Nutrition Information

In Part 1 of Ultimate Pre-game Preparation (published in the last issue of the WBCA Journal), we focused on pre-game preparation from the coach’s perspective, and introduced the important differences between emotional arousal and intensity. Every coach’s goal is to have each individual player and the collective team play at an optimal level of intensity from tip-off to the final whistle. However, in Part 1, we discussed the importance of separating elevated emotions from elevated intensity. We learned how some players are naturally very reserved, quiet and emotionally even keeled, yet they consistently play at a high intensity. These players are often hurt by the fiery pre-game speech and hype that pulls them out of their optimal emotional arousal level and hurts their ability to stay composed and focused. Other players need the fiery pre-game message and need a high level of pre-game emotional arousal to bring out their best level of focus and intensity. The take home message here is that smart coaches often restrict the collective team pre game speech to team strategy, individual tactical assignments and minor motivational messages, leaving the truly emotionally charged messages to one-on-one individual pre-game meetings. Phil Jackson is renowned for his ability to truly understand the connection between the emotional arousal and intensity of his players on an individual basis. He has often said that he never lets his heart rate get above 100 beats per minute and uses volume control in his voice very, very carefully. Here is a coach that knows how to motivate on an individual basis. His teams are typically highly motivated, intense, yet typically very composed and consistent.

Part 2 of Ultimate Pre-game Preparation discusses some key ways in which the athletes should prepare themselves to play at an optimal intensity level. To accomplish this, one of the first things we must develop is an understanding of why intensity, focus and motivation sometimes take a nose dive in certain games. The myriad of reasons why we play sports and relish competition lies deep within an emotional well commonly called ‘commitment,’ ‘drive,’ and ‘motivation.’ For most of us, this motivation stems from a deep passion and love we have for the sport we play. We very rarely ever fall ‘out of love’ with our sport, so why is it that our motivation levels sometime seem to dip a little or even remain very low for some games? The answer to this question is far from easy. It could relate to many different factors, including excessive stress, an excessive amount of self-imposed pressure, a negative shift in our self-perception and confidence or a combination of these things. Many different factors need to be examined including nutrition, rest levels, stress levels, and the list goes on. However, in my experience, the single biggest contributing factor that contributes to a reduction in composure, focus, intensity and commitment is excessive stress caused by excessive self-imposed pressure. Excessive self-imposed pressure from one game to the next can slowly drain the all important joy and fun components out of the game, so important for sustained motivation and intensity.

Excessive self-imposed pressure will also create fear and anxiety in the athlete; it can cause excessive and uncomfortable game time muscle tightness and nervousness, ruin touch, ruin shooting accuracy and ruin decision making ability. The sources of this pressure can relate to how the athlete feels they will be perceived by the media, the fans, their family, their teammates and themselves, should they not live up to certain expectations. The key to reducing this level of self-imposed pressure is three fold:
•    1. Realizing that not a single solitary person in the media, fan base, family or even the team can ultimately control their level of composure, focus, intensity, commitment or confidence.
•    2. The only expectations that matter are the expectations they have for themselves.
•    3. The expectations they have for themselves should always focus on the controllable elements of a game (i.e. clutch focus, composure, intensity, commitment and confidence, bouncing back very well from any mistakes) vs. statistical averages.

Peak performance is rarely attained with a focus on how hard you can grit your teeth, clench your fists and how determined you are to have a 20 and 10 night to keep your chances of an all-conference selection alive and well. There is nothing wrong with setting lofty individual all-Conference, all-Region, or all-American goals, in addition to lofty statistical goals that fit within the team concept. Those goals are very important goals that should be set and need to be set during the pre-season, but they should have ZERO relevance to pre-game preparation and game-time performance. Players that focus on these ‘uncontrollable’ goals during pre-game and during the actual game create unnecessary self-imposed pressure. The athletes that use the pre-game period to focus on the correct pre-game goals (i.e. the truly controllable goals of clutch focus, composure, intensity, commitment and confidence, bouncing back very well from any mistakes, etc) remain composed and focused on game time strategy execution. These athletes are prepared to bring optimal levels of intensity onto the floor and are prepared to play with an elite level of poise, focus and confidence.

