s biologically programmed tendency to store fat when it senses starvation…In 1998 researchers at the McGill University Obesity Research Group
discovered that MCFAs actually “use up” energy as they are metabolized. The amount of energy used by the body to oxidize MCFAs is greater than the amount of energy they provide. Coconut consumption has a “thermogenic effect” in that consuming coconut oil raises body temperature, thus boosting your energy and metabolic rate. Japanese studies, reported in the Journal of Nutritional Science, confirmed that MCFAs caused greater
thermogenesis.”

In a 1996 study published in the Journal of Lipid Research, animals that were fed a diet of “at least” 50% MCFAs had significant weight loss, even though they were not “calorie restricted.” Mary Enig relates,

“MCFAs are oxidized, burned up, used for energy, instead of being stored in the fatty tissue of the body. As a result you generate more body heat that burns more calories, kick-starting the body into burning up existing fat stores.”

CapTri^®, the Perfect MCT: John Parrillo explained the rationale behind consuming generous amounts of MCTs/MCFAs way back in 1990. His explanation rings as true today as it did back then…

After being eaten and digested, conventional fats are circulated throughout the body before being “picked up” by fat cells. This can occur in the presence of insulin and/or glucose. CapTri^® (a coconut-derived nutritional supplement) is not circulated through the body. Instead, CapTri^® is transported directly from the small intestine to the liver. CapTri^® is retained in the liver until it is completely consumed – no “residue” remains to be stored as body fat. CapTri^® is predisposed to burn rapidly and to preferentially be used for energy.

• Conventional fats are easily converted to body fat: they have the same structure

• Protein and Carbs must be “converted” before they can be stored as body fat

• Once inside cells, fat molecules are burned in structures called mitochondria

• All enzymes responsible for fat burning are contained within the mitochondria

• Conventional fats cannot be burned if carbohydrates are in the body

• CapTri^® can be burned in the presence of carbs

• CapTri^® is made from coconut oil

The question then becomes: well so what? The average trainee often will look at CapTri^® with a glazed look and ask, ‘Do I need CapTri^®? If so, how do I use it? To what end?’ The fact of the matter is that everyone serious about bodybuilding, fitness or sport needs to supplement with MCTs. The benefits are too numerous and too scientifically proven to ignore: how does the regular trainee utilize CapTri^®? First, pick one of two directions…

• Use CapTri^® to add fat-free muscle mass

• Use CapTri^® to retain and maintain muscle while shedding body fat

CapTri^® can be used as a mass-building tool: Those individuals seeking to build more muscle mass (and concurrently acquire additional power and strength) should use CapTri^® as a “caloric amplifier.” The strategy is simple: eat additional MCT calories, calories that cannot be stored as body fat, CapTri^® calories, eat a lot of them each and every day: dramatically up the daily caloric intake and pair extra calories with ferocious weight training. How best do we add quality muscle mass without becoming fat in the process?  To grow new muscle you must operate in a state of continual caloric surplus. No matter what magical training routine you use, no matter what miracle nutritional plan you adhere to – if you burn off more calories than you consume on a daily basis it becomes a physiological impossibility to grow new muscle. The requisite excess calories are nonexistent. When calorically deficient, no muscle growth is possible. CapTri^® contains 113 calories per tablespoon and consuming 3 to 10 tablespoons of CapTri^® per day, an athlete can effortlessly add 300 to 1000 supplemental calories to their daily intake; calories that are impossible to end up stored as
body fat.

CapTri^® can be used to reduce body fat without destroying muscle: The reoccurring dilemma for the competitive bodybuilder is this: how do you lean out, how do you significantly lower one’s body fat percentile – without destroying hard-earned gym muscle during the dietary process? It is one thing to get down to a 3-8% body fat percentile, but it is quite a different story to get down to 3-8% without ending up emaciated, haggard, drawn, listless or muscle-less. The expert use of MCFAs allows the savvy athlete to reduce their body fat percentile while retaining (or even adding) existing muscle mass. CapTri^® allows the competitive bodybuilder to maintain thick, full muscles during the final days leading up to a competition. MCT supplementation should be an integral part, a cornerstone, of every trainee’s nutritional game plan

• Parrillo determined that intense physical exercise, be it cardio or resistance training, accelerates the metabolism. The metabolism stays elevated for hours.

