Researchers Uncover Connection Between Gut Health and Mood

We have all heard the old adage “you are what you eat”, but science is discovering even more of a connection between our digestive tract and our overall health.

Commonly referred to as “gut health”, the gut microbiota, which consist of trillions of microbes, may influence more than bowel regularity and metabolism. These bacterium make up a 6-pound ecosystem inside of every human and produce hormones, communicate directly with our brain via the vagus nerve, and can even produce neurochemicals which influence behavior. Stomach bacteria and mood are connected in ways we never knew before, and scientists are racing to learn more about this fascinating discovery.

A team of Norwegian scientists recently found significant correlation between certain bacteria and symptoms of depression. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome have been found to have significantly higher instances of anxiety and depression. Even individuals with autism are more likely to suffer from digestive problems. By improving our gut health, we may be able to get a handle on a host of somatic and mental health symptoms.

It has been suggested that gut microbes have as powerful of an effect on the brain as psychiatric drugs. Millions of patients are prescribed drugs every year to address somatic and emotional symptoms who might be better treated by simply improving gut health.

There are good and bad bacteria in your gut. Certain foods feed the good bacteria and others feed the bad. Good bacteria are often called probiotics. You can eat certain foods to feed probiotics and you can also take probiotic supplements to increase your probiotic population. When you have too many bad bacteria, you become sick and an antibiotic can kill the bad bacteria that is causing you problems. But antibiotics also kill the good bacteria, which can create a host of negative side effects including decreased mood.

There are 4 simple things that you can do to improve your gut health:

1. remove artificial sweeteners from your diet
2. eat living food
3. exercise
4. take a good probiotic daily

When your gut is unhealthy, it can disturb your brain and cause mood instability. Common diagnoses for unstable mood are depression, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia. Might these disorders be better treated with a probiotic and a daily dose of exercise instead of dangerous psych drugs that have multiple side effects? Even if you do not have a diagnosed mood disorder, might you be able to boost your mood by eating more live food and taking a high quality probiotic.

Article Source: http://themindunleashed.org/2015/07/researchers-uncover-connection-between-gut-health-and-mood.html

Lionel Messi benefiting from new diet - nutritionist Giuliano Poser

Former Argentina forward Claudio Caniggia is resting his hopes on Barcelona star Lionel Messi guiding the current crop of La Albeceleste to success at the Copa America.

Nutritionist Giuliano Poser has confirmed that he helped Lionel Messi change his diet, leading to the Barcelona star's outstanding 2014-15 campaign.

Messi scored 58 goals and contributed 23 assists as Barcelona won the Champions League, Copa del Rey and La Liga Treble, making him a huge favourite for the 2015 Ballon d'Or award.

This followed a disappointing 2013-14, which was disrupted by injury and saw Barca fail to win a trophy for the first time in six seasons.

Messi then started the World Cup impressively but appeared to tire and was unable to prevent Argentina from losing 1-0 to Germany in the final.

A number of reports put his upturn in form down to a new diet, with Blaugranatransfer advisor Charly Rexach revealing that Messi had "eaten too many pizzas" in the past.

The player was photographed meeting Poser in Italy during a break from action in April.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, picked up in AS, Poser, from Argentina, said Messi had taken a tip from his international colleague Martin Demichelis and consulted him.

"I am a good friend of Demichelis and he recommended he [Messi] visit me," Poser said. "After the World Cup, something changed. Messi had the intuition and humility to try and do something different in his professional life."

ESPN FC's Gabriele Marcotti elaborates on the ongoing Lionel Messi tax investigation, and thinks there is almost no chance of the Argentine going to jail.

The 59-year-old kinesiologist, whose methods reportedly include the use of Bach flower remedies, emotional therapy and a balanced diet, said the change from processed to natural foods had allowed Messi to train with greater intensity.

"He eliminated processed foods and replaced them with foods rich in vitamins -- cereals, vegetables, fish and olive oil," Poser explained.