Spencer Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/ultimate-pregame-preparation-part-2-composure-focus-and-intensity-751096.html

If you’ve ever read one of those magazine stories on “How Celebrities Lose Weight” you’ve no doubt read about The Zone Diet. Many celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Vanessa Williams, Ali Landry, and Jenny McCarthy have all used Dr Sears’ Zone diet to lose weight and maintain their figures.

Is the Zone diet right for you? Here’s a quick review to help you decide:

One of the most popular diets on the market, the Zone diet was created by biochemist Barry Sears and is based more on controlling hormone levels than on counting calories.

Sears believes (as do many other weight loss experts) that most people are insulin-resistant. Insulin is a hormone our body makes to balance our blood sugar and, among other things, promote fat storage.

Too many carbohydrates (especially the bad carbs like muffins, pasta, chocolate, cookies, etc.) cause a spike in blood sugar. This in turn causes a high load of insulin to be released and thus, extra fat to be stored.

When someone becomes insulin resistant, this worsens the problem because even more insulin must be released to get the same effects as before. This causes weight gain, health problems, less than peak performance and stubborn fat deposits that just won’t budge.

The Zone diet aims to help people lose weight by controlling their insulin levels and giving them optimum nutrition that promotes fat release and peak performance. Unlike Atkins, it is not a low-carbohydrate diet – more of a balanced, good carbohydrate diet.

The diet aims to balance the intake of protein, good (low-glycemic) carbohydrates and a moderate amount of monounsaturated fats.

Zone diet meals follow a strict ratio of 40% good carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein (also referred to as the 40:30:30 ratio). According to Sears, this keeps your insulin levels low and helps your body stay in the Zone of peak performance with maximum fat burning.

Zone followers eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks. Every meal and snack should have the 40:30:30 ratio of low-fat protein, favorable carbohydrates (like vegetables and fruit), and a dash of “good” fat. Sears also advises that you don’t go more than 5 hours without eating and that you should eat within an hour of waking.

Benefits:

People who try the Zone have claimed to lose 5 pounds in the first 2 weeks followed by 1 – 2 pounds every week after the initial startup.

Other benefits include more energy and a general improved feeling of well-being. This makes sense since you’re not getting the blood sugar swings that can make you feel tired or shaky.

It’s also important to note that you don’t get the brain fog that many low carbohydrate diets can cause. Eating a diet in the Zone is also reported to help stave off the ravages of aging.

Drawbacks:

The only problem with following the Zone is that the strict 40:30:30 ratio can be difficult to follow – especially if you don’t have a lot of time to devote to meal preparation.

One way many Zone fans get around this is by using Zone Meal Delivery Services. There are several Zone meal delivery services, each offering different prices and different menu plans. If you decide to use a delivery service, make sure you choose one that fits your needs and pocketbook.

Conclusion:

For all intents and purposes the Zone Diet is a healthy way to lose weight, allowing a bit of everything in balance. It’s not a quick fad diet but more of a way of living and feeling at your best. While it can be a bit labor intensive, Zone devotees say they not only lose weight but have increased energy and well-being when they eat ‘in the Zone’.

Vienna Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/zone-diet-review-is-the-zone-diet-right-for-you-86827.html

I don’t care who you are…we all would love to look in the mirror and see flat, lean, sexy midsection. But truthfully, most people are going about the wrong way. Hundreds of crunches and endless hours of cardio…still they don’t get the results they want.

Sound familiar?

So here’s what I have for you…your very own “No Crunch Abs Blueprint” workout.

But before I reveal the fat attack, let me erase the top 4 misconceptions on getting 6-pack abs:

Myth #1- “I want to lose weight so I can see my abs.”

WRONG!

The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss. Let me explain…your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to skyrocket your metabolism, which in turn is what will eradicate fat cells and build muscle 24/7. By changing your body composition, you will be setting yourself to reveal the 6-pack everyone craves.

For example…let’s say you lose 15 pounds.

That’s good…but hold on a moment. What if losing those 15 pounds came at the expense of losing some precious, lean muscle tissue burned away by all that long slow cardio and caloric restriction (ie: useless diets)? Guess what…when your muscle goes bye bye, so does your metabolism. Your performance goes down and you lose muscle tone. Not sexy.

But if you lose 15 lbs on the scale and you manage to keep or even increase lean muscle tissue, you will increase performance, see more visible definition throughout your body, and lose body fat.