• Parrillo determined that the human body digests certain types of food easily; and just as easily converts these easy-to-digest foods into body fat.

• Parrillo determined that certain healthy foods are difficult to digest. The body “gears up” to digest difficult-to-digest foods. This further tweaks the metabolism.

Studies indicated that MCT-derived calories, consumed in copious amounts on a consistent daily basis, cause the metabolism to accelerate. Parrillo combines intense, metabolism-accelerating exercise with precision metabolism-accelerating eating and augments the training and nutrition with metabolism-accelerating MCT supplementation: the results are nothing short of sensational.

CapTri^® is not just for the bodybuilding elite: Most people will never enter a physique competition, yet they can benefit immensely by following the Parrillo Precepts: exercise intensely, eat multiple-meals and consume ample amounts of nutritious “clean” foods. Supplement with Parrillo’s potent MCT oil, CapTri^®.  Expropriate the methods used by the bodybuilding elite to further your own physical aspirations. Regardless if the goal is to lose body fat or add new muscle, CapTri^® should be used to accelerate the acquisition of either. CapTri^® tweaks the BMR. CapTri^® provides a mountain of usable, muscle-building muscle-sparing calories. Calories that cannot be stored as body fat. CapTri^® contains the kind of calories (and energy) that is either used to build new muscle or used for energy. Can you afford to be without this kind of supplemental firepower? If you are serious, if you train hard and eat with discipline, CapTri^® will open the next door and take you to the next level of physical
development.

Lipids and the Human Metabolism:

The human body burns calories to live, to survive, to exist. Like an automobile set in “park” and left curbside to idle, the human body, while at rest, burns a certain amount of calories. This idle speed represents an individual’s base caloric ‘burn rate.’ There exist certain practices and procedures, certain modes and methods, that, when enacted for protracted periods, accelerates the metabolism. John Parrillo developed a series of Basal Metabolic Rate-accelerating procedures. These systems and methods naturally and safely elevate the BMR, the metabolism. Intense exercise elevates the metabolism; the use of highly regimented eating (supplemented with MCTs) accelerates the metabolism. Parrillo’s genius was to link exercise and eating together and meld and mold seemingly disparate elements into a coherent, integrated bodybuilding system.

CapTri® used as cooking oil:

Do you miss the taste of sautéed or fried food? Would you like to be able to eat some down-home fried foods like potato hash browns, crispy fried fish or chicken fingers? Perhaps some crispy beef or sautéed shellfish? Would you love it if someone figured out how to make tasty fried foods ‘acceptable?’ What if you could fry diet foods – yet still stay completely true to the tight and disciplined precepts of the Parrillo Nutritional Program? It is possible: use CapTri^® as a cooking oil! Use CapTri^® as you would when pan sautéing with olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil or sesame oil. Place a tablespoon or two (or three) of CapTri^® in the bottom of a non-stick skillet, sauté diced carrots, onions, bell peppers, garlic, diced potatoes, spinach or broccoli. Sauté proteins such as fish fillets, shellfish, flank or skirt steak, chicken breast or tenders. Sauté using CapTri^® just as you would with any cooking oil. CapTri^® has a “neutral” taste effect on fried food; CapTri^® does not impart a flavor in the foods fried in it.

Be sure to check out our latest website, parrilloperformance.com, where you can get recipes for cooking with CapTri^®, and watch how-to CapTri^® cooking videos. You can learn how to make quick and easy recipes like Fried Chicken Fingers and Southwest Barley Salad.

Boost Your Energy

If your training, whether it is aerobic, strength, or both, is destined for super-intensity, then you’ve got to pay attention to your pre-exercise nutrition, particularly supplements. In case you don’t know it, there is an exact science to pre-exercise supplementation, and I’m going to cover it for you here and specify what you need to take and when you need to take it. If you’re going to get serious about your training, you must get serious about pre-exercise supplementation.

