The Living Well Healthmaster’s secret

Though I guess it’s not a secret anymore, the reason that the Healthmaster is the master of the kitchen is its digital high speed emulsifying system. The demonstration video even has the demonstrator tossing in chunks of concrete and pulverizing them to a fine powder. Of course it’s not recommended that you do that with your Healthmaster, but you get the point.

The set of commercial grade culinary blades spin at over 3000 RPM’s with such speed and force (nearly 2 horse power and 1100 watts) as to pulverize any leafy greens, whole fruits and vegetables that dare to enter its domain; and it does so within seconds.

But instead of throwing away the good parts, as with other juicers, the Healthmaster blender utilizes every single mineral, Phyto nutrient, vitamin and anti oxidant others leave behind. By taking advantage of all those pluses you yourself can feel more vibrant, be healthier and even lose weight. And it can be done deliciously!

“This is going to cost me money.”

This is going to allow you to save money. By buying the inexpensive vegetables and fruits that are on sale at your grocer’s, and using every healthy morsel, you will be able to concoct tasty but healthy treats (juice, smoothies, soups, power drinks, ice cream, baby food, low cal salad dressings and sorbets) for just pennies per serving. Even boiling your vegetables takes away valuable vitamins and nutrients from what should have been a fortifying soup or side dish. With the Healthmaster, you can blend and cook your vegetables into amazing soups right in your Healthmaster! The centrifugal friction actually cooks your foods naturally inside the sturdy, extra large carafe.

Throw away your old mixer

Because now you can use your new Healthmaster to mix your pizza dough, muffin mixes, cupcakes or bread. And you can throw away more than just your mixer. The Healthmaster blender does over 31 jobs of 20 other kitchen appliances, all in one nice, neat package.

Of all the appliances that you can purchase for your kitchen this is the one singular most utilitarian kitchen device that you cannot live without. Watch the promotional video and you’ll be convinced. I was certainly sold. Order yours today! In fact, by ordering now, you also get a healthy eating plan booklet and 4 bonus recipe books. The sooner you order, the sooner you can start enjoying healthy living with tasty treats.

This product is backed by none other than TV celeb, Montel Williams.

Tons of research shows that eating protein helps build muscle and in some cases, burns fat too. As the scientific story unfolds, its becoming increasingly clear that different proteins have different benefits, so try to work in as many different types as you can. To help you get aquainted, the varieties of protein are mapped out for you below:

Whey Proteins: Currently, the undisputed king of proteins. Whey proteins are quickly and easily digested (hence their “fast-acting” reputation), they are loaded with Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) – Including the three Branched Amino Acids (BCAAS), and they also contain subcomponents (microfractions) that appear to provide additional benefits.

Whey is one of the two dairy proteins and account for about 20% of the protein found in milk. Whey proteins are available in three common forms: concentrates (lower protein level, more economical), isolates (higher protein level, more expensive), and hydrolysates (partially broken down for faster digestion & absorption, also fairly expensive)

Casein Proteins: The remaining 80% of the protein in milk is casein. Often referred to as a “slower-acting” or “time-released” protein because it is a digested and absorbed much more slowly than other proteins.

Casein protein is also commonly called a night-time protein, because it’s especially useful when taken right before bed. It naturally takes longer to digest, feeding your body essential proteins while you sleep.

Milk Proteins: Milk Proteins are dried milk with most of the fat and carbohydrates removed. Like actual milk, powdered milk proteins are about 20% whey protein and 80% casein, so utilization is intermediate and ends up doing a double duty.

Egg Proteins: Ask any dietitian, “What’s the best source of protein?” and eggs will most likely top the list. Most nutrition textbooks refer to eggs as the “gold standard” for protein quality.

With loads of EAAs and some of the highest scores of protein quality (which means your body utilizes them well), we’re not going to argue. Naturally dairy-free eggs are a great alternative to whey, casein and whole milk proteins for those with milk allergies or severe lactose intolerance. Eggs ingeneral are a solid part of any high protein diet.

Blended Proteins: If you can only afford one type of protein, consider going with a blend. Combining faster, intermediate and slower protein sources, blended proteins give you more sustained protein digestion than single-source proteins like whey, casein or egg.

Recovery Proteins: These are moderate calorie, fast-acting protein and carbohydrate combinations specifically designed to be consumed immediately after workouts, when nutrient needs are vital.