"He had won everything, but wanted to continue this excellence for years and understood he had to change something. We are talking about a very intelligent and intuitive person."

Demichelis' Manchester City teammate Sergio Aguero is among other top players to have visited Poser at his base in the small Italian town of Sacile.

Article Source: http://www.espnfc.com.au/barcelona/story/2488255/lionel-messi-benefiting-from-new-diet-nutritionist

Five Steps to Increase Emotional Maturity

Five Steps to Increase Emotional Maturity
Written by Invictus Intern Faith Clay

There is no substitute for experienced coaching with an accurate and broad knowledge base. I dare say this is a generally accepted concept. Perhaps less well understood and discussed (but no less important) is the concept of emotional maturity.

“What? Emotional Maturity? Maybe I’m reading the wrong blog,” you may be thinking.

Actually, the sports world has been recognizing more and more the importance of knowing oneself, one’s limitations, strengths, weaknesses, and being able to manage your attention and focus. Getting into the zone, pushing yourself to your limits, and knowing when to back off are all part of emotional intelligence or maturity (EI or EM).

There are 18 competencies identified as making up emotional intelligence with some being more essential in sports and fitness than others [1]. An athlete’s most important emotional/mental faculty is that of self-awareness—knowing one’s emotional state, providing accurate self-assessment, possessing self-confidence, and managing one’s own emotions and focus.

For coaches, the list expands to recognizing the emotional state of others and building relationships of trust and influence. This is exceptionally important for coaches of athletes who may be lacking emotional intelligence.

Not convinced? Researchers in India have investigated various types of competitive athletes from handball players to combative sports such as boxing, Judo, and wrestling [2]. They found that the level of emotional maturity was not significantly different based on the type of sport the athlete played; however, “International level players demonstrated significantly higher levels of emotional maturity as compared to the other two performance groups” (national and state level competitors) [2,3].

With all that CrossFit has done and continues to do for the world of fitness, it is essential that we as participants and proponents check ourselves with regard to our own emotional intelligence. Bo Hanson, four-time Olympian and coach, reassures us that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be learned. By developing this maturity, self-awareness, and self-management, we can better understand ourselves – when we need to back off or seek coaching to avoid an injury and when we are ready to push ourselves to the limits for maximum gains. In this regard, perhaps emotional maturity is the prescription to “Forging Elite Fitness.”

Here are five steps that have helped me improve my emotional maturity in my personal life as well at the gym:

1. Check your ego at the door
   When I enter the gym, I leave my competitive pride at the door. I go to the whiteboard in a humble mindset of determination. I remind myself of what my limits are, how I should scale the workout (or ask the coach if I’m not certain), and take note of which movements I need to improve.
2. Be in the moment
   When the coach starts explaining the movements and standards for the workout, I try to actively listen and be present; that means not talking with others while the coach is explaining what needs to be done. The coach’s tips may help me lift more, move faster, or avoid injury.
3. Increase self-discipline
   There are times when I have no desire to leave the comfort of my house to go to the gym. I may try to find some excuse that will not help me improve. Self-discipline is a sign of maturity and can be improved by consistently doing things we know we should but may not want to do at the moment.
4. Develop personal responsibility
   This goes hand in hand with self-discipline. The coaches want me to improve, to be safe, and to enjoy my workouts. However, similar to getting myself into the gym, ultimately these are my responsibilities. I have a personal responsibility to bring a good attitude and take responsibility for my own development. I should be learning from my mistakes rather than placing blame.
5. Be a victor
   We need to work on our weaknesses to be stronger physically and emotionally.  Feeding the mind positive thoughts will help us push through hardships.  Consistently and correctly completing workouts builds confidence and experience that will ultimately enable us to attain our personal fitness goals.

