Evening Primrose Oil & Premenstrual Syndrome

Evening primrose is a wildflower that belongs to the Onagraceae family of plants. Evening primrose oil is derived from the seeds of the flower which is then purified and then encapsulated ready for consumption by swallowing.

The essential fatty acids in the oil are found to be beneficial to the growth and development to the body. Evening primrose oil has also shown to significantly ease the symptoms associated, the menopause and arthritic pain.

However, this supplement is better known for the relieving the stomach cramps, bloating and general discomfort that can often be apparent in differing degrees for premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Most women at some stage during their lives will experience discomfort from PMS ranging from lower abdominal pain to breast pain or general fatigue and lethargy. EPO has often been recommended against more conventional or prescription medications due to being a natural product.

Approximately 85% of women will experience symptoms such as bloating or breast tenderness during the days prior to and shortly after the menstrual cycle. A small percentage of women will suffer from significant symptoms other than those normally experienced by most women during menstruation

Evening primrose oil supplements help to maintain hormonal balance and healthier skin from its rich source of omega -6 GLA (gamma-linolenic acid) and its precursor to prostaglandins which regulates these functions.

GLA or Gamma-Linolenic Acid is an omega 6 fatty acid that is predominately found in plant based oils such as the evening primrose flower. The supplementation of omega oils is essential given that it plays a crucial role in brain function and overall development but also that can only derived from consumption as it is not produced in the human body.

Evening primrose supplementation is effective in relieving the symptoms of numerous conditions, disorders and syndromes. Women commonly use EPO during pregnancy for preventing high blood pressure and also to combat premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis, breast pain and for symptoms associated with the menopause.

It is also evident, although not conclusively proven, that EPO may also be effective with chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, dyspraxia and many more.

The British Medical Control Agency removed the official license for EPO as an approved prescription for treating eczema and breast pain after concluding there was insufficient evidence that it was entirely effective. However, many will disagree with not only the physical benefits of its consumption but also the psychological effects which can also help relieve certain physical discomforts.

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Pre-Workout and Post Work-Out Nutrition

The Benefits Of A Pre-Workout Meal
The goal of any pre-workout meal is to prepare the body for the vigorous and demanding assault it will be undertaking. This meal should be consumed approximately 60-90 minutes before exercise so all nutrients are absorbed into the body before you begin. To aid digestion, this meal should be relatively low and fat and fibre with a light source of protein such as fish or chicken or a protein supplement.

During intense exercise, once your stored energy (glycogen) has been used, the body turns to fat stores and ultimately muscle for energy. For this reason it is very important to consume a source of complex carbohydrates and protein before working out so the necessary energy is available to the body so it can perform optimally.

Other than a complete meal, an all-in-one sports supplement which contains an easily digestible source of carbohydrates and protein, will be a sufficient substitute instead.

All-In-One supplements are ideal for anyone looking for essential supplements and sports nutrition in a single shake or bar.

These innovative products provide a unique combination of whey protein, creatine, glutamine and other vital nutrients needed by your body to support muscle growth, strength and recovery.
All-In-One supplements allow anyone participating in a weight training or athletic regime to improve performance, growth and overall physical well-being without the need of numerous individual products.

The Importance Of A Post Workout Meal

The post workout meal is often regarded as the most important for anyone taking part in a intensive workout/training regime.
In order to mobilize the body’s anabolic or repair process, a meal combining protein, carbohydrates and good fats is needed to begin rebuilding glycogen reserves and to repair damaged tissue.

Most athletes will consume protein supplements after exercise and an easily digestible meal shortly after.
It is also paramount that the body’s hydration levels are replenished to aid all bodily functions and repair in this essential period of recovery.

It is important that you drink 2-3 glasses of water, 1.5-2 hours before beginning a physical activity. Drink water, milk or other fluids regardless of whether or not you are thirsty. Make sure that you drink water every 20-30 minutes during exercise.

Remember that you might suffer from dehydration within 20 minutes of starting a physical activity in hot, humid conditions. It is also recommended that you should drink water after exercise to avoid heat exhaustion, dehydration and even heart stroke. Make sure that you avoid the consumption of caffeine drinks. Caffeine is a diuretic and its consumption might lead to muscle cramps and dehydration.

