Tips and Tidbits – April, 2010

Training Tip of the Month

Selecting a good spotter: The use of a spotter crucial to intense training. A spotter lets you use advanced training techniques, monitors your form and helps break previous barriers. Not everyone with whom you work out with is an effective spotter, however. There is a real art to spotting.

Here are some guidelines for selecting
a good spotter:

• The spotter must have the mental capacity to be as focused in the workouts as you are.

• He/she is knowledgeable enough in physiology to know if you are using the right muscles.

• He/she has the ability to prompt you on proper form, and then correct you if necessary.

• He/she is a good communicator, capable of reading your non-verbal responses to workout exertion.

Remember, you may choose the best spotter in the world, but maximum intensity in every workout is still your responsibility—and yours only.

Nutrition Tip of the Month

Importance of Essential Fatty Acids: Are you getting enough essential fatty acids? The body is unable to manufacture EFAs itself, they must be obtained from the diet. Normally people don’t have to worry about EFA deficiency in this country because the typical diet contains so much fat. Furthermore, EFAs can be stored in body fat so a dietary deficiency won’t show up for a long time. Extremely lean athletes, however, who follow a low-fat diet for a prolonged time are definitely at increased risk for fatty acid deficiency. Have I ever actually seen any bodybuilders with the clinical symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency? You bet. Did their symptoms resolve after fatty acid supplementation? Yes – rapidly and dramatically. Parrillo’s Evening Primrose Oil™ and Fish Oil DHA 800 EPA 200™ provide EFAs without excess non-essential fats, letting you maintain a low-fat diet.

Question of the Month

Question: Why are Parrillo Liver Amino Formula™ supplements recommended for bodybuilders and athletes?

Answer: Parrillo Liver Amino Formula™ is one of the best supplements available for bodybuilders and endurance athletes: It provides heme iron, high quality protein, and B vitamins all in one. Desiccated liver supplements, like Liver Amino™, represent probably the most bioavailable iron source. High potency beef liver tablets, taken at recurring intervals throughout the day, combined with sensible eating, will allow an athlete to have a better recovery rate all day long. Each tablet contains a whopping 1.5g of high BV protein – along with blood strengthening heme iron (women take note), plus a handful of B-12, Choline and Dibencozide as well. We recommend athletes take 5 to 8 tablets with each meal, depending on your size, and a handful before bed. These nighttime tabs will provide you with a nice anabolic jolt as they dissolve deep into the sleep cycle.

News and Discoveries in Fitness and Nutrition

Cooling Inflammation for Healthier Arteries

Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have reported new reasons for choosing “heart-healthy” oats at the grocery store. Nutritionist Mohsen Meydani, director of the Vascular Biology Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, Mass., led the research on the oat compounds, called avenanthramides. Meydani previously has shown that phenolic antioxidants in oats obstruct the ability of blood cells to stick to artery walls.

Chronic inflammation inside the arterial wall is part of the process that eventually leads to a disorder known as atherosclerosis. Meydani and colleagues have reported findings that suggest the avenanthramides of oats decrease the expression of inflammatory molecules. The study showed that forms of avenanthramides possess potential anti-inflammatory properties through inhibiting factors that are linked with activating proinflammatory cytokines.Cytokines are small proteins released by cells while seeking to protect and repair tissue. Some trigger inflammation, for example, while responding to infection. Inhibiting inflammation through diet, drugs, or key nutrients is considered to be of great benefit in preventing atherosclerosis. Details of this study can be found in the scientific journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine.

The study provides additional indications of the potential health benefit of oat consumption in the prevention of coronary heart disease beyond its known effect through lowering blood cholesterol.

Quick Tip of the Month

Here are some easy ideas to add a little spice to your breakfast: Try adding a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to your Parrillo Hi-Protein Pancake & Muffin™ batter. Add a shake or two of cinnamon to your bowl of oatmeal. You can even add a pinch of cinnamon to your morning coffee before you brew it. Add a pinch of dried thyme or dill to your egg whites before you scramble them. For some heat sprinkle in a little cayenne pepper or hot paprika.

- Rosalie Marion Bliss, Feb. 16, 2010, ARS website: www.ars.usda.gov

Dominique’s Time Cruncher

If you miss having a tall glass of cold milk, or milk to pour over your shredded wheat cereal or oatmeal, try this: Get a big pitcher with a lid, pour in 8 scoops of Parrillo Milk-flavor All-Protein Powder™ and 4 cups of water, mix well and place in the refrigerator. Now the next time you sit down to enjoy a Parrillo Contest Brownie™, you can pour yourself a glass of cold Milk flavor All-Protein™ to wash it down!