Article Source: http://www.crossfitinvictus.com/blog/five-steps-to-increase-emotional-maturity/

Top 5 Static stretching fables

Static stretching is the most performed form of stretching. For most people it is the only form of stretching they know and its simply synonymous with stretching. Static stretching is performed by all sorts of athletes, from those just starting to run after years of inactivity to the most elite athletes in almost all sports. It is often recommended by (personal) trainers and coaches for several reasons, all of which have been dis proven by scientific research. Or in other words are plain nonsense. This article will tell you which supposed effects are static stretching fables.

Fable 1: Static stretching increases muscle length

This is the primary and most logical reason most people perform static stretching. To increase range of motion. And static stretching is indeed effective in increasing the range of motion of a muscle. However these effects can be short lived (30 minutes) when not done regularly. After several weeks of static stretching range of motion can be increased for longer periods. The increase in range of motion is not caused by longer muscles or tendons however, but due to adaptations in the nervous system. These adaptations lead to you feeling less pain when stretching and allow the muscle to reach a greater length than before. The total length of a muscle and it’s tendons is not altered and only changes when the muscle is completely immobilized.

Conclusion: Static stretching helps improve range of motion because a muscle lets itself stretch to longer lengths but not because the muscle itself grows longer.

Fable 2: Static stretching improves performance

If even elite athletes perform static stretching before starting their workout or match it should be good right? Studies how otherwise however. Static stretching reduces maximum strength in the stretched muscles. Sprinters that performed static ankle stretches before a sprint took significantly longer to perform that sprint than when they performed a general warm up. In a rare long term study to the effects of static stretching on strength development it was concluded that static stretching performed before or during training inhibits strength increases. Since strength is an essential component in many sports activities static stretching decreases performance. Static stretching decreases running performance in running events and lastly, static stretching decreases the ability to maintain balance and stability in for example the ankle joint.

Conclusion: Static stretching performed before or during exercise does not improve performance but in fact decreases it and inhibits strength training progression. Only when range of motion is too impaired to perform movements does it aid performance, but one ask yourself if this is wise when range of motion is impaired.

Fable 3: Static stretching helps prevent injuries

 

Injury prevention is also one of the main reasons to perform stretching. While it is true that a limited range of motion may increase the risk of injury during sports. This does not necessarily mean that stretching before an athletic activity is a good idea. Much research has been done on the effects of static stretching before exercise and no significant effect on the injury rate was found. It can even be argued that since static stretching reduces explosive strength, joint stability and increases range of motion to an extent the brain is not familiar with (and hence can’t control movements as well as in your ‘original’ state), injury risk can even increase when exercising after performing static stretching.

Conclusion: Static stretching performed before exercise does not decrease risk of injury and might even increase it.

Fable 4: Static stretching can be used as an effective warm up

Static stretching impairs performance in endurance activities, strength development and power (sprinting) activities and in addition is not effective in reducing injury risk. From this you can already gather that it is not useful to perform it before activities in which you train strength, power, endurance and/or balance. Furthermore, since static stretching is passive and no active muscle contractions are made, blood flow to these muscles does not increase and therefore static stretching does nothing to warm up the muscles.

Conclusion: Static stretching as a warm up should generally be avoided. It does not warm up the muscles and decreases performance.

Fable 5: Static stretching helps prevent muscle soreness

Static stretching is also performed after a workout to prevent muscle soreness. Muscle soreness is quite a difficult phenomenon to study, however research does not indicate that static stretching decreases muscle soreness. A good warming up that actually warms up the muscles and gradually increasing exercise intensity when starting with a new exercise is far more effective to prevent or reduce the amount of muscle soreness.

Conclusion: Static stretching performed before during or after exercise does not help prevent or decrease muscle soreness.

What is static stretching good for?

Is it all bad to perform static stretching on a regular basis? No, as said before it can help achieve the range of motion that is necessary to perform everyday or sports activities. However static stretching should not be performed before or during a workout because it decreases strength, power and endurance performance and in addition decreases the ability to maintain balance and stabilize joints. Trainers and coaches alike should determine whether they should include static stretching in their training programs and if so, include a separate training session preferably on another day. When done separately from a regular workout, it can still be a useful method of increasing range of motion that can be useful for everyday activities and increasing sports performance. (But only when a decreased range of motion inhibits performance). Activities that focus on static stretching such as yoga or similar classes can be a good addition (with additional stress reducing benefits). However do not perform static stretching around more intensive workouts.
 