That’s why I do NOT encourage you to get on a scale. That little evil machine has far too many variables it doesn’t understand inside your body, such as hydration levels, sodium intake, and for women, your menstrual cycle. The last time I weighed myself was at the doctor’s office…and not because I wanted to. You really shouldn’t either.

Instead of getting caught up in those 3 little numbers on a scale, focus on fat loss – not weight loss. It can be so discouraging (and misleading), especially for you women.

Next, focus on clothing size reduction (how do your clothes fit), before and after pictures (take some right away), and of course the mirror for the most accurate progress tracking (go ahead, check yourself out when you finish your shower).

Myth #2- “Ab exercises burn tummy fat.”

WRONG!

Spot reduction doesn’t work. I’ve said this before. You can’t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away…it does not work like that. Put down those stupid magazines that tell you otherwise.

Think about the last time you saw people working out at the gym. You see almost everyone doing some crunches or one of those useless crunch “ab machines”. If that really worked, everyone who jumped on the “crunch bandwagon” would have flat, sexy abs. Take look around, you know that isn’t the case.

So put down those silly fitness magazines that tell you to burn belly fat by doing this ab move or buy this ab gizmo…save your money and listen to what I’m telling you…spot reduction does NOT work!

The most surefire plan is to burn as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Also be sure to use compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to curl to presses). These movements burn a lot more calories than isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups.

Focus on these movements first and then if you have time (and desire), you can do some extra core work.

Myth #3- Crunches and sit-ups are the best exercises to trim fat and show off your abs.

WRONG!

Ok, so you want to show your “rectus abdominis” aka your “abs”. Since the dawn of fitness magazines, we have been brainwashed to believe the best way to work your rectus abdominis is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these exercises traditionally get you to feel “the burn”. However, the true function of the rectus abdominis is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. Anytime you brace your abs (think slight crunch before you get punched in the gut) and pull your navel into your spine you effectively stabilize your spine into a safe, neutral position. And the moment you relax your abs and lose that braced abs position; your back will begin to hyperextend putting you at greater risk for injury.

So, an efficient workout would focus on “stabilization” exercises in all three planes of movement (saggital- front to back, frontal- side to side, and transverse- rotational) by using pillar exercise variations (some know these as planks). Besides training the true “anti-extension” function of your superficial ab muscles, these bridging/stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these “inner” ab muscles is the key to optimal posture, better performance and helping to prevent lower back pain or even injury.

Myth #4- Do lots of long, slow cardio in the “fat burning zone” will torch tummy blubber.

WRONG!

There is a ton recent research and real world examples that support the fact that aerobic training for fat loss alone simply does not work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid, long lasting fat loss plan. Period. If you hear or see anything to the contrary…hogwash!

In addition, interval training (which is what we focus our boot camp workouts on), will have you alternating between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery…which is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise.

Please note that you can perform both interval strength training and interval cardio training to combine the best of both worlds. I’ve got more on this later…

Now the myths are debunked, excuses are over…let’s snap into reality and layout your No Crunch Abs Solution Blueprint!

The No Crunch Abs Blueprint:

Zone 1: Lose the fat that is covering your abs so that you can actually see them.

How? Eat supportively to elevate your metabolism. Take a closer look:

- Drink at least 2-4 cups of water immediately upon waking and then drink at least 1-2 cups of water every 2 hours you are awake. Drink 1-2 cups of water for every 15 minutes of vigorous activity.

- Eat immediately upon waking and then every 2-4 hours after that for a total of 6-8 feedings per day (3 meals, 3 snacks- half the size of your meals, workout nutrition)

- Focus on a wide range of organic lean proteins, natural fats, and fruit and veggies

Here is a Sample One-Day Menu:

Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, Greens, and Turkey Sausage or Bacon, 100% Whole Grain Toast

Mid-Morning Snack- Mixed Nuts and Fruit/Veggie of Choice (Raw Almond are my favorite)

Lunch- Chicken, Salmon, or Shrimp Caesar Salad (keep the dressing light)

Mid-Afternoon Snack- Cheese and Fruit/Veggie of Choice

Dinner- Turkey or Beef Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (keep portion size appropriate)

Pre-Bed Snack- Protein and Flax Shake

- Take a daily multi-vitamin for your gender and an essential fatty acid (EFA) supplement

Zone 2: Exercise to lose fat and elevate metabolism

How?

Perform 3 “total body interval strength training” routines a week.

Here’s a 20 minute sample (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down).