This is a time when glycogen and muscle protein resynthesis are at their peak, which is why it’s so incredibly important to take a protein and carbohydrate mix during this time. Many also contain whey protein hydrolysates and supplemental ingredients like creatine, BCAAs and glutamine to further aid in the recovery and rebuilding process.

What may be considered the ultimate natural protein source available today, not only being sold on the market, as a supplement but just in general as well, is whey. Whey is a by-product that is created in the process of making different types of cheese.

After milk has been curdled and strained, whey is the liquid that is left over. Whey protein is the protein that is extracted from whey and is absorbed through the small intestines. Whey protein has an extremely high bioactivity rate.

Bioactivity is the rate at which a substance is digested and absorbed into the body after being consumed. Whey protein’s rating is 100, which is higher than what is considered the bioactivity standard for proteins, egg white protein.

Whey protein actually has the highest bioactivity rate of any known protein. Although protein is found in many different types of foods including eggs, soy, vegetables, and meats such as fish, beef, and chicken, none of these sources of protein give the type of quality that whey protein does.

#2: How does it help you lose weight and build muscle?

There are many advantages that whey protein provides. Whey protein helps in general weight loss by requiring more energy than normal to process it, using your own body to burn fat naturally and faster than normal. This is called the thermic effect.

With a high protein meal, your body burns more calories to digest that meal. Whey protein supplies your body with the essential “building blocks” needed to build muscle. Your body uses amino acids to make muscle tissue, and whey protein provides the perfect combination and concentration of those amino acids.

This is why so many body builders and athletes use whey protein supplements in their weight lifting programs. Regular use of whey protein along with regular exercise, results in consistent muscle building. Also according to scientific studies, there is a benefit to your immune system due to the antioxidant effects of whey protein.

Whey protein also allows you to be able to effectively control your eating habits. If you are using a diet plan to cause weight loss, whey protein can be a very important addition to that diet.

This is due to the fact that a good intake of whey protein balances your blood sugar levels, while the often overused and widely sold carbohydrate drinks can cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate. When your blood sugar levels are balanced and consistent, you have more energy throughout the day. Therefore, there is a secondary benefit that new energy can cause, by burning up a greater amount of fat during your workouts.

Even after you workout, whey protein can help your body’s muscles recover and also grow. It can also make you feel less hungry throughout the day, allowing you to be able to burn more fat instead of eating more and filling your body with more fat to process and absorb.

#3: How much should you consume on a daily basis?

Novice, intermediate, and world-class athletes who are in a consistent training program should be consuming twenty-five (25) grams of whey protein per day. Bodybuilders on the other hand, who are looking for fast gains of muscle mass and are burning a high amount of calories, generally take on about one-hundred and fifty (150) grams a day.

Regardless of the many great benefits that whey protein provides, taking extremely high amounts of whey protein is not recommended. This would harm you a lot more than it would help you. This is because your body’s liver would quickly be overwhelmed and overloaded with whey protein and could actually stop working properly or stop working at all.

Therefore, the amount of protein that your body was actually able to process would no longer give you the same benefits that you got before your liver damage. So make sure that you use whey protein in a consistent lower amount and separated into doses taken three to five times per day, instead of taking a huge shake one time per day.

If you were told that you could increase protein synthesis by as much as 110%, would you believe it? What if you were also told that you could store glycogen twice as effectively?

What if you were told you could increase insulin sensitivity, growth hormone levels, and naturally increase recovery time? We bet you would have trouble believing that too, wouldn’t you?

Well, it is possible and we are here to tell you that these things are definitely true. The choice is yours on whether you choose to believe it or not.

A common misconception that a lot of body builders have is that it is okay to work your ass off, and then as soon as you have finished your vigorous workout, it is time to go someplace that is comfy and stretch out to relax.

Well, we hate to be the ones to burst your bubble, but this type of thinking will not get you the results you are working so hard to achieve!

The post workout meal should always be an important part of your regime!

When and How much?

Okay, now that we have that determined, and you know how important the post workout meal is, do you know what you should eat, when, and how much you should eat?

After you have just finished putting every ounce of energy you have into a vigorous workout, your muscles become torn down, glycogen is shot to hell, and you can even enter into catabolism.

Don’t just ignore it, take care of the problem by giving them the important nutrients they are craving.

Carbs that are stored as glycogen is done 125% more efficiently right after a strenuous workout, and this has been proven by various studies. Not only that, but the building of new muscles (called protein synthesis) is elevated a great deal as well.

Why would you not want to benefit from this, and give your muscles exactly what they need to repair, and to grow?

Just How Important Is Water?