Three to Four Hours Prior to Training: Eat a carb-rich meal. This will significantly pump up muscle and liver glycogen content for better intensity for workouts. Exactly how much carbohydrate should you consume in this critical pre-exercise period? An Ohio State University study determined that eating 200 to 350 grams of carbohydrate improves performance substantially. (1) You can increase the carbohydrate content of your meal by including Parrillo ProCarb Formula^™, Parrillo Energy Bar^™, or Parrillo 50/50 Plus^™ as part of that meal.

30 Minutes Prior to Training: Take Parrillo Max Endurance Formula^™. This supplement contains the following endurance-enhancing nutrients: inosine, a nutrient that improves oxygen utilization for better stamina, possibly by forcing additional production of energy-producing ATP; l-phenylalanine, an essential amino acid that acts as a potent mental stimulant for improved concentration during workouts; d-phenylalanine, an amino acid that promotes a higher pain threshold; and ferulic acid (FRAC), a nutrient that stimulates the endocrine system to aid recovery and boost workout capacity. This supplement also contains magnesium and potassium aspartates, which help filter waste products from the system, giving you extra stamina and extending endurance.

Immediately Prior to Training:
Supplement with a dose of Parrillo Creatine Monohydrate^™. Creatine increases levels of a high-energy compound called creatine phosphate, which also allows more rapid production of ATP. The more ATP that is available to muscle cells, the longer, harder, and more powerfully you can work out.

Another energy-boosting strategy is to combine CapTri^® with a carbohydrate supplement such as ProCarb^™ and have it just prior to working out. The medium chain fatty acids in CapTri^® can diffuse into the cells very quickly, where they are burned immediately for energy — at the same time as glucose. This has a glucose-sparing effect, meaning that glucose and its stored counterpart, muscle glycogen, last longer without being depleted. The longer glycogen reserves last, the more energy you have for activities and fat-burning exercise.

Try this supplement regimen, and expect your energy to go through the roof – and your physique to soar to new levels.

REFERENCES

1. Coggan, A.R., et al. 1992. Nutritional Manipulations before and during endurance exercise: effects on performance. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 24: S331-335.

Beans

Do you get confused by news on vitamins and nutrition? One day you hear that a certain vitamin is good for you; the next day, it’s bad. Take vitamin E, for example.

A study published in 2007 in the Archives of Internal Medicine supposedly discovered that vitamin E and other antioxidants were of no real health benefit. The news was splashed all over the media. But what wasn’t reported was that most of the people in the study did not consistently take their vitamins.

(You do have to take your supplements for them to work!) In truth, the people who did take their vitamins regularly had some significant benefits: Vitamin E reduced the risk of heart attack by 22 percent, and a combo of vitamins C and E reduced stroke risk by 31 percent.

Vitamin E is certainly a good supplement to have in your nutritional arsenal. It is an antioxidant, meaning it helps fight many diseases. It is a friend to your white blood cells too, since it appears to enhance the ability of these cells to destroy disease-causing bacteria. Overall, vitamin E helps build a strong immune system and promotes a healthy heart, eyes, and prostate.

Vitamin E is important if you exercise regularly. A “side effect” of being active is that slight muscle damage can occur with vigorous exercise. As you jog, run, or cycle, you take in more oxygen than normal, thus exposing your muscle tissue to more of this highly reactive gas, as well as to pollutants in the air. Taken together, oxygen and pollutants can upset the delicate chemical structure of the cell – a reaction known as “oxidative damage.” Vitamin E helps prevent this cellular damage.

A great natural supplement source of vitamin E is Parrillo Natural E-Plus™. If you decide to use it, take it with a meal that contains some fat to enable the nutrient to be absorbed. Vitamin E can also thin your blood, so make sure you inform your physician that you are taking it.

Vitamin E occurs naturally in vegetable oils, whole grain cereals, dried beans, and green leafy vegetables – yet the content is not high. Consequently, many researchers feel that vitamin E supplements are more effective than foods for obtaining adequate levels of this antioxidant – so don’t avoid it because of negative headlines!

References

Cook, N.R., et al. 2007. A randomized factorial trial of vitamins C and E and beta carotene in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in women: results from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study. Archives of Internal Medicine 167:1610-1618.