Manual

Welcome to our Weekly Edition – September 29

1. Healthy Recipe: Mock Pumpkin Pudding (Made with Sweet Potatoes)
2. Don’t Forget To Check Out The Parrillo Recipe Video Series
3. Mold More Muscularity
4. Article of the Week: Rest, Recovery & GH

Healthy Recipe: Mock Pumpkin Pudding (Made with Sweet Potatoes)

400 g. cooked and mashed sweet potato
100 g. egg whites
1/4 cup boiling water
1 (one) 1/4 oz. pkg. of nonflavored gelatin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (NO SUGAR added)
1 tbsp. CapTri®

Pour water in blender and turn on low. Add gelatin, egg whites, sweet potato, CapTri® and pumpkin spice. Blend until mixture has a smooth consistency. Pour into sherbert or dessert glasses and chill until pudding is firm. Top with Whipped Cream (recipe on page 96 of the CapTri® Cookbook.) Makes 4 servings.

Don’t Forget To Check Out The Parrillo Recipe Video Series

We announced the release of the new Parrillo recipe video series appearing on www.parrilloperformance.com last week, so if you haven’t viewed the first installment yet, check it out by clicking here! In this first video Dominique Parrillo shows you how quick and easy it is to whip up her delicious Southwest Barley Salad recipe!

Mold More Muscularity

Muscularity describes the relative development of each muscle – its size, shape, separation, and the degree of body fat present. With most physiques, the lack of muscular is immediately obvious, with flaws ranging from poor quadriceps separation to poor lower lat development. In many cases, muscularity is there, but it is obscured by body fat. But let’s not focus on the negatives; let’s focus on the positives: how to hone your physique so that there are no flaws in muscularity.

Article of the Week: Rest, Recovery & GH

Rest and recuperation can work in conjunction with growth hormone (GH) if this relationship is properly understood. For background, growth hormone (GH) is a protein hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small secretory gland at the base of the brain. Hormones, chemical messengers secreted by endocrine glands into the bloodstream, are delivered to target tissues, where they exert their effects.(1) Although growth hormone is of interest to adults, its primary function is to promote growth during childhood. Actively growing children have the highest levels of growth hormone. Gradually, GH release decreases with age. The decline in GH levels may in fact be the cause of some of the processes of aging. If you haven’t made good gains in awhile try to incorporate some of the following GH-releasing ideas.

GH & Rest between Sets

An important exercise parameter that seems to enhance GH release is to use shorter rest intervals when training. To do this, of course, you have to use lighter weights (and more reps). A difficult protocol that works well to increase GH levels is to train to failure at 10 reps (use 10 rep maximum weight) combined with one-minute rest intervals (5). If you’re used to resting 3-5 minutes between sets, shorten up the rest interval to one minute or less; it will work wonders. Sometimes bodybuilders get into a rut; they plateau and can’t figure out the problem. It might be that they’re training like powerlifters: very heavy weights, very low reps with long rest intervals.

In 1993 a scientific study compared the GH-release of 20 sets of one rep each (done maximally) to 10 sets of 10 reps (also maximum) and found the 10 sets of 10 reps resulted in greater GH release (6). Why? Probably the larger volume of work, done with enough reps to result in some lactic acid production, combined with short rest intervals, is the best way to trigger GH release. It may prove beneficial to include some high intensity aerobics as part of your cardiovascular training. There seems to be theoretical justification to include sprinting for better results

A postscript here: Weight training is incredibly intense exercise and within seconds of the commencement of a heavy set, energy reserves are depleted and waste products begin to accumulate (1-4). Creatine phosphate serves as an energy donor and helps to maintain the supply of ATP, the molecule used by muscles to power contractions. ATP is rapidly depleted and strength fades as a heavy set proceeds, muscular contractions soon stop altogether. During the rest interval between sets ATP and creatine phosphate stores are repleted. Supplementation with Creatine Monohydrate can help the entire depletion-regeneration process as it increases intracellular Creatine pools(5-6). Supplement with our Creatine Monohydrate Formula^TM and you will get a better training effect.