50-10 Interval Five Exercise Total Body Circuit- You will alternate between 50 seconds of maximum effort and 10 s of rest for each exercise in the following five-exercise circuit. Perform this 5-minute circuit up to four times for a 20-minute total body workout:

Exercise # : Exercise Category : Exercise Variation
1 : Double-Leg: Bilateral Hip-Dominant : Hip Extensions
2 : Push: Horizontal Push : Push-up Variation
3 : Single-Leg: Unilateral Knee-Dominant : Single-Leg Wall Sit
4 : Pull: Horizontal Pull : Body Weight Rows
5 : Core: Linear Stabilization or Trunk-Dominant : Upper Body Twist Variation

Perform up to 3 (20 minute) cardio interval training workouts on your off-days.

Here’s a 20 minute sample (not including five minute warm-up and cool-down).

30-30’s Intervals : You will alternate between 30 seconds of maximum effort and 30 s of active recovery. You will perform this 1-minute round up to 20x for 20 total minutes. You can perform this workout on your cardio mode of choice (jump rope, spin bike, running, etc.) or by alternating between the following body weight cardio exercises:

Exercise # : Body Weight Cardio Variation : Body Weight Cardio Exercise
1 : Linear Locomotion Emphasis : Stationary Running
2 : Lateral/Rotational Locomotion Emphasis : Jumping Jack Variation

Zone 3: Train your abs based on their true function: STABILIZATION

Today our boot camp workout has been awarded the most loved and most hated core workout. No crunches, no sit-ups…simply using different planes of motion to full train every muscle fiber within your core. Give it a shot…there are variations for beginners to advanced, something for everyone.

The Power Pillar Workout – Interval Style

This 20-minute total body core workout focuses entirely on increasing your pillar stabilization. The “pillar” of your body collectively consists of your shoulders, hips, and core. It is your body’s powerhouse, foundational to all movement.

For each exercise below you will alternate between 20 s of work and 10 s of rest. You will repeat this 30-second sequence eight times for four total minutes followed by a one minute active rest and transition before moving on to the next exercise listed.

For maximum benefits, you must seek to maintain a tight pillar position during all movements by actively sucking your belly button to your spine, squeezing your glutes, and keep yourself in a nice smooth “plank” position, similar to that of a diving board.

Exercise#1- Front Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#2- Left Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#3- Right Side Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

Exercise#4- Back Pillar Variation (static or dynamic)

The end has come for traditional sit-ups, outdated crunches, boring cardio and ineffective exercise routines. Follow what I have here and you’ll be revealing your lean, sexy 6-pack before you know it

Curtis Hoekstra
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-health-articles/scottsdale-fitness-camp-reveals-how-to-get-lean-flat-abs-without-doing-a-single-crunch-756246.html

http://www.StartRunning.com

I woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain, the muscles in my legs searing and taut. After pacing up and down my hallway for a few minutes I gathered myself. “I was sleeping!” I thought. “How could my legs burn so badly in the middle of the night like that?”

I was about 15, and I had recently joined the cross country team. I was running about 10 miles a day, which was more than I’d ever done previously. I approached my coach the following day and told him about my blowtorch-legs experience. Without saying a word he whirled around and went rooting through his duffel bag. He handed me a banana. “What’s this?” I asked. “It’s Mother Nature’s fire extinguisher,” he coolly replied.

Nowadays, as I train to run across the country to raise money for homeless youth, I realize that it’s not the banana’s bright yellow sheath that won over my coach so long ago. It’s the potassium.

Bananas are one of nature’s most potassium-rich offerings. To put it simply, potassium acts as a lubricant for your joints and muscles. It’s like oil in your car. Beginning runners should never pass up bananas when rolling through the grocery store, as each one of these little miracle fruits contains an average of 450mg of of this runner-essential element.

Think about it. Here is this wonderful yellow fruit. It’s inexpensive, easy to find and compact. You can buy a bunch and keep them on top of your refrigerator for up to a week. And if they spoil, just throw ‘em in the freezer and you’ve got the main ingredient for a tasty banana bread recipe.

It’s the potassium that will keep your muscles in good shape for daily running routines, but bananas are chock full of several other essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C, which helps your body fend off infection, is abundant in bananas. So is Vitamin B, which aids metabolism. Need more fiber to ease digestion? Bananas are fiber-rich.