Article Source:http://fitness-science.org/top-5-static-stretching-fables/

Photo Source: www.fitness-science.org
 

‘A Key Component To ANY Athletic Looking To Improve Their Performance!'

Muscle Building and Fat Loss Tips Using Caffeine

Here is why you should include caffeine in your diet.
 

 

 

1) Caffeine drinkers weigh less

An analysis of some 18,000 individuals showed that caffeine and coffee users weigh less than those who don’t take any caffeine.

2) Caffeine increases energy expenditure and thermogenesis

Using energy to raise body heat is a great way to help burn fat, and caffeine does that well. But that is not all. Caffeine also lowers insulin and glucose, helping users become more metabolically healthy.

3) Caffeine helps you burn more fat during exercise

Caffeine has a glycogen-sparing effect, meaning fat will be preferentially used as fuel during exercise.

4) Caffeine breaks up stored fat so it can be burned

This is called raising free fatty acids. Caffeine helps the body snip up stored fat so it can be burned inside the mitochondria.

5) Caffeine assists with many aspects of cognition

From increases in reaction time to concentration, memory, word recall, and attention span, caffeine helps with it all.

6) Caffeine improves cardiovascular fitness, strength, and power performance

Caffeine use before exercise increases work output and cardiovascular fitness without putting you at risk for heart disease, according to researchers in South Korea.

7) Caffeine reduces perceived exertion and blunts the pain response

This means that you can really push yourself at the gym, and it doesn’t feel as painful or challenging.

8) Swishing caffeine around in your mouth before exercise may increase exercise performance

Studies in sprinters have shown that caffeine swished around in the mouth may further enhance athletic performance and reduce the perceived exertion of exercise. Give this a shot.[8]

9) Green Coffee reduces cortisol production

Fat cells contain an enzyme called 11β-HSD1, which activates cortisol from its inactive metabolite cortisone. Green coffee, it appears, slows down this enzyme.

10) Super-high doses of caffeine are not needed

Scientists in Canada recently revealed that we don’t need super-high doses of caffeine to improve our ability to burn fat and exercise more intensely. Around 100 mg will do the job. 

 

Article source: http://highintensityhealth.com/build-muscle-burn-fat-caffeine/

photo source: www.robertharding.com

 

"HOW DOES CAFFEINE AFFECTS YOUR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE"?

 

Vegan Athletes: Performance and the Protein Myth

When you tell someone that you’re vegan, you’ll most likely be asked, “Where do you get your protein?” You’ll hear it a lot, actually. In their defence, most people really just don’t know because they are conditioned to think that meat = protein, and that plants do not. First things first, protein is not a food, it’s a nutrient. Meaning, there’s not only one definable food source of protein, like meat, just as dairy-based milk isn’t the only source of calcium. Those attitudes about our sources of nutrition are a clear reflection of the very basic, and biased, education we’ve been taught about nutrition and our food.

 

 

Understanding Protein

Protein is made up of 20 amino acids that form by linking together. We can naturally produce 11 amino acids from chemicals already in our body, and these are called non-essential amino acids. The remaining 9 amino acids must be consumed in the foods we eat, and are called essential amino acids.

General guidelines suggest we consume 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram we weigh (approximately 0.36 grams of protein per pound).

Athletes, however, will usually require more protein to match the needs of your muscles due to activity, and to aid in recovery. As an athlete, you will probably need more protein than someone who isn’t active because your lifestyle requires more from your muscles through training and recovery. Aim to consume approximately 1.3 – 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram you weigh.