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Weight Loss Supplements and The Key To Reducing Body Fat

Weight Loss Supplements

Weight loss supplements are designed to assist and improve the body’s physical and metabolic systems. This function of increased efficiency encourages the use of undesirable fat reserves for energy and subsequently results in weight loss and a leaner physique.
A balanced healthy diet and regular exercise is the ideal solution for those looking to lose weight and burn body fat. However, there are additional supplements that can aid this process.

There is a substantial array of weight loss products available to consumers each with varying ingredients and nutritional content.
Aside from conventional products, supplements containing ingredients such as Sida Cordifilia, commonly known as bala, have been subjected to scientific research studies regarding their fat burning qualities and their positive effect on the central nervous system and the heart.

Sida Cordifolia contains small amounts of both ephedrine and pseudoephedrine with many nutritional companies including it as a weight loss product.
Research studies have shown that Sida Cordifolia possesses a significant blood-sugar lowering activity and therefore may help to reduce the storage of fat within fat cells.

The Key To Reducing Body Fat

The key to reducing body fat is to ensure that your energy intake is lower than your energy expenditure. Energy is measured in calories, and whilst the body is in a negative energy balance, weight loss will occur. So to lose weight in the quickest possible manner, energy intake should be reduced, and energy expenditure should be increased. This is achieved in practice by eating a balanced, low calorie diet, and exercising regularly.

Obtaining the right amount of calories can be achieved more easily with the use of sports supplements, giving you greater control of your total calorie intake. Using supplements, you also have more control over the macronutrient profile of your diet. E.g. you can use whey protein powder do give your diet a greater shift towards protein.

The Importance Of Fat

Fat provides the highest concentration of energy of all the essential nutrients the body requires and are found in three categories- Trans Fat, Saturated Fats and Unsaturated Fats.
There is an optimal level of body fat which needs to be carefully monitored but is an important source of fuel for those involved in endurance events. If this dietary fat level is exceeded, then adverse health effects are likely to occur.

Fat is also needed to help the body during high intensity exercise, where carbohydrates are predominately used as fuel, to access glycogen stores. Fat also helps with the efficient distribution of vitamins A,D,E and K around the body.
Consuming dietary fats alongside protein and carbohydrates all in the required ratios is an important part of sports nutrition with which it provides additional health and performance benefits.

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Building Muscle – Core Exercises & Nutrition

When looking to build significant muscle mass and strength the body requires a number of essential core exercises and nutritional supplements.
Athletes and gym users will need to insert the following compound lifts, which target multiple muscle groups within the body simultaneously, into their workout and exercise regime:

Barbell Bench Press
This exercise focuses on the development of the pectoralis major muscle as well as other supporting muscles including the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps.

Barbell Squat
This exercise focuses on the development of the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

Barbell Deadlift
This exercise focuses on the development of primarily the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, adductor magnus, hamstrings, and quadriceps

Additionally, exercises such as Bent Over Barbell Row, Chins & Military Shoulder Press to work opposing muscle groups can also be added to compliment the core lifting exercises.
Any other weight based exercises can be included, but without the core elements, any progress in size & strength will be limited and slow.

For those involved in weight lifting or bodybuilding, a carefully monitored diet and the use of nutritional supplements are essential for gaining the desired results.
A typical diet will consist of smaller and frequent meal throughout the day with each containing 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates and 20% of good fats. Most body builders will consume approx 6-8 meals per day with most containing lean meat/chicken/fish, a portion of rice/potato and some vegetables.
It is also essential that at least 2 of these meals contain a protein supplement especially after exercise. Other essentials include creatine and glutamine which can be taken separately or as an all-in-one supplement depending on individual goals.

Vitamins and fish oils will also play a key role and should also be consumed in the recommended amounts.

Whey protein in particular is an essential supplement in order to build muscle. Whey protein , which has an has an amazing ability to be digested very rapidly, can be used by regular gym users and body builders to help muscle rebuilding and re-growth. The use of protein after heavy workouts not only increases levels of amino acids in one’s blood and adds muscle mass, but it also helps open up blood flow in the arteries by inhibiting an angiotensin-converting enzyme which constricts the veins. This in turn, ensures a better supply of oxygen and nutrients to your vital organs, tissues and muscles to help rebuild and repair muscle tissues.

Whey protein is commonly ingested as a dietary supplement and you should use one that provides your body with a constant supply.