Imagine losing 20% of your strength. Without re-hydrating after you work out, this is exactly what can happen. Not only is water extremely important for replenishing what your body lost during your workout, but it also takes 4ml. of water, for your body to store every gram of carbohydrates as glycogen.

80% of our bodies are made up of water, it is what is used to help maintain your internal body temperature, and it is also used for the forming of and burning ATP.

Which Carbs Are Best?

When you think of your post workout meal, you want to think of carbs that are the fastest acting, and preferably the ones in liquid form. Assuming you had a vigorous workout, you will want to take in approximately 1 to 1 ½ grams of carbs per kilogram of your total bodyweight.

This means if you weigh 200lbs., you will need to take in 100-150 grams of carbs.

Fruits can be good for after workout meals, as long as they are fruits that are higher in glucose than they are in fructose. It is best to eat fruits on the high glycemic index, such as that in banana’s or grapes.

Protein – Protein – and More Protein!

Everyone should know by now that protein is our muscles’ building block. Are you aware that after you have work out, you are able to absorb and use just about 50% more protein, than you can while eating other regular meals?

The protein synthesis in your body is at high levels during this time, and this is why it is so important to put protein back in. Give your muscles what they need! Depending on your size and metabolism, between 30 and 70 grams should be sufficient.

What’s A Post Workout Meal Without Vitamins!

We can’t forget about vitamins and minerals. After a vigorous workout, your cells are oxidized because of the free radicals. So, the nutrients from vitamins are needed to help your muscles repair, as well as to help bond to the radicals.

It is very important that you take a multi-vitamin that is high in vitamin C, and vitamin E, along with chromium and alpha-lipoic acid or ALA. These help to ensure your muscles are more insulin sensitive, and the cells of your muscles will be able to absorb the nutrients they need much more effectively and efficiently.

If you REALLY want great results, you can’t ignore any portion of your daily workout regime, and this includes the post workout meal! Check out the sample ones below, geared towards a 200 pound male. Remember to adjust their calories accordingly:

How in the world can a person accomplish this, especially when most of us already have an overload on our agenda as it is, day to day? There are a large number of us who will fail at achieving this, before we even start.

Fitting in extra time to cook six meals every day can be impossible. Ok, so what do you do? One option you might want to consider is a nutrition or protein bar.

The next thing you end up having to figure out, is which nutrition bar is right for your particular needs. Just like with anything else that is on the market, we have 2 or 20 different kinds to choose from.

Choosing between a diet bar, meal replacement bar, protein bar, or energy bar is not always easy, especially when each of them contain a different level of carbs, fat, sugar, and protein.

Most of the energy bars you will find, are full of carbs, because the main goal of these particular bars is to help boost energy levels and endurance levels for athletes of today.

Many of the replacement bars, or diet bars that are available today contain a higher amount of carbs than they do protein, and they generally contain the lowest amount of calories possible. Several dieters find these to be very convenient when they want to replace a meal with something that is low in calories and high in protein levels.

They can also be used as a low calorie pre-workout and post-workout snack

Some nutrition bars can be deceiving in the name, as many of them are loaded with sugar. However, if you pay particular attention to the labels and read the ingredients, certain bars can be a healthy snack on occasion.

Unfortunately if you are not careful, eating very many of these types of bars can only mean added weight for you. Many of the claims on labels of these bars did not meet standards that are set by ConsumerLab, so you just may be getting a lot more sugar than you intend to.

Below is a list of nutritional bars, by brand, listed from best to worst, in our opinion.

1. MET-Rx Food Bar
2. Clif Bar
3. Solid Protein
4. Source One
5. PowerBar Performance
6. Pure Protein
7. Myoplex Lite
8. BALANCE Outdoors
9. Protein Plus
10. Nutribar

Many of us are aware that as we age, one very common health problem that a large number of us will face is the onset of problems with our vision. A problem known as AMD, which is age-related macular degeneration, is responsible for being the leading cause of blindness in individuals of the age of 60 and older.

Well, it just so happens that studies are proving if you will either cut back, or cut out entirely the amount of processed carbohydrates that you consume, you can lower your chances of suffering vision problems from AMD.

Refined carbs have a high glycemic index which increases oxidative stress, blood-fat levels, and inflammation. Each one of these are linked to AMD.

Other than just replacing the bad carbohydrates with foods that are high in fiber, there are other steps that you can take to help lower your risk of eventually developing some of the common eye problems that so many suffer from by as much as 35%!

The nutrients in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, beta carotene or Vitamin A, and Zinc can also considerably help.

