Thursday, January 19, 2012

Losing Weight and Increasing Lean Muscle

Many people start a new weight management program in the spring, and there is a lot of confusion about how to do this successfully. I am going to make a few suggestion for you.


First, of course, you need to increase the number of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume. Fruits and vegetables help to cleanse and nourish the body and are great detoxification agents. Many people choose to juice the whole fruit and vegetable which is a great way to get high doses of them, but its also important to eat fresh, raw or slightly steamed fruits and vegetables frequently to maintain good health.


Sources of protein are important too. In order to manage lean muscle mass and burn fat protein is very important in your diet. Wild salmon, tuna, haddock and other fish, grass fed beef, free range chicken and turkey, wild game, as well as whey protein or non GMO soy, if you are not sensitive to soy.


It's always a good idea to start your day with protein, and protein shakes seem to be one great way to do this for many people. Protein shakes are often formulated to be easily digested and absorbed, and have vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nitrients that are beneficial for a healthy body.


Typical breakfast proteins, such as bacon and sausage are not good choices for someone who is trying to manage a healthy lifestyle, although eggs are a great source of protein. Carbohydrates have become very common breakfast foods and are not a good way to start your day. Carbohydrates start a cascade of events which set you up for a roller coaster of high and low sugars all day long. This causes cravings, taps your energy and often leads to poor food choices, by leading to sugar cravings all day long.

No health program is complete without exercise. Healthy people should aim for 210 minutes a week of cardio/aerobic types of exercise, such as walking, biking or running. People who are working to burn extra calories may choose to spend more time walking or using weights to build muscle. Either way protein, fruits and vegetables are important in this routine. In order to build lean muscle you must provide your body with the building blocks it needs to make healthy cells.

I would also recommend a good source of essential fatty acids (fish oil) and CLA as a supplement if you are working on burning fat and building lean muscle. CLA - Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a naturally occuring fatty acid which aids in this process. It works great in conjunction with an exercise program and helps with that hard to lose belly fat too! We have a pharmaceutical grade Essential Fatty Acids and CLA supplements available at our office.


If you are looking for a great way to add some healthy protein to your diet we have several choices at our office. We also have a shake that is completely vegetarian for those of you who choose not to eat animal proteins. We even have a shake specially formulated for people who need a little help managing blood sugars.


One of our amazing shakes is listed below with the ingredients and nutrition information for you to check out.

SlimPlus Chocolate
All-Natural Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate Blend


Key Benefits of SlimPlus
● High Protein Content: 26 grams Per Serving
● Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate Blend
● Microfiltered, Ion-Exchanged and Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Whey
● Maximum Biological Value & Amino Acid Absorption
● Added Glutamine and Taurine To Support Lean Muscle Mass
● High in Branched Chain Amino Acids
● Now with GI friendly Fibersol-2® and Aminogen® to aid Digestion

SlimPlus is a delicious, all-natural blend of three of the highest quality whey protein concentrates and isolates from around the world: Microfiltered, Ion-exchanged and Enzymatically hydrolyzed (partially predigested). This blend is 100% bioactive and contains naturally occurring immunoglobulins for added immune support. The specially processed whey protein in SlimPlus is designed to maximize amino acid absorption, biological value and net protein utilization.

SlimPlus provides 26 grams of whey protein, which is considered to have the highest biological value of any protein source - superior in essential amino acid content as compared to beef, milk, casein or soy. SlimPlus contains Fibersol®-2, a high quality, GI friendly fiber to help reduce excess gas and bloating. Aminogen® has been added to help your body break down and absorb more amino acids from protein and is clinically proven to release 100% more plasma amino acids, 250% more branched-chain amino acids, and boost nitrogen retention by 32%. Since SlimPlus has a very low glycemic index, it is suitable for many people who are on restricted diets. SlimFit® contains substantially more protein and ½ the sugar of other popular products, making it an ideal body composition and weight management functional food.

Directions: Stir or blend 2 scoops into 8-10 ounces of water. To increase sweetness, use less water. To decrease sweetness, add more water.


Two Scoops Contain:

Calories .................................................... 204
Calories From Fat ......................................16
Total Fat ................................................... 1.6 g
Saturated Fat ............................................1.3 g
Trans Fat ................................................... 0 g
Cholesterol ................................................. 6 mg
Sodium ..................................................... 88 mg
Potassium ................................................149 mg
Total Carbohydrates ................................21 g
Fiber, Dietary ............................................. 6 g
Sugars ........................................................ 10 g
Protein ....................................................... 26 g
Calcium ...................................................... 78 mg
Aminogen® (patented enzyme blend) ..300 mg
Stevia Leaf (stevia rebaudiana, extract) . 89 mg


Typical Amino Acid Profile (mg per serving):
Essential Amino Acids: L-Isoleucine 1580, L-Leucine 3114, L-Lysine 2413, L-Methionine 605, L-Phenylalanine 920, L-Threonine 1940, L-Tryptophan 497, L-Valine 1498.
Non-Essential Amino Acids: L-Alanine 2054, L-Arginine 719, L-Aspartic Acid 3010, L-Cysteine 496, L-Glutamic Acid 4689, L-Glutamine 2755, L-Glycine 2633, L-Histidine 569, L-Proline 1467, L-Serine 1616, L-Taurine 675, L-Tyrosine 933.

Ingredients: Whey Protein Blend [micro-filtered whey protein concentrate (providing ß-lactoglobulin, a-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins and serum albumin), ion-exchanged whey protein isolate (providing ß-lactoglobulin, a-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins and glycomacro peptides) and enzymatically hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate], Fibersol®-2, fructose, cocoa, natural flavors, Aminogen®, free-form l-glutamine, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, and Stevia rebaudiana herbal extract. Contains milk and soy derivatives.

Contains No: Wheat, gluten, corn protein, yeast, artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives.

Aminogen® is a registered trademark of Triarco Industries and is protected by Patent # 5,387,422.