Tips and Tidbits November 2009

Training  of the month:

Your ability to build additional muscle is limited by your degree of cardiovascular density. Without aerobics in your total bodybuilding program, your body can’t create any new supply routes for your newly developed muscles. The more blood vessels you have and the bigger they are, the longer and more intense your workouts can be. In other words, the better your cardiovascular density, the greater potential you have for building bigger muscles.

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Tips and Tidbits September, 2009

Nutrition Tip

of the month:

A successful approach to losing body fat involves alternating one month on a weight gain cycle and one month on a fat loss cycle. The first month you would gain a pound each week (4 lbs.) and 75% of it is muscle. In the second month you lose a pound a week (4 lbs. total) and 75% of that loss in fat. At the end of the two-month cycle you will have gained 2 lbs. of muscle and lost 2 lbs. of fat. Extend that to a year and you’re looking at 12 lbs of muscle gained and 12 lbs. of fat lost. You’re constantly making progress and your metabolism never gets the chance to slow down. These goals are quite realistic and very easily attainable for anyone, particularly easy for bodybuilders who are giving 100% effort to their training and nutrition program.

Training Tip

of the month:

Which is more effective for losing fat, weight training or aerobics?

Both aerobics and weight training can be very effective at promoting fat loss. Aerobics burns fat during the session and the harder the aerobic workout, the more fat you burn during your aerobic session. Weight lifting, on the other hand, burns less fat during the workout, but your metabolism will stay elevated as your body recovers from an intense workout, which burns fat between workouts. It’s best to include both hard aerobics and intense weight training if you want to be both lean and muscular.

Question

of the month:

Losing Weight May Lower Cholesterol, Boost Immunity

Question: Why aren’t fruit or dairy products in Parrillo’s nutrition diet plan? Aren’t they part of a balanced diet?

Answer: Fruit contains a simple sugar known as fructose, which is easily converted to fat in the liver. Although fresh fruit and low fat dairy products are healthy, nutritious foods, they contain a lot of natural sugars which are easily converted into body fat. So if you’re striving for ultimate leanness and a high energy level, avoid the consumption of sugary foods, including fruit and
dairy products.

It’s true that fruit is high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber – but so are natural, complex carbohydrates. If you want to get leaner and more muscular – and build your recuperative powers by re-stocking glycogen more efficiently – avoid fruit. Choose starchy and fibrous carbohydrates instead.

Breaking News

Fitness & Nutrition

Scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service found that volunteers with high cholesterol and/or triglycerides–who followed both a low-fat and low-calorie diet–not only lost weight, but also significantly enhanced their immune response. The volunteers consumed different diets during four distinct test phases lasting more than one month each. The first three phases were designed to maintain body weight, and the last phase was not. The researchers tested the volunteers’ immune functions through blood tests and skin-patch tests geared to measure immune response at the end of each phase.

Cholesterol levels were significantly reduced during all phases, compared to the baseline-diet phase. But during skin-patch tests after the last phase, the volunteers showed significantly better immune responses than after any of the other three phases of the study. Blood tests also indicated enhanced cellular immune response. The study’s authors concluded that high-cholesterol individuals who follow recommended low-fat diets are unlikely to erode their immune systems, and they may well improve their immune response if they lose weight at the same time. The researchers now are planning more studies to gauge the effects of caloric restriction on health status and immune response in larger groups of volunteers.

- Rosalie Marion Bliss, September 2003, ARS, USDA

Quick Tip

of the month:

Keep multiples of kitchen tools you use often for cooking, things like measuring cups & spoons, bowls, spatulas, large spoons, etc., in your kitchen cabinets. This way, you’ll always have what you need, ready to use, even if you haven’t had a chance to do the dishes.

Dominique’s

Time Cruncher

ÚHave a food processor on hand in the kitchen! Keep it ready to go on your counter top, so it’s convenient to use. You can slice, dice, shred, or chop your vegetables with a food processor, which will save you so much prep time when cooking your meals!

Tips and Tidbits May, 2009

nutrition Tip of the month:

Parrillo Pro-Carb Powder™ is the ultimate carbohydrate supplement. Carbohydrates are a great energy source for fueling athletic activities and supporting weight gain. Pro-Carb™ is ideal for carb loading, for use during training and athletic competition and as a source of extra calories during heavy training. Not only is it high in carbohydrates, but a Pro-Carb™ drink also supplies water which is needed for glycogen storage. Using Pro-Carb™, you get a more even energy level because the carbs are released slowly, minimizing the chance that any will spill over into fat stores. Pro-Carb™ contains no simple sugars or artificial sweeteners; it’s available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Banana, and Peach flavors.