Recently, a study was performed on individuals of the age of 55 and older. Each of the people in this study that had the highest consumption of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and zinc showed significant signs of being less likely, compared to the others who had a low consumption, in developing AMD.

A variety of citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, mangos, and limes. A great place to find zinc would be fortified cereals, turkey, and chicken. Vitamin E is commonly found in peanuts, natural peanut butter, almonds, and of course supplements are also great in providing this vitamin.

Foods such as apricots, sweet potatoes, and peaches are perfect for providing beta-carotene. Foods such as green bell peppers, peas, and spinach contain lutein, which is a nutrient that is similar to beta-carotene, and is also very helpful.

Zeaxanthin, which is another nutrient that also like beta-carotene, can be found in foods such as orange bell peppers, tangerines, corn, and spinach.

It has never been a big secret that eating the right foods will significantly contribute to our ability of staying healthy. Continuous research that is constantly being performed can certainly attest to this fact!

Without adequate energy, your lifting intensity will suffer, which will result in less than desirable results. Read on to learn the best aspects and what is most important:

1.) It’s crucial to consume a carbohydrate-rich protein meal about two hours before training, if you can work it in. Carbohydrates are critical for promoting muscle contraction and delaying muscle fatigue, especially during stressful exercise, as well supplying enough energy for you to get through your lift.

2.) Protein and essential amino acid (EAA) availability is vital before a workout as well—this can help lower muscle breakdown that’s secondary to weight training. It’d be a good idea to take a whey protein shake, approximately an hour before you hit the gym. Throw in some almonds for an extra boost of carbohydrates to keep your energy up.

3.) Hydration is also very important before a workout, but don’t forget during and after your workout, too. Try to consume at least 16 ounces (two cups) of water within one hour before training.

Some research shows that dehydrating a muscle by as little as three percent can cause a 12 percent loss of strength—that’s devastating when you’re trying to push up heavy weights to stimulate muscle fibers, or throw up a new personal on bench.

4.) Maximizing your testosterone levels and priming the body to lower Cortisol (your stress hormone) levels during and after a workout are two key factors to consider before a workout. This is why it’s important to eat before, and not put your body under any excess stress after a hard lift.

An example would be hitting a hard chest and triceps day, and then going to play 4 pick up games of basketball. It’s very counterproductive.

5.) Lowering the amount of damaging free radicals will optimize workout performance and recovery. Antioxidants can help quench free radicals and provide many beneficial effects against exercise-related oxidative tissue damage.

Some great immune boosters/antioxidants include vitamins C (you could always just pop a few tablets) and E, beta carotene (which would include yellow and orange fruits, such as mangoes, papayas, and yams and in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and sweet potato leaves), alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine (NAC).

This is where nutrition, supplementation, and research become vital. Mixing it up in the gym is a very important part of continuing to lose weight and gain muscle.

Below we’re going to run through twenty top nutrition tips that will help push your muscle gaining results as far as possible.

* Cycle Your Carbs
Limit your carbohydrate intake for 4-5 days, and then boost carbs for the following two days. When you cut calories you lose fat, but when you cut calories and limit your carbs to 100 grams or less for 4-5 days, the body goes into a fat-burning mode that’s influenced both by fewer calories and a favorable hormonal shift.

When you reverse the process and increase your carb intake to 250-300 grams for two days, you drive your metabolism even higher. Just remember to keep protein intake high to conserve the muscle tissue you’ve worked so hard for.

* Clock Your Carbs
Too many carbs can make you fat, but too few for an extended period can slow your metabolism. That’s why timing is important: Consume a hefty sum of your daily carbohydrates at breakfast and after training. Eating at least 50 grams of fast-digesting carbs first thing in the morning and immediately post-workout hinders training-induced muscle breakdown and keeps cortisol, a stress hormone that destroys muscle and slows metabolism, in check and balanced.

* Use BCAAs to help Preserve Muscle
To help prevent catabolism, take 5-10 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) with breakfast as well as before and after training. (Xtend is a solid product to use) Ingested pre-workout, BCAAs are used by the body as a substitute fuel source so it doesn’t tap into stored muscle protein to get through a session. Also, when you’re going low-carb, BCAAs can better trigger protein synthesis.

* Make Carbs Work for You
Since building muscle is the best way to burn more fat in the long run, you need to make your workouts intense enough to elicit the gains you want. Taking in 20 grams of fast-digesting whey protein and 20-40 grams of slow-digesting carbs (from sources such as fruit, sweet potatoes or brown rice) 30 minutes or less before your first rep helps you power through your workouts with the required intensity. Keep the weight loads up and your rest periods short to burn through your pre-workout fuel.