Weights

Welcome to our Weekly Edition – September 23

1. Healthy Recipe: Stuffed Mushrooms
2. Check Out Parrillo’s New Online Video Recipe Series
3. Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus
4. Article Of The Week: Support Your Success

Healthy Recipe: Stuffed Mushrooms

300 g. ground turkey
300 g. mushrooms, medium size
25 g. shredded wheat
1tsp. Mrs. Dash
2 tbsp. CapTri®
parsley to taste

Place CapTri® in a frying pan; add turkey and brown over medium heat. Add shredded wheat and Mrs. Dash, cook for 5 minutes, and remove pan from heat. Remove stems from mushrooms. Wash mushroom caps thoroughly and place on a cookie sheet. Spoon turkey mixture into mushroom caps and bake for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are brown and tender. Garnish with parsley. Serves four.

Check Out Parrillo’s New Online Video Recipe Series

Watch as Dominique Parrillo shows you how to prepare a classic Parrillo recipe, Southwest Barley Salad. Look for more Parrillo recipe videos in the coming weeks!

Breaking Through Weight Loss Plateaus

If you’re training for your next big marathon, bodybuilding competition, or just getting ready for bathing suit season, supplement bars are an effective complement to your nutrition. But as with all supplements, not just any bar will do; you should customize your choice of supplement bar to your fitness goals. That’s easy to do with the Parrillo Supplement Bars, which come in three different formulations: Sports Nutrition Bars^TM, Energy Bars^TM, and Protein Bars^TM, each designed for specific athletic requirements. Here’s what you need to know about these supplements – and how to use them in your personal sports nutrition program.

Article of the Week: Support Your Success

By Cliff Sheats

It’s been proven time and time again: Sup port for your fitness efforts is a very potent part of your motivation. In my Lean Bodies classes, I’ve always found that the most consistent participants are the ones who work out with a partner. Often, another person’s willpower may be just what you need when you are tempted to skip a workout or go off your program.

How then do you find the best support? Here are some tips:

● You and your partner or exercise group should be “like-minded,” that is, be interested in exercise, nutrition, and good health – and the benefits they bring.

● Your partners should share the same workout and nutrition philosophies. It’s important, for example, that you all be on the Parrillo Nutrition Program, so that you can share recipe and nutrit ion tips and ideas.

● Each one of you should be a “positive motivator,” and not a “cheap complimenter.” In other words, don’t tell your partner he’s looking great, when in fact he has only worked out twice. Tell the truth. Be supportive and encouraging – especially when new fitness goals are attained.

● Partners should have compatible schedules so that you can work out at the same time during the week. It’s easier to stick to a set routine rather than do sporadic activities. Schedule your exercise sessions at the same time, on the same days. This is an excellent carrot to dangle in front of you. Eventually, your workouts will become cemented into your daily routine.

● Both of you should be willing to work out at the same intensity levels and not be afraid to sweat! Commit yourself gradually and progressively by increasing your intensity.

● You should also con sider the Parrillo staff in Cincinnati, Ohio as part of your extended support. If you have questions about working out or eating properly, feel free to call the Parrillo Performance info-line at 513-874-3305 (Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm EST). You’ll be able to talk personally to one of the Parrillo consultants, who will answer your nutrition and training questions, keeping your individual goals in mind. Remember, support is one of the ways you can become the best you can be.

1. Healthy Recipe: Kidney Beans And Romaine Lettuce & More Great Parrillo Recipes
2. Have You Tried Our New Protein Chew Bars^TM Yet?
3. Article of the Week: The Stage 1 Lean Out Phase: Triggering Glucagon

Healthy Recipe: Kidney Beans And Romaine Lettuce

1/3 cup chicken stock
400 g. kidney beans (raw beans)cooked to package instructions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. oregano
200 g. onion, chopped
1 tsp. thyme
700 g. (one head) romaine lettuce, sliced
1/2 tsp. basil
200 g. tomato, chopped
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. CapTri®

In a large, nonstick skillet, sauté garlic in chicken stock for 2‑3 minutes. Add onion and lettuce and sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomato, kidney beans, lemon juice, spices and CapTri®. Sauté 1 more minute to heat thoroughly. Serve hot or cold. Serves six.

More Great Parrillo Recipes To Try:

Black Bean Dip
Try this dip at your next football game gathering

Shrimp Scampi
A delicious meal from the sea

Mexican Fish Fillets
Be sure to make the Jalapeno Tomato Sauce (next recipe below) to serve with the fillets!