Make an effort to do your aerobics in the morning for 45 to 60 minutes–before breakfast, several times a week. By exercising before your first meal, you begin burning fatty acids for energy in the absence of glycogen. You become leaner as a result. Then later, the carbohydrates you eat are efficiently re-supplied to muscles, without being turned into body fat. Plus, your metabolism is activated for the entire day. Don’t underestimate the power of aerobics in your training program! The benefits are numerous, from fat-burning to cardiovascular health to improved recovery mechanisms. Just don’t “coast”, work out hard to get the results you want! 

Breaking News Fitness & Nutrition

            

Fight Osteoporosis: Bone Up on a Quality Diet 

Findings from a new study suggest vitamin C may be protective against bone loss in older men.  Osteoporosis—a condition in which bones become porous and weak—affects about 10 million people in the U.S. population, and low bone mass is a public health concern among another 44 million people aged 50 or older. The researchers wanted to examine whether fruit- and vegetable-specific antioxidants such as vitamin C might decrease oxidative stress that is linked to accelerated bone loss. In the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, bone mineral density at the hip, spine and forearm was measured in 344 men and 540 women aged 75 on average. Because people at risk for bone loss, such as smokers, may use vitamin C supplements more often, the potential effects of vitamin C intake obtained from diet, supplements, and both diet and supplements were examined. Interactions based on smoking, calcium and vitamin E intakes were tracked. The researchers observed significant positive associations for total vitamin C—both dietary and supplemental—among men who never smoked. 

Among a subset of the participants—whose bone mineral density was again measured after four years—different interactions were observed. During those four years, total vitamin C appeared to be protective against losses in bone mineral density in two areas of the hip among men with low calcium or vitamin E intakes. That finding is consistent with previous reports by Tucker and other researchers that higher fruit and vegetable intake has positive effects on bone mineral status.

By Rosalie Marion Bliss, Oct. 2008, Agricultural Research Service, USDA 
 

Question of the month: 

Question: How important are nutritional supplements for athletes? 

Answer: First, make sure you remember: food is the foundation! There’s no supplement that has ever come close to providing everything you get from food. That’s not to say you don’t get results from supplements – you do, but only when taken with food and at the proper time and in the proper combinations. Vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, amino acids, medium chain fatty acids, aspartates, lipotropics, and other supplements increase the nutrient density in body cells, activating your body chemistry for growth. Once you’re eating correctly, supplements can be added to your diet to maximize the results. When you add the right supplements to the proper nutritional foundation, you’ll be bowled over by the amazing progress you can make!

Quick Tip of the month:

Try this easy topping to add more flavor to your grilled chicken or fish: Add a capful of salt-free lemon pepper seasoning mix to 2 Tablespoons of Butter Flavor CapTri^® MCT Oil, stirring well.  Try other salt-free seasoning mixes, like Italian, Herb & Garlic, Southwest, or Caribbean. 

Dominique’s Time Cruncher 

Ú To save time, always make a list before going to the grocery. First, plan your menu for the week, then make your grocery list according to what you’ll need. This way you can shop quickly and you won’t have to make extra trips to the store later. 

Tips and Tidbits > Breaking news fitness and nutrition

Eating Beans Helps Lower Cholesterol

Consuming as little as one-half cup of cooked dry beans every day helped volunteers lower their total cholesterol levels in an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. These results, published in the November issue of the Journal of Nutrition by the ARS scientists and their colleagues, add to a growing—and convincing—body of evidence that beans are a heart healthy food choice. 

The researchers tested 80 volunteers aged 18 to 55 years. Half were healthy, while half had at least two symptoms that lead to metabolic syndrome, a combination of conditions that signal a risk for cardiovascular disease. Those with “pre-metabolic-syndrome” had abdominal obesity and either high triglyceride levels, low HDL “good” cholesterol, high blood sugar, or high blood pressure. 
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Parrillo Performance Tips and Tidbits

Roxi Baum

Trainer Spotlight 

Roxi Baum 

Title: Personal Trainer,

specializing in Female Fitness

Location: Jonathan’s Gym in Bedford, Indiana

After an exhilarating certification weekend at Parrillo Performance, I am a newly certified personal trainer enjoying my first clients and the amazing feeling of making a difference by helping people change their lives and meet their goals.  With equal emphasis on nutrition and training, I will give my clients a strong foundation on which to build a fit and healthful lifestyle.  I train at Johnathan’s Gym in Bedford, Indiana, specializing in Female Fitness with special emphasis on helping women feel confident in the gym.  Advice from “seasoned trainers” is welcomed at rbpft@yahoo.com. 

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