* Increase Neurotransmitters
What’s a neurotransmitter? Think spark plugs. These chemicals in the brain signal the body’s internal fat-burning machinery to shift into an active state. Caffeine, evodiamine and tea (green and black) boost these fat-fighting chemicals, especially when taken before training and in the absence of carbohydrates. Dosages vary, but each can be taken in a stack with other fat-burners 2-3 times a day, with at least one of those doses coming 30-60 minutes pre-workout.

* Prioritize Slow-Burning Carbs
Slow-digesting carbs such as beans, whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice and sweet potatoes should constitute the bulk of your daily carbohydrate intake (the exceptions being first thing in the morning and immediately post-workout). Slow carbs reduce the effect of insulin, the hormone that initiates both hunger and fat storage. Research confirms that athletes who consume slow-digesting carbs burn greater amounts of fat throughout the day, as well as during exercise.

* Snack Right
Sugar-free yogurt and cottage cheese are quite possibly the perfect snack foods. Their slow-digesting carbs prevent your insulin levels from going through the roof. Also, dairy products contain plenty of calcium, which can affect calcitriol levels in the body; calcitriol makes the body’s fat-storing system inefficient at manufacturing fat. Keep low-fat cottage cheese and sugar-free yogurt at your office to avoid the call of the vending machine throughout the day.

* Always Feed the Machine
Prolonged low-cal diets end up impairing your metabolism over time. One way to get around these inevitable slowdowns is to eat constantly in small quantities. Consuming multiple small meals each day, eating every 1 1/2-2 hours, stimulates thermogenesis, which supports metabolism. While dieting is about restriction, doing so while eating as often as possible allows your body to roll right through potential metabolic slowdowns.

* Employ Arginine
Taking 3-10 grams of this amino acid an hour before training increases blood flow to the muscles, boosting metabolism and enhancing your pump. It also magnifies the natural growth hormone (GH) burst associated with training, which amps muscle growth and steers the body toward using fat for fuel instead of muscle protein and glycogen.

* Avoid Carbs Late
When you go to bed in a carb-deprived state, your body maximizes its natural GH output. GH favorably shifts metabolism and causes more calories to be burned, with a greater amount of those calories being derived from body fat, instead of muscle.

One caveat for evening trainees: You should still consume 40-60 grams of fast-digesting carbs immediately after workouts to kick-start recovery. The bulk of those carbs will be burned or stored as glycogen, leaving blood-sugar levels fairly flat. As long as your blood sugar is stable at bedtime, you’ll max out on GH release while you slumber, putting you in a position to grow muscle, and not fat.

* Drink Tea Regularly
Adequate hydration is essential for performing at optimum levels and keeping your metabolism high. Drink about half your bodyweight in ounces per day; in other words, if you weigh 180 pounds, drink about 90 ounces of water daily. Yet that doesn’t mean you can’t make some of that liquid work overtime for you.

For instance, try brewing green tea, which contains antioxidants that increase calorie-burning, or adding ginseng, which can keep blood-sugar levels stable to help you get lean.

* Use Glutamine and Taurine
These two aminos help maintain your body’s anabolic environment while dieting. When you reduce calories and carbs, Cortisol levels often rise. Glutamine interferes with Cortisol uptake, staving off protein loss and muscle breakdown. Taken post-workout with fast-digesting carbs, glutamine also assists in recovery by pulling water into muscle cells; it has been found to significantly boost metabolic rate as well.

Another crucial amino acid, taurine enhances water retention within muscles, giving them a greater anabolic edge. Take 5-10 grams of glutamine and 1-3 grams of taurine pre/post-workout to continue dropping body fat.

* Eliminate All Fat
Okay, not all of it, but do away with most fat for 4-5 days to bust through a sticking point in your fat-loss efforts. (Temporarily eliminating fat leverages the body to burn more stored body-fat, instead.) No chicken breasts, no lean meat, no egg yolks. Ditch even oatmeal, which contains small amounts of fat.

Instead, consume near-zero-fat protein sources such as turkey breast, egg whites, fat-free cottage cheese and protein powders. Your body is extremely adaptable, however, so even the zero-fat approach stops working after 4-5 days. That’s when you can return to protein-rich foods that provide more fat.