But perhaps the biggest added bonus from our yellow friend is its natural energy boost.

Shabambo!
-Tellman

http://www.StartRunning.com

Duration : 0:2:41

Continue reading “Running for Beginners: Performance Nutrition is Cheaper and Easier Than You Think” »

Tags: Running-for-beginners, beginners, runners, running, tips, Supplements, jogging, performance

Even if we are not sick and look healthy, we may not be getting enough adequate nutrition. We can improve our state of health by simply knowing what nutrition we need. Nutrition is about what the perfect food is all about, the amount we need, its function, and the basic materials we need for our body in order for it to continue on with its daily activities. By knowing how to take care of our body through nutrition, we can maintain its high performance levels instead of being unable to because of the low levels.

When we eat meals, it is important to understand that we should not mix raw perfect food with cooked perfect food, as this will produce acid in the stomach. This acid does not mix well with the raw perfect food and will create indigestion. Another thing to think about is when eating raw fruits and vegetables, we should try to stay with organic perfect foods due to the amount of pesticides that are usually on the non-organic perfect foods.

Perfect foods in different categories that are mixed together can cause an imbalance in the body. For example: when we eat a meal high in both fats and simple carbohydrates, we become tired and exhausted while we develop muddled thinking. The reason is our tissue is not receiving enough oxygen. Carbohydrates are simple and complex: simple carbohydrates should be totally eliminated while complex ones are very beneficial for us. Fresh fruits and vegetables produce elimination while vitamin D milk and cheese counter it. When we send mixed messages to our body because of our lack of knowledge about its nutrition, it causes disorder and disease.

When we go for periods of time in-between meals, the body becomes very active and more alert when perfect food is not consumed. It is believed that three hours or more is adequate between meals before another meal should be eaten.

Hani Masgidi
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/eating-perfect-foods-that-are-hard-to-digest-55858.html

FreeLife International is a company that is dedicated to health and well-being. It has a wide range of personal care, nutrition, and home care products. What makes the Free Life business booming is the Himalayan Goji juice which comes from Goji berry – a fruit treasured by the Himalayans for its nutritional benefits and anti-aging properties.

Free Life International studied the effects of Goji juice and found a significant improvement in athletic performance, mental ability, and stress reduction among drinkers. The study also revealed its antioxidant properties and immune enhancing power. In its dedication to deliver only the best, Free Life has also developed a signature process that selects the berries with the highest concentration of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides or LBP, the secret to their health benefits. This product is called GoChi.

As more and more people grow healthier by benefitting from Goji juice, the Free Life business is also thriving with more and more people joining in as marketing executives. Marketing executives are people who swear by the powerful effects of Goji juice and are looking to further enhance their lives with a regular income that can grow exponentially.

Marketing executives can grow their Free Life business in two ways – to develop customers who want to improve their health through the Goji juice and to enroll other marketing executives who are interested in the benefits of Goji and in earning an income from the Free Life business.

There are a number of ways to earn in the Free Life business. The most basic one is through Product Rebate which is, simply put, 20% of the customer’s purchase. The ME can enjoy the same rebate for everytime his customer reorders.

When he enrolls another ME, his Free Life business can grow continuously bigger because he gets a Fast Start Bonus of 20% for every enrollment. When this new batch of MEs enroll other MEs, the one who started the group can earn 10% of the first case of GoChi that these newer MEs purchase. A Free Life business  can give an ME a monthly bonus from the purchases of more MEs joining the group.

An ME’s Free Life business can go as deep as 10 levels of enrolled MEs, or even deeper. When an ME already has 10 levels of MEs enrolled, they get to earn 5% more on all their purchases. Free Life also gives advancement bonuses as one is able to promote Goji juice to more and more people and recruit more and more MEs. At this stage, one could also advance in leadership title and become an Ambassador.

An Ambassador’s Free Life business can earn him a matching bonus of 20 to 60% of the earnings of 10 levels of MEs each and every month. A Free Life business does not stop there. Free Life recognizes the effort of the people who have gone this far even further by giving a 2% generational bonus from the total sales of GoChi throughout the world. All these combined can present an income of 5 to 6 figures a month, or even more.

To discover the Painless Secrets to a Free Life business and get a free report titled, “The Painless Secrets To MLM” please visit http://www.addnewrepsnow.com/
 

Ellen Franzoso
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/freelife-business-find-out-about-freelife-675823.html