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Energy, Endurance and Hydration During Intense Exercise

Energy supplements are often used to enhance athletic performance by boosting and rejuvenating the body’s energy levels.

Many athletes will use an energy supplement before and possibly during a demanding regime or performance.
Typically, athletes will be seen to take an energy gel or drink to fuel their body with a convenient and concentrated source of carbohydrates.

Nitric Oxide supplements also offer a wide range of benefits to energy levels such as increased blood flow, improved oxygen delivery, and improved absorption of glucose of the body. Nitric Oxide Supplements also contain keto-acids, which current researches have shown are effective in delaying muscle fatigue.

Alongside a balanced and healthy diet, the use of energy supplements are a valuable resource to increase overall athletic endurance and enable a vigourous performance when required.

Dehydration is generally defined as the progressive depletion of body fluids caused when fluid losses, for whatever reason, exceed fluid intake.

Whilst many of us drink enough fluids throughout the day to keep hydrated many will still dehydrate during exercise which will subsequently impair both physical and mental performance. Fluid losses during exercise need to be replenished regularly as the feeling of thirst will be suppressed during this period.

Bodily fluids are lost during exercise predominately through sweating. Not only are fluids lost during high intensity physical activity or in a hot environment but also for any prolonged activity in all conditions.
Maintaining adequate hydration levels allows all athletes to train harder and longer, reduce the chance of injury and increase recovery rates.

Certain sports such as rugby, soccer, long-distance running and basket ball may deprive you of energy, water and salts. Dehydration can cause athletes to exhaust early and lose stamina. In order to avoid heat-related illnesses particularly dehydration during sports, you need to keep yourself hydrated before and during outdoor as well as indoor activities.

Hydration, along with all other areas of sports nutrition, plays an integral role for all those involved in physical activity. This can be combated with the use of isotonic drinks

Isotonic drinks are designed to replace fluids lost by sweating and to replenish energy levels in the body through their carbohydrate content in the form of concentrated glucose.

Apart from assisting in the body’s rehydration and energy levels to compete optimally, Isotonic drinks contain electrolytes. Electrolytes are essentially salts which aid the osmosis of fluid absorbed into the working muscles. These essential salts are lost during sweating.

Isotonic drinks are useful sports supplements and are often used by athletes to allow them to train longer and more effectively than consuming water alone.

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Essential Sports Supplements

Sports supplements are nutritional products used to enhance athletic performance. They represent a range of substances – including vitamins, minerals, herbs, plant extracts, amino acids, and hormones and come in a variety of forms.

These ergogenic aids are widely used among athletes of all types to assist in providing the necessary capacity for increases in energy, power, endurance, and muscle mass to compete effectively.

Athletic performance notwithstanding, the ability to recover – maintaining and re-establishing normal physiological function, is readily improved with the use of supplements.

In the market today there is a huge range of sports supplements available to meet every possible nutritional and goal requirement.

However, at the core of any exercise or sporting regime the key elements of nutritional consumption revolve around sufficient protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Under intense exercise, the body requires far more protein than the body can readily consume through food alone to develop at an accelerated and efficient rate. The use of a protein powder or protein supplements is the most effective way for the body to gain sufficient protein for lean muscle gains.

Athletes will also need to consume complex carbohydrates and good fats alongside theirprotein intake in the correct ratio.

Creatine is also an important element to assist in muscle gains and the synthesis of protein as is l-glutamine. Creatine is naturally produced in the human body from amino acids primarily in the kidney and liver with approximately 95% of the human body’s total creatine located in skeletal muscle.

Those who are involved in regular and vigourous exercise will be in need of a constant supply of creatine to ensure the body can supply the need for an increased energy output.
Creatine supplementation will allow the muscles to exercise longer and harder by creating the required abundance that is unavailable through food consumption. This abundance of creatine subsequently stored in the muscle promotes the synthesis of protein as well as deter the breakdown of protein required to build muscle mass.

There are a number of forms of creatine with the most common being creatine monohydrate (creatine complexed with a molecule of water) and Creatine ethyl ester (CEE).

Glutamine is an amino acid found naturally in meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and beans. L-Glutamine is found in the skeletal muscles and plays a key role in protein metabolism and immune system function.