* Ditch the Low-Fat/Fat-Free Approach
Strict low-fat diets are for getting lean. When gaining mass, make sure you include olive oil, avocado and whole eggs in your diet, as well as lower-fat, not fat-free, yogurt, milk and cheese. These types of dietary fats drive growth and recovery. Fat also spares the use of protein as an energy source, meaning the protein you eat is directed to its most crucial role, building mass.

Fat also supports the natural production of testosterone and GH, two major players in the mass game. Make sure your daily calorie intake is about 30% of calories from fat, mostly from healthy sources such as egg yolks, fatty fish, nuts and seeds.

* Splurge Occasionally
Stepping up your calorie intake once a week can actually trigger new growth. When you radically increase your caloric intake, even with foods you may not typically find in your diet, such as pizza, burgers, fried food and desserts, the body responds by increasing anabolic hormones responsible for repairing damaged muscle tissue. Plus, this type of occasional dietary splurge keeps you sane while eating clean.

* Use Powder Protein
Protein is the number one nutrient when it comes to building mass. To maximize your protein intake, make at least two of your 5-6 daily meals a protein shake. Powders are more readily absorbed than tougher proteins such as meat and poultry, and you can generally control your portion down to the gram. The two most critical times to have protein shakes are right before (20 grams) and after (40-60 grams) workouts.

* Crank Up the T & C
Weight lifting boosts levels of testosterone, the muscle-building hormone, and increases the density of T receptors in muscles, allowing greater amounts of testosterone to do its job. After a few weeks, however, the training-induced testosterone burst declines.

That’s where T boosters come into play. Taking 500-750 mg of tribulus terrestris an hour before workouts increases luteinizing hormone, which in turn improves testosterone levels. In addition, taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C after training lowers levels of Cortisol, the stress hormone released during training that suppresses testosterone uptake by muscles. The net effect: enhanced testosterone status, leading to greater muscle strength, recovery and mass.

* Go With Garlic
How can something that’s edible but contains hardly any calories, carbs, protein or fat yield gains in mass? Garlic influences natural hormones in the body that support growth, plain and simple. Getting big is about macronutrients, protein, carbs and fat, as well as hormones.

Animal research shows that a high garlic intake combined with a high protein intake produces increased testosterone levels and less muscle breakdown, the elusive anabolic state.

* Supplement During Training
A sports drink consumed during exercise can shut down the usual muscle breakdown associated with hard training. Select a product that contains glucose (50-60 grams of carbs), add 10-20 grams of whey and sip throughout your workout.

* Flush the System
Everyone hits plateaus. You eat like crazy yet inevitably hit a wall. What’s the best thing to do? Take 10 days and pull back on your carb intake, then go back to high carbs. Let’s say you’re eating 400 grams of carbs a day. Cut back to 200-250 grams for 10 days, then go up to 500 for a couple of days before leveling back off to 400.

What happens? Your body slingshots right through that plateau and you continue to grow. A chronic high-carb diet makes enzymes that store carbs lazy and less effective, which is simply your body adapting. When you pull back on and then add carbs back in, you revamp and recharge your glycogen-storing machinery, allowing you to get back on a growth spurt, and gain mass.

All natural, and packed with more anti-oxidants than grapes and blueberries combined, the acai berry is a safe, effective way to change your perspective on a healthy lifestyle.

Studies about the effects of using the acai berry have shown that patients experience a large variety of benefits, including:

• A Boost in Metabolism
• Clearer, Healthier looking skin
• Dramatic Weight Loss
• Cleansing and Detoxification of the Body
• Increase Circulation and Blood Flow
• Healthier Heart Conditions
• Improved Immune System
• Lubricated Joints and Tissue

In addition to these benefits, patients confess to feeling a sense of relief and happiness to have regained control over their lifestyle.

Little do they know, many of these drinks, such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, and Rockstar, have dangerously high amounts of caffeine.

The caffeine content in energy drinks can contain as much as 80mg, which is the equivalent of two cups of coffee. While these drinks are recommended for the younger crowd, they are very strong and boost the blood pressure and heart rate immensely, meaning they should be consumed responsibly.

Another side effect of energy drinks is the large amount of dehydration they create. Not having enough water in your system can lead to various health defects detrimental to your life. An example of this is a loss in bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis later in life.

Furthermore, consuming energy drinks before going to the gym creates an even larger problem of dehydration. The sweat combined with the massive intake of caffeine dries out your body at an alarming rate, actually reducing your performance and concentration; dissolving the myth that energy drinks increase your athletic capabilities.