High vegan protein foods are:

• Tofu*
• Edamame*
• Tempeh*
• Quinoa*
• Seitan
• Lentils
• Black Beans
• Kidney Beans
• Chickpeas
• Brown Rice
• Oatmeal
• Whole Grains
• Buckwheat*
• Amaranth*
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Green Peas
• Amaranth*
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Green Peas
• Leafy Greens
• Chia Seeds*
• Hemp Seeds*
• Flax Seeds
• Bean Sprouts
• Nutritional Yeast
• Spirulina*
• Unsweetened Organic Soy Milk*

* food options that have all 9 essential amino acids

That is a great list of healthy proteins, and has excellent choices for vegan athletes! Some don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids, and that’s OK. Just eat a variety of these foods each day (and weekly) and your body will readily absorb and utilize all the essential amino acids they contain.

Some great combinations of foods that provide all 9 amino acids are:

• beans and brown rice
• peanut butter on whole grain bread
• oatmeal with sliced almonds
• pasta and green peas
• lentils and nuts or seeds
• chickpea “tuna” sandwiches on whole grain bread

 

Building (and Maintaining) Muscle

It’s important to realize that if you want to build muscle mass, you may need to eat more! The vegan diet will supply you with all the nutrients and protein your muscles need to grow, but since plant based whole foods are typically lower in calories, you may need to eat more to get enough caloric intake to build mass. Some new vegans say they are always hungry or lack energy, but that usually is directly due to them simply not eating enough. Our bodies thrive on plant based whole foods, so eat up!

Fuel your body on a regular schedule, approximately every 3-4 hours. This will allow your body to know that food is coming on a consistent basis, and it will therefore be less likely to store your food as fat. If you don’t eat regularly or skip meals a lot, your body will go into survival mode, and store the calories it gets.

Eat 2-3 hours before activity. This will allow you to eat a well balanced, energy boosting meal, while giving your body the time needed to digest enough and be ready for activity without feeling sluggish, full, or having stomach cramping.

Vegan athlete pioneer, bodybuilder, and the macronutrient breakdown for an active person might be:

70% of calories from carbohydrates
20% coming from protein
10% coming from fats

While the macronutrient breakdown for a bodybuilder, or someone focused specifically on building muscle, might be:

50% of calories from carbohydrates
30% coming from protein
20% coming from fats

Every person is different though, so trial and error is an expected part of the process for all athletes, not just vegans.

Performance

What to Eat Before Activity

Keep your pre-workout meals simple and unprocessed. Your body will thrive best on plant based whole foods. Stay away from packaged, processed items, white breads and pastas, refined sugars, and salty or fried foods. Make sure to choose foods that your body (and performance) will thrive on, such as raw vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, mushrooms, spinach, bananas, dates, watermelon, grapes, and oranges), quinoa, beans, lentils, organic tofu or tempeh, and hydrated chia seeds.

Some of my common go-to foods (in different combinations) before training are beans, chickpeas, lentils, raw mushrooms, raw cucumbers, raw spinach, organic tofu or tempeh, brown rice, quinoa, steamed veggies, hummus, and a small amount of avocado.

Staying hydrated is also important for performance, recovery, and overall health, so make drinking water a priority.

The Role of Proper Recovery

The 30-60 minutes after activity is a critical window of time when you’re body is seeking the proper nutrients to begin the muscle repair process. Refuel with foods that are a 4:1 ratio, which is 4 grams of carbohydrates for every 1 gram of protein. Foods that are easy and quick to digest are key during this short window of time, and include tofu, smoothies, protein shakes, beans, lentils, and fruits.

Replenish lost electrolytes with alkaline foods to counter the acidic environment your body experiences after activity. Some great alkaline foods are leafy greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, beets, lemons, watermelon, banana, pear, sweet potato, quinoa, tofu, chlorella, flax seed oil, and brown rice or wild rice.

Ensure You’re Getting Essential Minerals and Vitamins

When it comes down to it, when you feel your best you can truly get the best results for your efforts. Prioritizing your overall health is key because you’ll have the energy and focus needed to do what it takes reach your athletic goals and build your strong body. Below are just a few nutrients to be aware of.