Jalapeno Tomato Sauce
Can be served as a dip with raw vegetables

Curry Pumpkin Soup
Try this unique recipe for a change of pace

Sweet Potato Souffle
What a treat! Seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla

White Chili
Try a new take on chili

Veggie Dip
This is great with fresh raw vegetables

Tuna Quiche
Tired of plain tuna? Give this recipe a try!

Tartar Sauce
Make up a batch of tartar sauce for your next fish dinner

Have You Tried Our New Protein Chew Bars^TM Yet?

The new Protein Chew Bars^TM are the latest Parrillo product to hit the shelves and the response has been amazing! These chewy bars taste just like taffy, making them a great treat without all the sugar! Each Chew Bar is packed with 20 grams of high-quality protein, and has only 180 calories and 2 grams of sugar. Parrillo Protein Chew Bars^TM are now available in 10 delicious flavors:

Chocolate
Vanilla
Strawberry
Peanut Butter
Root Beer
Licorice
Chocolate Toffee
English Toffee
Chocolate Graham Cracker
Hazelnut Expresso
Which flavor will be your new Parrillo favorite? Orders placed this week at Parrillo Performance will receive a free sample of the Root Beer Protein Chew Bar^TM, so now’s the time to give the Chew Bars^TM a try!

Article of the Week: The Stage 1 Lean Out Phase: Triggering Glucagon

Just about everyone wants to lose body fat. One of the best ways to lose fat without losing muscle is to manipulate the insulin/glucagon axis. These two hormones are two sides of the same coin: insulin can become the bodybuilder’s best friend for building muscle; the most anabolic of all hormones, the right amount of insulin secreted at the right time can have a magnificent muscle building effect. Too much insulin, however, results in the creation of body fat. Glucagon is generally thought of as a catabolic hormone when in fact it can trigger the body to burn off fat. By reducing carbohydrate consumption at your last meal of the day and engaging in an intense aerobic exercise the next morning, before breakfast, an amazing phenomenon occurs. By reducing carb intake at night, going to sleep and fasting (you aren’t eating any carbs for 6-8 hours while asleep) then waking up and hitting cardio in a glycogen-depleted state, the hormone glucagon is released. This acts as a signal for your body to start burning body fat. The body, deprived of its favorite source of energy, glycogen, emulsified carbohydrates, is forced to use fatty acids for energy.

Glucagon is an important hormone involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Produced by the pancreas, it is released when the glucose level in the blood is low, this is called hypoglycemia. The liver converts stored glycogen into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream. The action of glucagon is thus opposite to that of insulin, which instructs the body’s cells to take in glucose from the blood in times of satiation. John Parrillo has made a science out of manipulating the insulin/glucagon axis through the expert use of nutrition combined with exercise. The goal of bodybuilding is to build muscle and melt off body fat. The expert manipulation of insulin leads to anabolic muscle growth. The expert manipulation of glucagon leads to burning off body fat. Another trick the Parrillo Pros use to further accelerate body fat oxidation is to perform two cardio sessions per day. After eating the last meal of the day, perform a second cardio session. For the sake of example let’s say you eat your final Parrillo-style bodybuilding meal (a portion of lean protein, a portion of fiber and a small portion of starch) at around 6pm. At 7pm perform a cardio session. The idea is to deplete glycogen out of the system. Why go to all that trouble? The more glycogen you deplete before bed means the deeper the glycogen depletion upon awaking the next morning. When you wake up after performing cardio the previous night you are really glycogen depleted. When you commence the morning cardio session, the fat burning is far more intense and far more effective.

The combination of twice daily intense aerobic activity, precision nutrition, and deepening the nighttime fast state, all combines to create a fat-burning window of opportunity. Obviously the more intense and protracted the aerobic sessions the more calories that will be burnt up and the more body fat that will be burnt off. Does this mean you have to perform an hour of cardio in the morning and another hour at night? No; though competitive bodybuilders intent on getting their body fat percentile down to 5% body fat or less will do that much cardio or more. How about getting the ball rolling with a 30 minute morning session and a second 15 minute session done at night? Hold that for a week. Then try and kick up either the duration or intensity of the cardio session for six consecutive weeks? You could keep the 30/15 minute session lengths and seek to go faster and further within that timeframe. You could extend the duration of the sessions a few minutes each week. At the end of six weeks you could be going for 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night. Regardless which procedure you use, without precision Parrillo-style eating it’s all wasted effort.