L-Glutamine is considered an essential sports supplement for those involved in high intensity activity due to the body’s glutamine levels reducing heavily after working out. Taking additional L-Glutamine can minimize the deterioration of muscle tissue and improve protein metabolism.

L-Glutamine is found in most protein powders or can be taken separately for a higher concentration

In summary, alongside a healthy diet of protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, a supplementation of protein, creatine and l-glutamine are generally considered as the most essential sport supplements.

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Understanding RDA and Body Mass Index

The recommended dietary allowance / recommended daily allowance is is defined as the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of approximately 98 percent of healthy individuals.

The RDA for individuals will differ when taking into account the varying requirements of males, females and their relative ages. Most food packing will include the RDA along side its own nutritional content.

It is also evident that even the healthiest of individuals that have a severe surplus or deficit will develop a number of health issues. By keeping the required nutritional intake close to equilibrium, the body can operate at optimum levels.

For those with a deficiency, which is often the result of a poor diet or from the additional nutritional requirements from intense exercise, the use of health supplements (vitamins) and sports supplements in the most efficient means of regaining nutritional balance.

The use of a daily multivitamin or a whey protein supplement is now generally consumed by many individuals to easily combat the possibility of deficiency.

With 10 in 100 adults worldwide considered to be overweight, obesity has become a global epidemic. Obesity-related diseases such as stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and type-2 diabetes account for nearly 10 million deaths every year all around the globe.

The body mass index is used to provide an estimate of healthy body weight based on an individuals height.

The calculation of BMI is defined as an individuals body weight divided by the square of their height and is widely used to generally categorised people as underweight, overweight or obese.

The Body mass index does however have limitations as it does not account for the difference between body fat percentage and lean muscle mass. For those with a large proportion of lean muscle, especially those that engage in intense activity and use sports supplements such as whey protein or weight gainers, the BMI may indicate that they may be overweight or unhealthy.

Generally, the body mass index is therefore only a tool to measure an average ideal weight for any given height. Alternative methods to provide more accurate means of indicating obesity have been developed such as the body volume index.

Recently, researchers have developed a new way to measure the body fat. The new obesity scale is offered due to the flaws of the BMI. For example, BMI calculation cannot be generalized across men and women, athletes and different ethnic groups.

BAI (Body Adiposity Index) focuses on height and hip measurements and calculates the ratio of hip circumference to height.

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2 Understanding RDA and Body Mass Index

The recommended dietary allowance / recommended daily allowance is is defined as the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of approximately 98 percent of healthy individuals.

The RDA for individuals will differ when taking into account the varying requirements of males, females and their relative ages. Most food packing will include the RDA along side its own nutritional content.

It is also evident that even the healthiest of individuals that have a severe surplus or deficit will develop a number of health issues. By keeping the required nutritional intake close to equilibrium, the body can operate at optimum levels.

For those with a deficiency, which is often the result of a poor diet or from the additional nutritional requirements from intense exercise, the use of health supplements (vitamins) and sports supplements in the most efficient means of regaining nutritional balance.

The use of a daily multivitamin or a whey protein supplement is now generally consumed by many individuals to easily combat the possibility of deficiency.

With 10 in 100 adults worldwide considered to be overweight, obesity has become a global epidemic. Obesity-related diseases such as stroke, heart attack, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and type-2 diabetes account for nearly 10 million deaths every year all around the globe.

The body mass index is used to provide an estimate of healthy body weight based on an individuals height.

The calculation of BMI is defined as an individuals body weight divided by the square of their height and is widely used to generally categorised people as underweight, overweight or obese.

The Body mass index does however have limitations as it does not account for the difference between body fat percentage and lean muscle mass. For those with a large proportion of lean muscle, especially those that engage in intense activity and use sports supplements such as whey protein or weight gainers, the BMI may indicate that they may be overweight or unhealthy.

Generally, the body mass index is therefore only a tool to measure an average ideal weight for any given height. Alternative methods to provide more accurate means of indicating obesity have been developed such as the body volume index.

Recently, researchers have developed a new way to measure the body fat. The new obesity scale is offered due to the flaws of the BMI. For example, BMI calculation cannot be generalized across men and women, athletes and different ethnic groups.

BAI (Body Adiposity Index) focuses on height and hip measurements and calculates the ratio of hip circumference to height.

Http://www.Vigour.co.uk