Iron

Vegan or not, iron is important for all athletes because intense activity strips the body of small amounts of iron. Without proper iron in your diet, you can experience low energy and a general lethargic feeling.

There are two types of iron: heme (animal-based) and non-heme (plant-based). Non-heme iron may be absorbed at a lower rate, so just eat iron-rich foods along with foods that contain Vitamin C, and this will boost your ability to absorb iron. Coffee and tea can inhibit your ability to absorb iron, so try to avoid consuming these within an hour (before or after) of eating.

The approximate RDI intake of iron for active vegans is 18-33mg for women, and 11-14mg for men.

Some great sources of iron are dark leafy greens, quinoa, tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, pumpkin seeds, oatmeal, grains, molasses, tomato sauce, broccoli, and fortified cereals.

Calcium

When we have an intense training session, we lose calcium through our sweat. Calcium is not only required for strong bones, but also needed for muscle contraction. Without it, we can experience muscle cramping.

The general recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000mg – 1300mg.

Some great sources of calcium are spinach, broccoli, bok choy, kale, almonds, edamame, flax seeds, tofu, fortified non-dairy milks, and kidney beans

Potassium

Another mineral that’s lost when we sweat, potassium is responsible for automatic muscle contractions and regulating overall body water. It’s also classified as an electrolyte, and is something that needs to be replenished after activity.

The general guideline suggests approximately 4.7gram each day.

Some great sources of potassium are bananas, oranges, dried apricots, potatoes, kale, and avocados.

Zinc

Zinc plays a role in muscle growth and repair, energy production, and keeping the immune system strong. Athletes should ensure they are getting zinc in their diet because it helps repair the micro tears in muscles after strenuous activity.

According to Jack Norris, RD, the recommended intake of Zinc is 11mg for men and 8mg for women.

Some great sources of Zinc are tofu, beans, chickpeas, lentils, beets, peanuts, and oatmeal.

B12

Getting enough vitamin B12 is a concern for vegans and non-vegans alike, especially for those 50 years and older. If you’re deficient, you can experience tiredness, weakness, easy bruising, nervous system damage, or anemia.

The general daily recommended intake of B12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms.

There are excellent sources of B12 for vegans, like fortified cereals, fortified non-dairy milks, Nutritional Yeast and of course, supplements are a great reliable, convenient option.

RELATED: Do Vegans Need to Take a B12 Supplement?

 

DID YOU KNOW? B12 IS FOUND IN MICROORGANISMS, PRIMARILY BACTERIA, IN WATER OR SOIL. THE ONLY REASON ANIMALS ARE A “SOURCE OF B12” IS BECAUSE THEY ARE EATING FORTIFIED FOOD AND/OR SOIL CONTAINING THESE MICROORGANISMS. SO, EATING MEAT IS NOT THE ONLY “NATURAL” WAY TO OBTAIN B12, AS SOME PEOPLE WILL CLAIM. THOSE WHO EAT MEAT ARE SUPPLEMENTING THEIR B12 TOO; THEY JUST CHOOSE TO DO SO VIA THE ANIMAL THAT HAS INGESTED IT FIRST.

Healthy Fats

I advocate for eating a high carbohydrate, low fat, and moderate protein diet. It’s essential that we eat some fats, and the healthiest sources are avocado, nuts, flax seeds, and almond/peanut butter.

The Plant Powered Difference

I consider myself an example of how being vegan improves performance. Over my 20+ years as a competitive athlete, from gymnastics to travel hockey to martial arts, I can compare and gauge the difference between my pre-vegan and vegan performances. I have more energy now than I did 10 years ago, my injuries heal faster, and as a female training with younger guys at my dojo, I not only keep up, but many times I can keep going and exceed their energy levels. It’s a great bonus to choosing a compassionate lifestyle!

Article source: http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2015/03/17/vegan-athletes-performance-and-protein/
Photo Source: www.yourdailyvegan.com


"Any vegan athletes out there"